Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 51 - Chapitre 60

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Chapter 51 What Matter

It wasn't a question.She looked at him. His profile in the dim light. Jaw tight. Eyes forward."Yes," she said. "I am."He nodded. Just once. Then nothing more."I don't know why I'm telling you this."He was quiet for a moment. Then: "Because there's no one else."She looked back out the window.He was right.The house came into view. Lights on. Cars parked along the street. People moving inside.Leo's car was there.Vance pulled over, not too close. Cut the engine.She sat for a moment, staring at the house."I'll be here," he said. "If you need anything."She looked at him. "You don't have to wait.""I know."She opened the door. Cold air rushed in."Thank you," she said. "For the drive."He nodded.She got out. Walked toward the house. Didn't look back.The house was full of people. Neighbors. Relatives. Faces she recognized but couldn't name.Her mother was in the kitchen, directing someone about food. She looked up when Nerissa entered."There you are." Then, glancing behind her

Chapter 52 Do You Want Divorce?

The house felt smaller than she remembered.Nerissa stood in the living room, her bag still in her hand. Everything was the same. The couch they'd picked together. The photos on the walls. The kitchen where they'd shared a thousand meals.It all looked like someone else's life.Zane had gone straight to the bedroom. Their bedroom. She heard the door close. Then silence.She walked to her room. The guest room. Her room now.The orchid was still on her nightstand. Still alive.She sat on the bed and stared at it.--------------They settled into a rhythm. Not the rhythm of a marriage. The rhythm of two people sharing space.Morning coffee. Separate mugs. Separate times.Work. Deadlines. The hum of normal life.Evening dinners. Quiet. Careful.Zane was trying. She could see it. He made dinner every night. He asked about her day. He smiled when she walked into the room.But the smiles didn't reach his eyes.She didn't push. He'd lost his mother. He needed space. She understood that.Four d

Chapter 53 Moving On

Zane jerked like she'd hit him."What? No. Why would you ask that?"She kept her voice quiet. Even."I need to know where we stand.""Why now?" His voice was higher. Strained. "Is this about the baby? About Jovi?""Partly.""I told you. She was there. She came with me to the ultrasound. She was there when I got the news. I didn't plan that. It just—""I know." Nerissa cut him off. Gently. "I saw you. At the house. With her."He went still."I saw you on the porch. That night." She kept her eyes on her plate. "You were crying on her shoulder. She was holding you."Zane's jaw worked. No words came."You didn't look for me," Nerissa continued. "I was there. In the house. But you didn't look for me. You had her.""That's not—I wasn't thinking—""I know you weren't." Her voice didn't waver. "That's the point. When you fell apart, you didn't reach for me. You reached for her."The silence that followed was heavy. Crushing.Zane's voice, when it came, was broken. "I don't know what you want m

Chapter 54 The Search

Zane was in the kitchen when she woke up.She knew before she opened her eyes. The smell of coffee. The soft clink of a mug. The sound of eggs cracking against the side of a bowl.She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling. The guest room ceiling. Her ceiling now.Then she got up.He was at the stove when she walked in. Two mugs on the counter, already filled. He'd made coffee the old way, the way she used to drink it before everything changed.He looked up and smiled. Not the strained smile she'd seen after Norway. Something softer. Intentional. Like he'd practiced it."Morning," he said. "Breakfast is almost ready."She stood in the doorway for three seconds. Then walked to the table and sat down.He brought her the mug first. Set it in front of her with care, like it mattered. Then he brought the eggs. Plated them the way she liked—soft, slightly undercooked, a little runny in the middle.He sat across from her.They ate.They talked about nothing. The weather. A new project

Chapter 55 Always

------Two weeks after the funeral.Break room at work. Fluorescent lights. The smell of burnt coffee. Maria from accounting was complaining again."I swear, if my landlord raises the rent one more time, I'm moving into a closet." She laughed, stirring her coffee. "You know anywhere cheap?"Nerissa stood at the counter, stirring her own cup. Distracted. Thinking about a listing she'd seen that morning. Too expensive. Always too expensive."If you find something," she said, "let me know. I've been looking for weeks. Nothing feels right."Maria kept talking. Something about her neighbor, her commute, her cat. Nerissa nodded along, not hearing.She didn't see Vance at the coffee machine behind her.She didn't see his hand pause mid-reach.She didn't see him go still, coffee cup in hand, watching her reflection in the stainless steel.She didn't see him file the information away—looking for weeks, nothing feels right—before she walked out.But he heard everything.-------Late afternoon. C

