All Chapters of PAINTED IN SIN: Chapter 61 - Chapter 68

Verity was still laughing when the waiter placed their drinks on the table. She and Monica were seated on the shaded terrace of an elegant Beverly Hills restaurant, surrounded by flowering plants, cream umbrellas, and the quiet hum of expensive conversations. Two of Quentin’s bodyguards occupied a table several feet away. They were discreet enough not to interrupt their lunch, but Verity knew exactly why they were there. After New York, Quentin was no longer willing to leave her completely unprotected. Monica took a sip of her drink and shook her head. “I still cannot believe that woman’s face.” Verity covered her mouth, laughing again. “You made it worse!” “Excuse me? I helped.” “You started pretending to cry!” Verity said, and laughed. “I was supporting my friend emotionally.” “You told an entire boutique that Jessica wanted to steal my husband.” “She practically did.” “She never said that.” “She implied it.” Verity laughed harder. Monica pointed at her. “And you! Y

Verity stepped out of the bathroom. The bedroom was already dim except for the lamps near the bed. She wrapped a towel around herself and walked toward the vanity. She knew Quentin would not be home early. He sent her a message shortly after dinner, telling her that the situation at Langford Holdings required more attention than expected and that she should not wait up for him. Verity read the message twice, then ignored the final instruction completely. She took her time with her skincare routine, cleansing her face before applying serum and moisturizer. After that, she brushed out her hair and changed into loose lounge pants and an oversized sweatshirt. She could have gone straight to bed. Instead, she stared at the empty bedroom and suddenly decided she did not want to sleep yet. The estate felt different whenever Quentin was away. Although not empty exactly, just missing something. Verity frowned at herself because that was ridiculous. She grabbed her phone and headed dow

It was well past midnight when Quentin finally returned to the Sapphire Coastline Estate. The entire house was silent except for the low sound of the television coming from the living room. He loosened his tie as he walked farther inside, already expecting everyone to be asleep, but the moment he entered the living room, he stopped. Verity was curled up on the sofa beneath a light throw blanket. One arm was tucked beneath her head, her dark hair falling loosely around her face while the television continued playing in front of her. She was completely asleep. For a few seconds, Quentin simply stood there looking at her. Something warm settled inside his chest as he realized what must have happened. He told her earlier that he would be home late and even asked her not to wait for him. She could have gone upstairs to bed, yet somehow, she ended up falling asleep right there in the living room. She waited for him. A small smile appeared on his lips as he walked toward her. H

After their shared bath, Quentin could not completely push their conversation from his mind. He stood near the balcony doors while Verity finished getting ready, thinking again about the way her body stiffened when he asked what she would do if he no longer wanted their marriage to end. He expected hesitation. Verity rarely gave him anything easily when emotions were involved. What he did not expect was how quickly she tried to escape the subject altogether. There was one thing Quentin had come to understand about his wife. Verity was difficult when it came to matters of the heart. She could argue with him openly about almost anything else. She could challenge him, tease him, become angry with him, or tell him exactly when she thought he was being unreasonable. But whenever the conversation moved toward what she truly felt, she seemed to build a wall around herself. Quentin did not blame her entirely. The people who should have taught Verity that love was safe had done the opp