Ruthless Daddy; His Bratty Little Girl のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

DaphneDr. Osei folds his hands on the desk in that careful way doctors do when they're about to say something that's going to ruin your entire day."The good news is Eli's numbers are stable enough to proceed once we have a donor match." He glances at the chart in front of him, then back at me. "The concerning part is time. He's not going to hold at this level indefinitely. If we don't get him into surgery within the next few weeks, his body starts working against us instead of with us.""How much money are we talking about." I ask like I don’t already know. As if hearing him say it again will somehow make the number smaller.He tells me the amount again.It’s more than I made in the last two years combined. More than I could save in the next five, even if I worked three jobs—which I don’t, because Mr. Hank just fired me, leaving me with only one.“I know it’s a lot.” Dr. Osei’s voice softens. “I just need you to understand that the timeline is real. Whatever you’re doing to ra

DaphneHe parks a few houses down from mine and kills the engine. The sudden quiet feels louder than the highway did.“I need a wife.” He stares straight ahead, not at me, his hands still resting on the wheel like he needs something solid to hold onto. “You need money for your brother’s surgery. It’s not complicated, Daphne. I believe we can both come to an agreement.”“You’re not even officially divorced yet.”“I don’t play by the rules.”He finally turns to look at me, and whatever is in his eyes right now is harder to read than usual.“Say yes and leave the rest to me. I’ll promise you one thing. No one touches you again. Not your father. Not a single person who’s ever made you feel like less than you are.”My heart practically leaps at the thought of being his. Of saying yes and letting myself feel every bit of the excitement threatening to spill out of me.Instead, I roll my eyes.“I’ll think about it.”“You have twenty-four hours.”“That’s fine by me.” I glance at him

JulianThe scent hits me before I've even fully opened the bedroom door, something floral and expensive, the kind of fragrance Katrina's always favored for exactly this purpose.I push the door the rest of the way open and find her draped across my sheets in something barely qualifying as fabric, all soft curves and bare skin she keeps tanned year round, her hair arranged like she's spent the last hour making sure every strand fell exactly where she wanted it to."You're home." Her voice drops into something low and practiced. "I've been waiting for you."Two years ago this would have worked. Two years ago I would have crossed this room without a second thought, and some nights I did exactly that, more out of habit than desire, telling myself the marriage still meant something worth protecting.Tonight I feel nothing except a low, steady disgust settling in my chest."Why are you in my bed?" I ask, my tone harsh.She rises onto her knees, crawling toward the edge of the mattress with

JulianThe executive lounge stays quiet enough that I can hear ice settling in my glass, which is exactly why I chose it. Whiskey, neat, untouched for the last ten minutes while I watch the door instead of drinking.Commissioner Whitfield arrives four minutes late, straightening his tie before he even reaches my table, a habit I've noticed every time we've met, like the fabric alone can smooth out whatever nerves bring him here."Julian." He sits without being invited to, which used to bother me more than it does now. "You said this was urgent.""Your new detective." I turn my glass a quarter turn on the table, watching the light catch in it instead of looking at him directly. "He's costing me money. My warehouse on Fifth. That's the second operation he's touched in two months.""Hunter's ambitious. He's not mine to control, not entirely.""Everything in this city is yours to control, or it isn't worth the badge you pin to your chest every morning." I finally look up. "I pay you

JulianDaphne scoffs, crossing her arms, entirely unbothered by the weight I meant that line to carry. "Seems to me you're the one who just signed himself into something. Because I won't make things easy for you either."She stares back at me with a sassy little smirk. I can't help but return it. When was the last time someone threw words back at me? People feared me. No one dares to. But I think I like it coming from my little girl."You still think I'm that girl you found at the club." She tips her chin at me, holding my eyes without a trace of the nerves she walked in with. "I'm not fragile, Julian. Whatever you're picturing when you look at me, drop it."Something in me sits up at that, amused in a way that has nothing to do with humor. "Is that so, Kid?""Right."Her full, pink lips twitch up on one side, showing me a bit of her feisty personality. I also take note of her erratic breathing and the pulse pounding on the side of her neck. She's nervous. Excited. Fuck if that