All Chapters of Forbidden: His Father's Desire: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

KELVIN'S POVThe first thing I notice when I arrive at the engagement celebration is the size of it.The second thing I notice is Sandra.The venue is packed.Crystal chandeliers hang from high ceilings while servers move through the crowd carrying champagne trays. Cameras flash from every direction, reporters gather near the entrance, and conversations echo across the ballroom as investors, executives, politicians, community leaders, and family friends fill the room.Austin wasn't exaggerating. Half the city is here, which means there is absolutely nowhere to hide, and unfortunately, hiding is exactly what I need tonight. Sandra is standing on the opposite side of the room in a dark blue dress, smiling politely at guests while looking every bit as trapped as I feel. For one brief second, our eyes meet, the contact lasting less than a heartbeat before she looks away. I do the same because that's what tonight requires—distance, pretending, and lies. The realization leaves a bitter ta

KELVIN'S POVThe next morning begins with my phone ringing. By eight o'clock, I've already received twenty-three calls. By nine, I've stopped counting. News spreads fast. Scandal spreads faster, especially when wealthy families, public reputations, and betrayal are involved. Business blogs are reporting it, social media is dissecting it, and industry gossip has turned it into entertainment. Everybody has an opinion, everybody has a theory and everybody suddenly knows my life. I stand inside my office staring at the city through floor-to-ceiling windows as another notification appears on my phone, followed by another and then another. The screen never stops lighting up, and neither does the headache forming behind my eyes. A board member calls. I ignore it. An investor calls. I ignore that too. Then my assistant enters carrying a tablet, her expression careful. "Several board members are requesting an emergency meeting."I don't turn around."Later."She hesitates."Some inv

SANDRA'S POVThe drive home feels longer than it ever has before.Dad's message keeps replaying in my mind.By the time I pull into the driveway, my palms are damp against the steering wheel.The house looks exactly the same, yet it doesn't feel like home anymore. The silence waiting inside is heavier than anything I've ever walked into. Margaret meets me in the hallway. "Your father is waiting in his study." Before I can answer, she quietly adds, "I'm praying for both of you." The words nearly make me cry before I've even reached the stairs.I take a slow breath and walk toward Dad's study.Every step feels heavier than the last.The door is slightly open.I knock anyway."Come in." His voice is calm.I push the door open.Dad is standing by the window with his back to me, one hand tucked into his pocket while the other holds a cup of coffee that's gone completely cold.Dad turns to face me, and the pain on his face steals the air from my lungs. He looks exhausted, as though he has

SANDRA'S POVWalking onto campus feels different this morning.Nobody bothers pretending they aren't talking about me anymore. Conversations stop when I pass, then start again the moment I'm out of earshot, and this time they don't even lower their voices."I still think she's brave.""Brave? She stole her fiancé's father.""That's not what happened.""Oh, so you were there?"I keep walking.Lena falls into step beside me, balancing two iced coffees in one hand before passing one to me."I bought you caffeine because prison doesn't serve decent coffee, and judging by these people, they're ready to sentence you."Despite everything, I laugh."You really need to stop threatening imaginary crimes.""I'll stop when people stop acting like unpaid judges."She shoots a pointed look at a group of students staring a little too openly.One of them quickly looks away, the other doesn't.Lena smiles sweetly."What?" she calls out. "If you're taking attendance, she's already here."The girl near

SANDRA'S POVThe first microphone reaches me before I reach my car."Miss Nicholson!" Another blocks my path from the opposite side. "One comment, please!"Then they're everywhere.Cameras, phones and reporters.People walking past slow down to watch while employees gather behind the glass doors of Clayton Global, pretending they aren't staring.My heartbeat quickens from surprise. I should've expected this.A woman with a television microphone steps forward first."Miss Nicholson, were you having an affair with Mr. Clayton while you were still engaged?"Someone else talks over her."Did Joseph Nicholson know?"Another voice cuts in."Are you responsible for destroying two families?"The questions hit one after another until they blur together.For one reckless second, I consider pushing through the crowd.Running would be easier.Then I remember something Dad said when I was fifteen after I broke a neighbor's window with a softball.*If you're brave enough to make a mistake, be brave