Waiting in the shadows 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 101 - 챕터 110

Margaret had been meticulous in her planning. The funfair party was meant to be more than just entertainment; it was her way of prying Lucas away from work, even if just for a few hours. She wanted him to laugh, to enjoy himself, and perhaps, just perhaps, to remember that life existed outside the cold walls of his office and the endless stream of business deals.The fairground lights twinkled against the night sky, music drifted faintly from the carousel, and laughter echoed across the stalls. Margaret moved from table to table, greeting guests, ensuring the atmosphere was lively. She had invited Lucas's friends from Paris, colleagues, old classmates, anyone who might coax him into remembering the lighter side of life.Lucas, as usual, looked slightly out of place. Dressed immaculately in a tailored suit, he moved through the crowd with his usual precision, acknowledging people with nods or brief smiles, but he never lingered. Margaret observed him from a distance, a faint worry crea

The flowers arrived early in the morning.White lilies.Maya didn't even need to read the card to know who they were from.She stood at the doorway of her hotel suite for a long moment, staring at them like they were something dangerous, something that didn't belong in her carefully controlled world. The soft scent filled the room, delicate and intrusive at the same time.Her jaw tightened.Without hesitation, she walked forward, picked up the bouquet, and handed it back to the hotel staff."Please give it to someone else," she said calmly."Ma'am, are you sure? They're very expen-""I said give it out," Maya cut in, her tone firm.The staff nodded quickly and left.Maya closed the door, leaning against it for a second.This again.She exhaled sharply and turned away, refusing to let it get to her.But it didn't stop there.By afternoon, another package arrived.And another.Flowers. Gifts. Notes.She didn't open any of them. She didn't read anything. She either trashed them or passed

After Alicia's call, I sat in my hotel room staring blankly at the Paris skyline, the city lights glittering like distant stars I couldn't reach. Her words kept echoing in my mind: "If you find out the truth... will you leave Damien and go back to Lucas?"I clenched my fists. No. I wasn't going to let him have that kind of power over me. Not here. Not now. Not when I had built a life that was steady, safe, and meaningful. Lucas was just... smoke. Smoke that had always passed and always would.I repeated it over and over like a mantra, trying to convince myself. Because if I didn't, I knew I'd start noticing things, remembering things, feeling things I wasn't ready to feel.The next morning, I threw myself into the conference with everything I had. Presentations, networking, meetings with specialists, discussions about research and medical breakthroughs, I submerged myself in it all, determined not to give him even the smallest corner of my mind. I made a deliberate effort to avoid him

The decision had been quick.Too quick.Maya didn't give herself time to think about it because she knew if she did, she might hesitate.And hesitation... was dangerous.So she booked the flight.The very next morning.No extensions. No second thoughts. No goodbye.Just distance.Because that was the only thing that had ever worked.Distance she believed once she is far away from Lucas, she won't do crazy things.The airport in Paris felt colder than it should have.Or maybe it was just her.Maya stood by the glass wall, her arms folded lightly, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. Planes moved. People passed. Announcements echoed.Life continued.But inside herSomething had shifted.Not loudly.Not dramatically.Just enough to unsettle everything she thought she had already buried.Her fingers moved unconsciously.Brushing lightly against her lips.She froze.Then slowly dropped her hand.Stop.Her jaw tightened.That kissIt wasn't supposed to happen.It wasn't planned.It wasn

The moment they touched down in London, Sophie could feel the tension coiling in her chest. The city's familiar skyline stretched before her, but it wasn't comfort she felt ,it was unease, a gnawing certainty that Lucas's return had awakened something she had hoped was long buried. Maya.Sophie had always known the truth: Lucas's heart had never fully left her first love. Every calculated smile, every polite interaction, even in public, carried traces of what he had once felt for Maya. Coming back to London, she realized, was opening old wounds that she couldn't afford to ignore.There was only one way to ensure she is the center of his attention, she reasoned. Only one way to bind Lucas to her completely. Margaret's advice echoed in her mind: "Make him need you. Make him dependent. A child will tie him to you in a way nothing else can."Sophie had always followed instructions well. And if she wanted Lucas's focus, she would make him comply.The bar they always frequented had an air o