جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 210

ROXETTE We stayed like that on the kitchen floor for what felt like a long time, the hug between us awkward at first but slowly softening into something real. Diana’s sobs gradually quieted into shaky breaths, her body still trembling against mine. I didn’t let go right away. My arms stayed wrapped around her, one hand gently rubbing her back the way I imagined I might one day comfort our baby.  The floor was cold and hard beneath us, but I didn’t care. In that moment, all the anger and resentment from the past few days seemed to fade into the background. She was hurting. Deeply. And even after everything, the insults, the shove in Paris, and the accusations, I couldn’t turn away from that. Eventually, Diana pulled back a little, wiping her face

ROXETTE I was still in the kitchen when I heard the front door open. The sound of Chandler’s footsteps echoed through the mansion, steady and familiar. I had been sitting there for a while after Diana left, the half-eaten cake still on the table in front of me. My appetite hadn’t faded. If anything, the pregnancy had made me hungrier than ever. I had nibbled on more of the cake while waiting, letting the sweetness distract me from the whirlwind of emotions the day had brought. Diana’s breakdown, our unexpected hug, the raw honesty between us… it had left me feeling both drained and strangely hopeful. Things were messy, but they were moving. And now Chandler was home. I stood up as he appeared in the doorway, his tall frame filling the space. He looked tired but lighter somehow, like some of the weight he had

ROXETTE The café Dahlia had chosen was quiet and upscale, the kind of place with soft lighting and private corners that made serious conversations feel almost civilized. Chandler and I arrived together, his hand resting lightly on the small of my back as we stepped inside. I had dressed carefully that morning in a soft, flowing maternity dress in deep emerald green that made my growing belly look elegant rather than hidden. My hair was down in loose waves, and I wore the simple gold necklace Chandler had given me weeks ago. I wanted to look strong. Composed. Like the woman who belonged at his side, not the girl Dahlia had once tried to intimidate. Chandler had been quiet on the drive over, but I could feel his reluctance. He still didn’t want to see her. “We can turn around right now,” he’d offered one

CALVIN The cell smelled like piss and regret. I sat on the thin metal bunk, staring at the concrete wall like it might suddenly offer me answers. My family had already disowned me. Just like that. No visits, no calls, no money wired for commissary. When I finally got through to my father on the prison phone, he didn’t even sound angry. He sounded tired. Done. “You fought the wrong man, Calvin,” he had said, voice flat. “Chandler Callahan isn’t someone our family can afford to go up against. Not now. Not ever. To protect what’s left of the family legacy, we have to cut you loose. You’re on your own.” I still couldn’t believe it. I really couldn’t believe it. Years. They were talking about years in here if I got convi

ROXETTE A few months had passed since that whirlwind of revelations and confrontations. Forgiveness had settled into our lives like a warm blanket after a long storm. Diana and I had talked more since that day on the kitchen floor, tentative at first, but growing into something real and sisterly. She had apologized properly, and I had meant every word when I told her I forgave her.  Chandler had done the same with her in his quiet, steady way, and even though things with Dahlia were still strained, Diana had started to pull away from the toxic cycle her mother had kept spinning. My father, Valentino, had become a gentle presence in my life too. We met for coffee or quiet dinners, and he was slowly learning what it meant to be part of a family again without forcing anything. Chandler and he had even started mending their old frie