Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

Chapter 42 ~ Taraji ~I stood there in Kesley's tiny kitchen, wiping my tears, trying to process everything she'd just told me.Her sister was dying. Her mom was broke. She was drowning in impossible medical bills that kept climbing every single day.And I'd just shown up with my suitcase like some clueless idiot, expecting to crash on her couch because my daddy took away my credit cards.God, I was the worst friend in the world."I'm so sorry," I said again, feeling absolutely useless. "I didn't know your mom and sister were coming. I thought... I thought we could be roommates. I'd pay you rent. Help with expenses.""With what money, Taraji?" Kesley's voice was sharp with stress, with exhaustion, with desperation. "You just said you only have fifteen thousand dollars saved.""I know, but…""My sister needs hundreds of thousands of dollars for treatment. Your fifteen thousand wouldn't even cover a month of dialysis."The number hit me like a slap. Hundreds of thousands. For dialysis.

Chapter 44 ~ Niklaus ~I sat in my penthouse office, staring at my phone like I could will it to ring through sheer force of concentration.It had been two hours since Aria had run out of here. Two hours since she'd refused my proposal—again—and fled like I was asking her to commit murder instead of marry me for an obscene amount of money.Two hours of pacing. Of second-guessing. Of wondering if I'd pushed too hard, offered too much, revealed too much desperation.She'd say yes. Eventually.She had to.But the waiting was driving me insane.I'd never been good at waiting. My entire life had been about action, about making things happen, about controlling outcomes. This helplessness—this dependence on someone else's decision—was unfamiliar and deeply uncomfortable.My phone buzzed and I grabbed it immediately, hope surging….Fred's name on the screen.Disappointment crashed through me.I answered with a growl. "Tell me you found something.""I found the address, sir," Fred said, his v

Chapter 46 ~ Kesley ~I took a deep breath and forced myself to walk back into the living room.Mom was still standing there, looking concerned. Kim was still sleeping in my bedroom, her breathing shallow and labored even in sleep, each breath a reminder of how sick she really was.And someone was still knocking at my door."Kesley, honey, are you going to answer that?" Mom asked.Before I could respond, Taraji moved past me. "I'll get it.""Taraji, wait…" I tried to stop her, but she was already at the door, pulling it open.And there he was.Dan Mitchell, standing in my hallway, holding a casserole dish and wearing that friendly, clueless smile that had broken my heart a thousand times over the years."Dan!" Taraji said, her voice tight and forced. She positioned herself in the doorway, clearly trying to block him from entering.My eyes almost popped out of my head.What the hell was Dan doing here? Now? Tonight? After everything that had already happened?"Dan?" Mom's voice came f

Chapter 48 ~ Niklaus ~I watched Aria settle into her chair across from me, her movements careful and precise, like she was afraid of taking up too much space.She was beautiful.I'd noticed it before, of course—even under all that makeup and the slightly ridiculous styling, there was something striking about her. But looking at her now, in the morning light streaming through the penthouse windows, knowing that this was the woman I was going to present to my family, the woman I was going to marry...I could see why I'd been drawn to her from the beginning. Even when she'd been playing the role of chaotic disaster date, there had been something compelling about her. An authenticity, a realness that cut through all the performance.Now, stripped of the act or most of it—she was still wearing that armor of heavy makeup and tight dress, she looked nervous. Vulnerable. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, knuckles white with tension, and she kept glancing toward the door like she wa

Chapter 50~ Niklaus ~I watched Rebecca walk away, her heels clicking with that irritating precision she always maintained. Max trailed behind her like a lost puppy, probably wishing he'd married into literally any other family.She'd followed me. I was certain of it.Rebecca had been watching me since that family breakfast when I'd announced I was back together with my ex-girlfriend. She'd probably had someone tracking my movements, documenting my schedule, looking for any crack in my story.And now she'd "coincidentally" shown up at the exact restaurant where I was meeting Aria.The timing was too perfect. Too calculated.But in a way, it was almost helpful. Now Rebecca had seen Aria with her own eyes. Had confirmed that yes, I did have a girlfriend. A real, physical woman sitting across from me having an intimate breakfast.Let her report back to Father and Grandfather. Let her stew in the knowledge that I wasn't bluffing, that I really was on track to meet the marriage deadline.