Lahat ng Kabanata ng Breaking Her at Thanksgiving: Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

“Solène.”Both women turned, their eyes settling on Lewis standing a few feet away—close enough to hear what the women had been discussing.He just stood there, one hand in his pocket, with a slight frown on his face. And with the way he looked back at Solene, one could tell he’d been there longer than either of them thought. Mrs Hartwell was the first to snap out of it. She turned to Solène once more, her smile returning like nothing had happened, and reached for her hand.“Expecting your response.” “Oh yes,” Solene said lightly. “I’ll keep in touch.”The smile lingered until the woman was out of sight, then it dropped.She turned to Lewis, who had moved closer now, standing in front of her. And for a moment, she just stared at him, the afternoon sun hitting details on his face she hadn’t noticed inside—the faint lines under his eyes, and how dull his eyes looked in general, like he hadn’t slept well in days.Or even slept at all.“Are you okay?” Solene asked before she could stop

The tension in the boardroom sat heavy—thick enough to notice, uncomfortable enough to avoid.The men around the table conversed in low tones amongst themselves, like they were avoiding speaking directly with Ronan, who sat at the head of the table.Little did they know their time was running out, and the only reason Ronan had stood up and walked out of there was because he’d warned them to only call for a meeting when it was very urgent.His eyes dropped to his wristwatch once more.The man closest to him caught it instantly. He cleared his throat, and the room fell silent instantly.Ronan leaned back slightly, exhaling. “You called this meeting.” “Yes, sir.” The man replied, adjusting his glasses.“What about?” There was a pause.“About the situation with your wife that has been…settled.” He said carefully. “We had a discussion amongst ourselves.” Ronan’s expression didn’t change. Neither did he meet anyone’s gaze.The man exchanged a look with the man beside him like he was reth

Dinner that night was quiet.Not the uncomfortable kind, but the kind that one could tell something was off. That even the sound of the cutleries barely made a sound as it met the silverware.Well, except for Ari, who has somehow figured she could make little sounds while she drank water. So she carried the cup more times than necessary, just to show she could do it.But none of them really paid attention to it.Ronan just sat back in his chair, his attention fixed on Solene.She was picking at her food, taking small bites and chewing slowly like she wasn’t aware of what she was eating.She hadn’t complained about work, or how tired she was, or even said anything longer than a few words.Which was quite unusual for her.And the longer it lasted, the more his gaze seemed to burn into her skin, but she didn’t seem to mind.“Alright,” he exhaled, leaning into his seat. Both Solene and Ari paused, turning to him.But Ronan kept his eyes on Solene. “You’re quiet,” he said.Solene looked

Solene sat in the private waiting area, her eyes flicking to the arrival board, then back to the time on her phone.‘Calm down, Solene,’ she told herself occasionally, pressing her palm lightly against her handbag resting on her lap.Her Mom’s plane wasn’t due until another hour, but somehow she’d shown up thirty minutes early—like she didn’t have anything else to do with her day.‘I don’t want her to wait too long,’ she’d told herself. And it’d sounded reasonable in her head when the car stopped at the airport and Ronan’s staff ushered her in.Now she had to wait for as long as who knew for her Mom to arrive.Ronan had left earlier to meet up with Micheal, and she’d been stopping herself from thinking too much about the last step leading up the ladder in the fashion industry.Honestly, she’d felt it was a better option speaking directly to Avery, and they’d be able to reason as partial colleagues.But if Ronan thought the best way was to convince Micheal to shove down his pride and s

The rays seeping in through the curtains were what woke her the next morning.She frowned slightly, her cheek warming the longer she stayed still.And she didn’t move at first. Not until a shadow fell over her, blocking the sun.Her eyes slowly opened, and she met the blurry figure first. She blinked slowly, stirring before shifting onto her back.The smell of alcohol reached her nose.“Looks like you’re aiming for a free tan.” Ronan’s voice echoed through the quiet of the morning.A small smile tugged at her lips, her eyes slipping shut again as she pulled the duvet closer to her chest.“Isn’t it too early to be drinking?” She murmured.“Say one more thing and you’ll be joining me”The bed dipped under Ronan’s weight as he settled beside her.She just smiled, her head dropping to the side as she slowly pulled her eyes open. But then she paused, her eyes catching something immediately.“Ari?”Ronan frowned, following Solene’s gaze to the door. But the doorway was empty. Just slightly