All Chapters of My Sister's Fiance: Chapter 81 - Chapter 88

I nodded once.What little color his face had left drained away. “How?”I gave a small shrug. “I’d love to ask the universe too, but she doesn’t take complaints in Spanish.”“Ara.”“I went to the party. Fiona was happy. Everyone was drinking champagne and taking pictures of the ring. Then Papá introduced his future son-in-law. Zachary de Sanctis. Surprise, my life officially became a premium telenovela.”Karl rubbed his face, then stopped halfway because he touched a bruise. “Jesus.”“He’s probably watching too. Eating popcorn.”“Does Fiona know?”“No.”“That you two—”“No.”“That the kids—”“No.”Karl stared at me.I stared back.That was one terrible thing about old best friends. They knew the difference between silence because you didn’t want to talk and silence because you didn’t know how to stay standing if you did.“Ah, yes. Second plot twist. Suddenly, the big mysterious client from Washington I had just signed belongs to Casa de Sanctis. Zach is the principal. I met him again

I went to the office in Theo’s car.Not my finest aesthetic choice, because Theo’s car smelled like expensive coffee, new leather, and the decisions of a man who bought things too often just because “the engine is interesting.” But my car was still God knew where, and I had two small children to drop off at preschool, one nanny going into class like a member of a royal delegation, and one twin brother still asleep on the second floor like the casualty of a diplomatic war.Bianna sat in the front seat, her hair neat in a clear claw clip, oversized sunglasses perched on her head even though the Oregon sky was still gray as an expensive mop rag. In the back seat, Max and Issa wore their preschool uniforms in the most Max-and-Issa way possible: Max with his hair half-combed, cheeks flushed, shoes already dirty even though we had not yet left the driveway; Issa with a lavender cardigan she said “helped her reputation,” a new glitter clip, and the expression of a four-year-old who believed

No.UNKNOWN: Arabella.No.UNKNOWN: Ms. Gómez.I held myself back from smiling.Failed a little.Very little.Not enough to count as a reaction.Maybe just a muscle movement caused by hatred.UNKNOWN: CEO mode?UNKNOWN: Understood.UNKNOWN: I’ll be formal.UNKNOWN: Dear Ms. Gómez. Following our recent incident involving your tire, attached please find my deep concern, my superior resources, and my objection to you pretending I am not useful.I pressed my lips together.No.Not funny.This man was not funny.UNKNOWN: Regards, The man you refuse to thank.I opened the chat again.ME: If you send one more message that is not related to the threat against my children, I’m blocking this number.UNKNOWN: This number is temporary.ME: I’ll block the concept of you.UNKNOWN: You’ve been trying for five years. Limited success.I stared at the screen for too long.The temperature in my office suddenly felt two degrees warmer.I typed.Deleted it.Typed again.Deleted that too.Finally, I tossed

I drove with both hands on the wheel and one bad intention sitting sweetly behind my teeth.In the rearview mirror, Zach’s black SUV followed like an expensive shadow with no shame. The distance was perfect. Not too close. Not too far. Polite enough for someone who had kidnapped my children an hour ago with gelato and protein.Good.At least he could follow simple instructions when the threat was clear enough and I was wearing shoes that could be used for stabbing.The rain fell lightly. Not real rain, just that Oregon drizzle that liked to behave like someone’s passive-aggressive feelings. The road toward my neighborhood was quiet, wet, and far too green. Pine trees stood close together along the private road, the low stone wall appeared after the final bend, then the gates to my mansion opened automatically once the system read my license plate.I slowed down.Behind me, Zach’s SUV slowed too.“Good,” I muttered. “See? You can obey. Tiny miracle.”I pulled into the long driveway of