All Chapters of Her Rebirth, His Regret : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

"I'm here," I said, "because I want to be here." I met her gaze and held it. "And if you can't deal with that, Dorothy—" I tilted my head slightly toward the lobby entrance behind her, "there's the door."Her jaw tightened. The sweetness dissolved completely for about two seconds, just long enough for me to see what was underneath it, and then she straightened and turned and walked away, her heels hitting the marble floor with more force than was strictly necessary."Maeve?"I turned. A young woman was standing a few feet away, mid-twenties, natural hair pulled back, a tablet under one arm and the focused energy of someone who ran on efficiency and coffee and had made peace with both. She had the kind of smile that was warm without being performed."I'm Joanne," she said, extending her hand. Her grip was firm. "Mary's assistant. She asked me to look after you today since she's been held up." She glanced in the direction Dorothy had disappeared and her expression said everything her mo

"MAEVE." Liam's voice cracked through the small space at a volume that had no business existing inside an elevator, and then his arms were around me, whiskey and something sugary sweet on his breath, nearly knocking me sideways into the mirrored wall. "You're here. You're actually — wait. Why are you here? Do you live here? This is insane. This is genuinely insane.""I live here." I laughed, steadying myself against his shoulder, my heart still thudding hard from the half second before he'd tumbled in. "As of this morning, technically.""That's insane." He pulled back just far enough to point at me, swaying slightly on his feet, his tie knotted crooked around his forehead like some kind of victory bandana. "Romy. Romy, tell her that's insane.""It's insane," Romy agreed, entirely too cheerful for a man who could barely stand up straight, one arm slung around Liam's neck more for his own balance than Liam's. "Hi, Maeve. You look great. We are extremely....really fucking...deeply drunk.

By eleven the party had loosened at the seams, ties undone, heels abandoned under chairs, the band swapping slow songs for a heavier, bass-driven set while half the guests swayed in a loose, happy knot near the dance floor.I'd danced with Liam's new wife's cousin, badly, both of us laughing too hard to actually follow the steps. I'd had two more glasses of champagne than I meant to. I'd talked to Marcus twice more across the lawn, a wave here, a grin there, nothing that needed words attached to it.The second time, he'd caught my eye across the crowd and mouthed something that looked suspiciously like *you survived the cake*, and I'd had to press a hand to my mouth to keep from laughing loud enough to draw attention.For a few hours I'd almost managed to forget I was standing on Liam's family land, in his childhood home, at the party his parents had spent a small fortune throwing for him.My phone buzzed once in my clutch, Jane's name lighting up the screen. (How's the wedding of you

MAEVE My alarm went off at six, and I was showered, dressed, and standing in front of my closet with two blazers laid out on the bed before I'd even finished my coffee.Navy or black.I picked black. Black felt like armor, and today I needed all of it I could get.The studio still smelled faintly of fresh paint when I let myself in, box of sketchbooks tucked under one arm, my new badge clipped to my blazer where I could feel the weight of it against my chest all morning like a small, reassuring anchor. Joanne caught me in the hallway before I'd even made it to my office, coffee in hand, grinning like she'd been waiting for me."First day energy," she said, looking me over. "You look terrifyingly put together.""I practiced in the mirror.""Don't tell anyone that, it ruins the effect." She fell into step beside me. "Heads up — you've got a nine a.m. all-team meeting, new operations lead, mandatory attendance. Should be quick."My stomach dropped half a floor before my brain caught up

"Five minutes," I said, mostly to Brandon, holding up a hand before he could argue. "I'll catch up with you outside."Brandon glanced between us, a knowing look flickering behind his easy grin, and held both hands up in mock surrender. "Take your time. I'll be interrogating the doorman about sandwich recommendations."He wandered off toward the entrance, and Alexander stepped out of the elevator the second the doors parted again, closing the distance between us fast, his shoulders squared, jaw set, that same controlled stillness from a minute ago cracking hard at the edges now that we were alone."You shouldn't be spending time with him."My spine went rigid. I felt my own eyebrows climb before I'd even decided to react. "Excuse me?""Brandon." He said the name like it left a bad taste in his mouth, his eyes flicking toward the door Brandon had disappeared through. "He's not who you think he is, Maeve. He collects people. Gets bored, moves on, leaves a mess behind him every single tim