บททั้งหมดของ An Almost Honest Affair : บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

The hotel ballroom looked like it belonged in a magazine spread crystal chandeliers, velvet drapes, and a press line longer than a Monday morning coffee run. Photographers jostled for position, their flashes popping like fireworks.Mia smoothed her dress, forcing her shoulders back. She’d faced skeptical board members, furious clients, and her mother’s disappointment, but this,this was different. Cameras didn’t forgive cracks. One wrong glance, one stumble, and the world would rip her apart.Beside her, Liam looked carved from confidence. Perfect suit, perfect posture, that infuriating half-smile that said he knew everyone was watching.“Ready?” he asked under his breath, his hand brushing her elbow as if they were rehearsing affection.She shot him a side glance. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Try not to look smug.”He leaned closer, so close she caught a whiff of his cologne clean, sharp, expensive. “Smug is my brand.”She bit back a retort as a reporter waved them over.“Mr. Wolfe! ,Ms. C

The morning after the gala, Mia woke to her phone buzzing. Again.Daniel, of course.She answered with a groan. “Do you ever sleep?”“Not when my sister is making headlines,” he chirped. “By the way, your red dress? Ten out of ten. Wolfe’s scowl? Twelve out of ten. Loved it.”Mia rubbed her temples. “Why do I feel like you’re enjoying this circus more than I am?”“Because I am,” Daniel said without shame. Then his voice softened. “But seriously are you okay? Mom’s still sulking. Dad’s pretending to read the paper but hasn’t turned the page in twenty minutes. You’ve shaken the entire family tree.”Mia smiled faintly despite the weight pressing her chest. “I’ll survive.”“Good. Because if Wolfe screws this up, I get to punch him. Sibling privileges.”She hung up before he could elaborate, but his words lingered, a strange mix of comfort and warning.By noon, her office door opened again this time after a knock.Liam walked in, tie loosened, dark circles beneath his eyes. He didn’t sit.

Mia barely slept.She tossed from side to side, the sheets tangling around her legs like ropes. Ethan’s smug voice kept replaying in her head. And then the fragments of memory that wouldn’t fit neatly into place: glimpses of Liam in school, blurry edges of a boy she never noticed but who now haunted her thoughts.By dawn her head was pounding, her body buzzing with exhaustion. She sat up with a groan, pressing her palms to her temples. No way was she dragging herself to the office today. She’d call it a personal day. Perks of being the boss, right?The penthouse was still, too quiet. Her bare feet hit the cold marble as she made her way into the kitchen. She filled the kettle and waited, staring at the wide glass windows that offered a perfect view of the skyline. Normally, she loved this place modern, sleek, full of light. Today it just felt… empty.She blew out a sigh. Of course Liam hadn’t come home last night. Again.The shrill ring of the landline jolted her. Hardly anyone called

I stirred the coffee in front of me more than I actually drank it. Daniel, of course, noticed. “You know, most people come to cafés for caffeine, not for arm workouts,” my brother said, flashing his signature grin as he plopped down across from me. I gave him a flat look. “Do you ever stop talking?” “Not when my baby sister looks like someone stole her sunshine.” He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. “Or maybe… like someone stole her husband.” I groaned. “Don’t start, Dan.” “Start what? I’m just making conversation.” He smirked, and I wanted to throw my spoon at him. Daniel had the knack for annoying me while somehow softening the edges of my bad mood. But underneath the banter, he wasn’t wrong. I was restless as much as I'd hate to admit i missed him, it's getting too lonely without him. I hadn’t seen Liam properly in days, and the distance was starting to itch beneath my skin. He came home late, left before dawn, and left the penthouse feeling too big, too empty.

The chandeliers glittered like frozen stars above us, their light spilling across the halls in a golden haze. Waiters in crisp uniforms glided between clusters of guests with champagne flutes balanced on silver trays, laughter bubbling as deals were whispered behind polished smiles.On my arm, Liam was flawless.His tuxedo fit like it had been crafted by the gods themselves, his posture confident but never showy, his expression a mask of cool detachment that only made people lean closer. He walked like a man who owned the room, and in a way, he did.And me? I was the accessory. The beautiful wife. The one with the perfect dress and the perfect smile. I hated how practiced it felt, the way we moved like we’d rehearsed this dance a thousand times.“Smile,” Liam murmured near my ear as we stepped into the hall. His breath brushed my skin, leaving me tingling.I did. But it wasn’t for the cameras. It was because the sound of his voice saying smile made something in me ache.We separated b