Chapter 56 Welcome Home

The penthouse was quiet.Vance stood by the window in his study, looking out at the city. Lights flickered across the skyline. The hum of traffic rose from below, muffled by glass and distance.Behind him, the door opened.Jovi.She stood in the doorway, arms wrapped around herself. She'd been crying again. She was always crying now."We need to talk," she said.He didn't turn. "I'm working.""This is more important than work."He turned then. Looked at her. Face unreadable."I'm listening."She took a breath. Stepped into the room. Her hand drifted to her stomach—a habit now, unconscious."I've been seeing Zane."He already knew. He said nothing."Doctor's appointments. Checkups. The baby." She swallowed. "I need him there. He's the father."Still nothing."And you don't care," she continued, her voice cracking. "You never cared. Not about me. Not about this baby. Not about any of it."He watched her. Calm. Still."If this gets out before I'm ready," he said quietly, "it hurts both of

Chapter 57 A Bad Feeling

She stood alone in the entryway. The apartment was silent. The city glowed through the windows.She looked down at the orchid in her hand.Still alive.She walked to her room. Set it on the windowsill where the morning light would find it.Sat on the bed.For the first time in months, she breathed.---------------The office looked the same.Nerissa walked past Vance's office on the way to hers. Door open. He was at his desk, reviewing documents, coffee untouched beside him.He looked up as she passed. Just for a second."Sullivan." A nod."Mr. Blackwood." A nod.She kept walking. Sat at her desk. Opened her laptop.The Harrington file was there. Deadlines. Projections. Normal work.But something was different.She could feel him across the floor. Not watching—just... present. The same way she could feel the Aerie waiting for her at the end of the day. A quiet awareness at the edge of her mind.She worked.An hour later, Lydia appeared. "Mr. Blackwood needs the quarterly projections by

Chapter 58 The Two Elite Family

Zane came home at his usual time.The apartment was dark. He flipped on the kitchen light, set down his bag, and checked his phone. No messages from her. That was normal. She was probably still at work.He started dinner. The thing he always did now. Chopping vegetables, heating the pan, moving through the motions. He'd gotten good at it. At pretending everything was normal.He set the table. Two plates. Two glasses. The same ritual.Seven o'clock passed.Seven thirty.Eight.He checked his phone again. Nothing.Maybe she was working late. She'd been doing that more often. Leaving early, coming home late. He didn't ask where she went. He was afraid of the answer.Eight thirty.The food was cold. He hadn't eaten.He walked to her door. Knocked softly. "Nerissa?"No answer.He pushed it open.Empty.The bed was made. The closet was open—half empty? He couldn't tell. He'd never really noticed what she kept in there.He stepped inside. Looked around. The room felt different. Lighter. Less.

Chapter 59 The Forced Husband

"We need to be sure about these things first, Mother," he said. His voice was even. Calm. "Before sharing.""Of course, of course." His mother patted his hand. "But still. This is wonderful news."The conversation flowed around him. Names for the baby. Which family traits might show up. Plans for holidays, for schools, for the future. Both families weaving dreams around a child that wasn't his.Jovi laughed at the right moments. Nodded at the right moments. The perfect soon-to-be mother.He didn't say much. Just ate. Listened. Nodded when expected.His father talked about the family legacy. About how proud he was. About how this child would carry on the Blackwood name.Vance's grip on his wine glass tightened.He thought about the truth. About what would happen if it came out. The scandal. The lawsuits. The Harrington deal collapsing. His reputation in ruins.He thought about Nerissa. Alone in the Aerie. The orchid on her windowsill. Breathing for the first time in months.He thought a

Chapter 60 Can I Visit The Aerie?

The morning air was cold against her skin.Nerissa walked toward the Astera Spire entrance, her bag slung over one shoulder, her heels clicking against the pavement. The building rose ahead of her, glass and steel, catching the pale morning light. Normal. Familiar. Safe.A hand grabbed her arm.She turned.It was Zane.He was standing there, his hand wrapped around her arm just above the elbow. His face was pale, his eyes red-rimmed. He looked like he hadn't slept. His fingers were cold against her skin—he'd been waiting out here, maybe since first light, his body chilled by the morning air."Why?" His voice was rough. Cracked. "Why are you doing this to me?"She looked at him. At the desperation in his eyes. At the way his hand trembled slightly against her arm. At the man she'd loved since she was fourteen, now standing on a sidewalk begging."Please, Nerissa." His grip tightened. "Don't do this. Let's go home."She didn't pull away. Not immediately.Her other hand came up and rested

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