Lahat ng Kabanata ng My Best Friend’s Uncle… and My Baby Daddy: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 7

I stared at the intricate designs of the soaring ceilings, my eyes tracing the gold leaf molding until they hit the massive crystal chandelier that anchored the foyer of the Kingston estate. Every single inch of this place screamed luxury—the kind of old-money power that didn't just talk; it roared. It was a world I was never meant to be a part of, a world that had chewed me up and spat me out five years ago.Standing here now, my cheap heels clicking against the polished marble, I felt like an inkblot on a white silk sheet. Out of place. When the digital invite had first hit my inbox, I was shell-shocked. I hadn't expected to hear from the Kingstons ever again, let alone be invited to the inner sanctum of their family legacy.You are hereby invited to the solemnization of Chloe Kingston and Alexander Hawthorne.I had been dumbstruck, staring at the glowing screen of my cracked phone for hours. Chloe and I hadn’t spoken since the night I fled London with a single suitcase and a secre

After Eric stormed out to meet his grandfather, I collapsed into the leather chair behind his desk, my legs finally giving out. I spent ten minutes in the en-suite bathroom, splashing freezing water on my face and staring at my reflection. I looked like a ghost of the girl I used to be. Five years ago, I was the university student who thought love could bridge the gap between a scholarship girl and a Kingstone. Boy I was wrong.I stepped back out into the gala, trying to blend into the shadows. I needed a drink to steady my nerves. I grabbed a glass of dark red wine from a passing tray and downed half of it, the tart liquid burning my throat. I scanned the room, looking for a corner to hide in, but Eric’s presence was everywhere. Even when he was across the ballroom, I could feel the weight of his gaze. It was the same way he used to look at me during our secret dates—like I was the only person in the world, and like he was never going to let me go.“Autumn! I’ve been looking everywhe

Today was the day of the rehearsal dinner, and the air in the estate was thick with a different kind of tension. Chloe and I had spent the afternoon going through the final arrangements, but if I was being honest, it was all Chloe, not me. She was the one who had everything under her absolute control. The plans, the flowers, the seating charts—it was all managed by her and the high-priced coordinator she had hired. I was just there as "decoration," a silent support system for a world I didn't understood.I didn't understand why the hand-blown wine glasses had to be imported from Norway, or why it was a crisis that her third backup dress from a Paris boutique was a shade off from "eggshell." But I sat there anyway, nodding and showing support, commenting on how lovely everything looked or how gorgeous the centerpieces were every time she pointed at something.By the time the evening rolled around, I was exhausted. I was currently getting ready in my room. Just like the previous party,

The sun was high over the Kingston estate, but I was currently in my room avoiding human interactions at all costs. It felt cowardly, like a rabbit hiding in its burrow while the wolf circled outside, but it was the only way to avoid running into Eric. The Blue Suite, which was supposed to be a sanctuary, now felt like a prison cell made of silk and gold leaf.My mind was still reeling from what had happened last night in the library. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel the heat of Eric’s body pressing me against that cold reading table, his breath hitching against my neck. The thought of what could have happened if Alexander Hawthorne hadn’t interrupted us was a loop playing in my mind, terrifying and exhilarating all at once.Would we have had sex there and then? I knew the answer, and it made my skin flush with a heat that had nothing to do with the morning sun. Eric wouldn't have wasted a moment to claim me right there among the bookshelves. He had always been a man wh