บททั้งหมดของ My Sister's Fiance: บทที่ 61 - บทที่ 70

By seven in the morning, I’m already sitting on the ninth floor of Northlake with black coffee on my right, my laptop in front of me, and the kind of expression that usually made people think twice before using the sentence, “Can I ask a quick question?”There was no such thing as a quick question in IT.There were only small questions that opened trapdoors straight into hell.Beyond the glass walls, Portland was still gray. Rain hung in the air like someone had forgotten to press the button for down. The buildings in the distance looked wet, cold, and deeply uninterested in the fact that my life was starting to resemble a crisis spreadsheet.I opened Northlake’s migration dashboard, read through last night’s batch error logs, then flagged three anomalies in the access trail.Tania sat two desks away from me, her hair twisted into a high bun, a dark green hoodie swallowing half her body, her face already far too alive for this hour. Jemima, beside her, wore an oversized white shirt, h

I only meant to lie down for a minute on the family room rug, because Max had asked for a “Mommy pillow” and Issa said the couch was too far from the “family aura.” Bianna said she was going to sit on the sofa for five minutes while answering texts, and then those five minutes turned into her falling asleep with her head tilted to the side and her phone still in her hand.The family room rug was thick, and far too comfortable for someone whose life required a war alarm. Max was lying on my left side, one thigh thrown across my stomach. Issa was tucked against my right, her hair smelling like strawberry shampoo and a little bit of cheese as it brushed my chin. Outside, the rain was still falling softly. The house made its small noises around us: the heater, water tapping against the glass, the fridge working hard to keep the criminal gelato alive.I closed my eyes.One second.Then I sank.I had no idea how much time had passed when the front door opened.I heard it from the farthest p

I had just finished brushing my teeth when my bedroom door opened slowly, and Issa appeared there with hair like a baby bird caught in a storm, her stuffed bunny dragging from one hand, hazel eyes wet, bottom lip pushed out.I knew before she even spoke.“Mommy,” she said in a small, broken voice. “I’m sad.”I held my breath and lowered my toothbrush. “Why, mi amor?”She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “I woke up.”I looked at her through the mirror. “That is... usually what happens in the morning.”“I wasn’t ready.”I rinsed my mouth, dried it, then crouched down. She immediately crashed into my chest with her entire chubby body, warm and smelling like sleep. Her hair poked my chin.I hugged her and patted her small back. “I’m not ready for a lot of things in life either,” I murmured. “But taxes still exist, preschool still opens, and you still have to wear pants.”She sniffled. “I want pink.”“Of course. You always want pink. If you ever ask me for beige, I’m taking you t

He leaned slightly against the side of the mansion’s black gate, coffee tumbler still in hand, his gray hoodie falling perfectly across his shoulders. His hair was dark, damp at the ends, like he had either just showered or just come back from a run that somehow had not made him look like a regular human being.His eyes were not as sharp as Zach’s, not that cold, but the lines were the same.Blue-gray.Expensive.Insolent.Younger than Zach. Brighter. Quicker to smile. Less handsome than Zach.“So you two are jogging?” he said to the twins, as if I wasn’t standing there with my blood vessels holding an emergency meeting.Max immediately puffed out his chest. “I’m an athlete.”“He just said his legs were hungry.” Issa snorted.“That’s a private medical condition.”Nathan bent slightly, his face going fake-serious. “Hungry legs are very serious. In Italy, we give them pasta.”Max’s eyes went round. “Legs eat pasta?”“If the legs are polite.”Issa looked down at her own shoes suspiciousl

I didn’t go in right away.Not because I was scared.I just... gave my body a second not to do anything that belonged on a misdemeanor list.Inside Nathan’s yard, the morning looked far too beautiful for a situation that had already reached emotional fire hazard status. The wet grass glittered in the sun, the black-stone fountain flowed softly, and those three expensive cats moved like they had been raised on trust funds and organic food.And then there was Zach.He was crouched beside Issa, one knee bent, his elbow resting casually on his thigh, but there was nothing truly casual about that man. His black T-shirt fell against his body in an irritatingly perfect way, the short sleeves revealing the edge of a tattoo peeking along his arm. Black joggers. His short hair was slightly messy, dark strands falling over his forehead like he had just woken up, or had not slept at all, or had just decided the world would behave better if he looked like he had walked out of an expensive sin comme