All Chapters of His Earthly Desire : Chapter 51

‎The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.‎‎For a moment, I didn’t move.‎‎Everything from the last hour replayed inside my head in fragments—camera flashes, whispers in the ballroom, Malia’s stunned expression, Jayden’s voice cutting through the room like a blade.‎‎The humiliation.‎‎The applause.‎‎The way he had pulled me onto the stage as if it had always been my place.‎‎My heels suddenly felt too heavy.‎‎My chest felt too tight.‎‎Jayden stepped out of the elevator first, then turned slightly when he realized I hadn’t followed.‎‎“You’re overthinking,” he said.‎‎I blinked.‎‎“I’m not overthinking.”‎‎His eyebrow lifted faintly.‎‎“You’re standing in an elevator that already opened.”‎‎That made me step forward.‎‎The doors closed behind us with a quiet slide.‎‎The penthouse hallway felt almost unnaturally quiet after the chaos of the gala.‎‎I exhaled slowly as we walked.‎‎“You just humiliated my sister in front of half the business world.”‎‎Jayde