Chapter 181: Did We Do It?

The car glided smoothly into the underground garage of The Haven. Luke killed the engine. Turned to look at her. Elena was slumped in the passenger seat. Dead to the world. Her breathing was soft. Her lashes lay like tiny fans against her skin, casting faint shadows beneath her eyes. Her cheeks still held that drunk flush. Her lips were parted in a small, unconscious pout. Completely defenseless. Like a small animal that had finally found its den and let go. Luke watched her for a moment. His throat moved. He unbuckled his seatbelt. Leaned over. The distance vanished. Her scent hit him. Faint alcohol mixed with something soft and sweet. His hand hovered near her face. In the end, he only brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. "Sweetheart. We're home." Elena stirred. Annoyed at being woken. Her nose scrunched. She mumbled something and turned away. Luke almost smiled. He got out, walked around, and opened her doo

Chapter 182: When Did You Move In?

Luke blinked. Then he understood. She'd jumped to the wrong conclusion.He rubbed his temples. Headache. And a strange urge to laugh."Elena. Listen. Last night—""Listen to what?"Elena cut him off. Tears spilled down her cheeks."That you didn't mean it? That I started it?"She remembered. She'd reached for him first. Kissed him.Her tears hit him like a punch to the chest. He reached for her face."You started the kiss, yeah. But I—""But what!"She slapped his hand away. Humiliation and rage burned together."You did that. And then you changed my clothes. Left me with nothing underneath!"The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. Her body felt different. She remembered how it felt with him before.Luke was trapped. Drowning in a mess he didn't make.He breathed deep. Tried again."You got sick. Your dress was ruined. I was just trying to—""Stop!"Elena thre

Chapter 183: Nighttime? Not Your Business

One week later. SoftVoice Studio. Afternoon sun. "Lisa! Song! Your favorite aunt is here!" Clara's voice arrived before she did. She burst through the door, carrying bags of fancy pastries. She dropped them on the center table. "Fresh. Top-tier macarons. Hand-brewed coffee. Everyone grab some." Song Sheng looked up from her screen. Her eyes lit up. "Clara. That's an expensive visit." "Obviously." Clara dropped onto the beanbag. Looked around. "Hey. Where's Elena? She works here now, right?" "Meeting. New client." I saved my file. Took a sip of coffee. "What brings you here? Skipping work again?" Clara put her hands on her hips. "Sis! That's harsh. I call it strategic relaxation." "And research. Checking out my future workplace." Her eyes sparkled. "Even Elena works here now. I'm the only one stuck at Knight Group with no one to gossip with." Song Sheng grabbed a macaron. "Want to quit? Com

Chapter 184: Picking Scraps and Calling It Destiny?

I paused.Something was off.This wasn't just jealousy. This girl knew things.I studied Lila carefully.Wrong. Very wrong.The way she spoke wasn't like an NPC following a script. It was like someone who knew how the story ended. Someone sure she would win.A wild thought hit me.Was the original female lead awake too?---"Taken back?"I raised an eyebrow.I stepped closer. My eyes traced her innocent face."What exactly are you, Miss Bennett? Coming to me with that tone.""Pretending to be sweet. Pulling cheap tricks. Yapping at the real wife like a stray dog.""Best case? Delusional. Worst case? Trashy.""You—"Lila shook with anger. Her face went red, then white."Don't pretend. We both know.""You're just a bug. A glitch. A thief who stole someone else's story.""Alexander Knight was supposed to be mine. You took my place. You took my man. Feel g

Chapter 185: Just Because I Love You

I stared at his frozen hand. Bubbles of hurt and bitterness rose in my chest.On any other day, I would have melted. Leaned into him. Let him recharge.But today? His need just made the fire inside me burn hotter.My brain knew Lila was full of shit.But that old fear. The one the original plot left behind. It was a hand in the water. Reaching up. Grabbing my ankle.What if the book's power was strong enough to twist even Alexander?What if he held me. Kissed me. And thought of her?I'd been there. Chasing Ethan like a puppet on strings.I wasn't scared of much. But that pull? That mindless, scripted force? That scared me.I'd broken free. I knew how sick it was.I was smart. Rational. But I was also twenty-two.My man? I'd fought for him. Well. We'd found each other.But knowing he could be pulled away by some stupid story? Could I pretend that didn't terrify me?This was my first real love. I'd never been so unsure.

Chapter 186: The Divine Remedy

My heart felt as though it had been seized by a violent hand, then suddenly released, sending wave after wave of heat through my chest.It was like a firework show going off inside my skull, leaving nothing but a high pitched, electric hum.Alexander Knight was finally speaking like a real human being.I actually lived to see this day.It was the first time I had ever heard him say he loved me.Not liked. Loved.It was so raw, so stripped of his usual armor, that it made my ears burn and my entire body go weak.This man, who usually hid behind ice and cold logic, had finally shredded his mask of restraint.A flood of bittersweet relief and pure, unadulterated joy crashed over me, making my eyes sting with heat.I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but my throat was tight and dry.I blinked hard, forcing back the tears.I wouldn't let him see me cry, even if my heart was screaming."Oh."I managed to let out th