جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 180

ROXETTEI stood frozen on the sidewalk for more than a minute, my body refusing to move even as Calvin’s figure disappeared around the corner. The world felt like it had tilted sideways. My heart was hammering so hard against my ribs that I could barely breathe. That smile… the way he had looked at me, calm and pleased like this was all some kind of game he was winning. The scent of leather and cigarette smoke still lingered in the air around me, mixing with the bitter smell of spilled coffee on my clothes. It was him. The same man who had tied me to that chair in the basement. The same hands that had touched me while I begged him to stop. The same voice that had whispered filthy things in my ear that night.My knees felt weak. My stomach churned violently, nausea rising so fast I had to press a hand over my mouth to keep from throwing up right there on the street. The coffee stain on my dress and coat was spreading, the fabric sticking uncomfortably to my skin, but I couldn’t even f

CHANDLER I held Roxette against my chest, my arms wrapped around her like a shield, but inside me, something had already broken.  My blood was boiling—hot, vicious, and barely contained. I could feel it pulsing behind my eyes as I glared at the wall over her shoulder, my jaw clenched so tight it ached. Dahlia. Diana.  They had really done it this time. The photo. The ambush at the restaurant. The way they had twisted everything to hurt her. My patience… the thin thread I had been holding onto for weeks had finally snapped. I forced my voice to stay calm as I stroked her back. “It’s going to be okay,” I murmured against her hair. “I’m here. We’re going to fig

ROXETTE The private jet finally touched down on the familiar runway, and I let out a slow breath I didn’t even realize I had been holding. The flight back home had been long, but it wasn’t just the travel that had drained me.  It was everything that had happened in Paris. That cruel photo of Chandler and Dahlia that still made my chest ache even though I knew it was fake. My body felt heavy with exhaustion, and my mind was a tangled mess of worry, relief, and the constant awareness of the tiny life growing inside me. Chandler had been quiet for most of the flight after I comforted him on his lap. He had held me close, but I could still feel the tension in his muscles, the way his thoughts were running deep and dark. I understood. Dahlia and Diana had crossed

ROXETTE I woke up to the soft light filtering through the curtains of my old room at my mother’s condo. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten properly since the plane ride back. The exhaustion from the past few days had knocked me out cold. But now, hunger was winning. I stretched slowly, careful of the lingering soreness in my body, and reached for my phone on the nightstand. There was a message from Chandler. I smiled faintly as I opened it, already missing the steady comfort of his presence. Chandler: Hey baby. I have to work overtime to sort through some things after the trip. I’ll come fetch you as soon as I’m done. Rest up, okay? I love you. Both of you. I typed ba

ROXETTE I sat back in my chair, my mind reeling. The nausea from earlier was creeping back, but it wasn’t just from the pregnancy this time. It was from the sheer overwhelm of it all. My mysterious father didn’t know about me? And now, after reconnecting with my mother in some whirlwind night, he suddenly wanted to meet me?  It felt like a plot twist from one of those dramatic webnovels I used to read. Except this was my life. And with everything else happening—the baby, Chandler, the mess with Dahlia and Diana and Calvin—this was the last thing I needed. I rubbed my temples, trying to make sense of it. “Mom, I… I don’t even know what to say. This is huge. You kept this from me my whole life. And now he wants to meet me? Just l