Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 241 - Chapitre 250

Gideon let out a contemptuous smile. "And I'll tell you this plainly. Lucille is mine. So is my daughter. If anyone is going to send her a castle, it'll be me. Not you."'Asked to look out for her?' That's just a cover story. Otto, I finally understand why you were so desperate to divorce Rayne. You wanted a clear path to Lucille. Go ahead and deny it."Otto glanced at the profile picture attached to the video and recognized it instantly. The sight hit him like acid.Everything he had been forcing down—the anger, the humiliation of being misunderstood, and the crushing weight of discovering Lily might not be his while enduring the divorce—erupted all at once.Seeing Gideon's self-righteous expression only pushed him over the edge. He was done arguing.His fist shot forward. One punch, then another, each one carrying every ounce of his fury.Gideon absorbed the first blows, then stopped holding back. He hit back just as hard.The two of them fought without restraint right in fron

Joanne came to her senses. "Take it away. Tell the shop we're refusing the delivery. Whoever bought it, send it back."In the living room, Lucille was sorting through the first-aid kit.Otto had taken some real hits. Bruises darkened the corner of his mouth and one eye, and shallow cuts lined his forearms where he had scraped against the ground.Lucille dipped a cotton swab in iodine and carefully treated each wound.Her touch was gentle, and guilt weighed heavily on her face. "I'm sorry, Otto. I dragged you into all of this. If I'd known Gideon would misunderstand everything, I never would have involved you."Otto smiled softly. "Lucy, you have to live your own life. Don't shape yourself around what other people think. That's a miserable way to live."Besides, no one could have predicted that we'd both end up at Riverrun. Zephyr and the investor. Some things are simply meant to happen. We should appreciate what we have instead of pushing it away."Lucille fell silent for a mome

Gideon slumped in his chair and pressed two fingers hard against his temple, struggling to keep his emotions under control.A moment later, Daphne knocked and stepped inside. Her heels clicked across the floor with their usual decisive rhythm."Gideon, where are the documents Mark brought up for your signature yesterday? I want to take another look."Without a word, Gideon pulled out the top document and handed the rest to her. The movement was mechanical.Daphne immediately noticed how pale he looked. "What happened? Are you all right?"Gideon buried his face in both hands. His voice was hollow. "I'm fine. Daphne. I've decided to go through with the divorce."Lily can stay with her. Whatever she wants in the settlement, let her have it. She gave me five years of her life, and I never even gave her a proper wedding. I've owed her more than I can ever repay."Daphne froze.A moment later, her expression hardened. "I'll support you if you want to compensate her, as long as it's r

Were the two of them already moving that fast?Gideon stepped forward, ready to close the distance.A Ferrari roared past him. It braked hard and stopped directly in front of Lucille, its tires screeching against the asphalt.The window rolled down, and the man inside called Lucille's name loud enough for Gideon to hear.Lucille bent down and leaned through the open window, chatting with whoever was inside. Bursts of laughter drifted from the car.She was there to file for divorce. How could she look so happy? And who was this man driving a Ferrari?The car was brand new, this year's model, barely on the market. Anyone who had already managed to get one either had money, connections, or both.Otto would never drive something like that. Men who chose cars like those were usually more like Walter: young, flashy, and experts at enjoying life.Had some wealthy Coasthaven heir already set his sights on Lucille? Had he really shown up at her divorce in a Ferrari just to impress her?

The humiliation of being replaced settled heavily over Gideon.He drew a slow breath, forced himself to straighten his back, and struggled to reclaim some of the authority he had always carried."Lucy, one last question. Is this divorce really what you want?"Lucille's expression remained unreadable."Yes." Her answer came without hesitation.The color drained further from Gideon's face. "Even knowing I've realized what I did wrong, even now that I've changed, you still won't reconsider?"Lucille's eyes remained cold. A faint trace of contempt touched the corner of her mouth. "You're asking for forgiveness now? Doesn't that strike you as absurd? Lily cannot be put back inside me and born again. The last chance we had disappeared the moment she came into the world."He had expected that answer. Even so, hearing it spoken aloud felt as though something had been ripped out of him."All right. Then I have one last request. After all this, can I see her at least once a week? If the