บททั้งหมดของ Five Nos, One Better Bride: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

Only one word came from the other end."Okay."After I hung up, that post stayed stuck in my head.Seven years.I wasn't waiting anymore.I remembered the first time Sylvia postponed the wedding. She'd promised she'd make it up to me.But once someone finds one excuse, they'll find a hundred more.At three in the morning, the fingerprint lock beeped softly.Sylvia walked in, carrying the night's chill with her.A faint smell of baby formula clung to her clothes, mixed with Kenny's favorite cologne.I'd had plenty of chances to expose her.Six months ago, she suddenly claimed the company was expanding overseas and disappeared for half a year.I'd tried more than once to visit her.She stopped me every time.Now that I think about it, that was probably when she hid away and gave birth to Kenny's child.But I hadn't wanted to believe she'd betray me.I sat on the couch in the dark without turning on the lights.Watching her.She spotted me and frowned. "Why didn't you tu

I walked straight toward them.Kenny spotted me first. The smile on his face froze."Luke... what are you doing here?"Sylvia turned around. Her body went rigid.Instinctively, she handed the baby to Kenny and stepped in front of them."Were you following me?"I ignored her and walked closer, my eyes locked on the lucky-charm necklace around the baby's neck.I held out my hand."Take it off." My voice shook."Luke, it's just a necklace." Kenny tightened his hold on the baby. "You already have everything. Why are you fighting a baby over one necklace?"A surge of anger hit me.I stepped forward.Sylvia immediately shoved me back."Enough. Whatever this is, we'll talk at home.""Don't you remember why we bought that necklace?" I demanded.Her expression faltered.Like she'd finally remembered.For a moment, conflict flashed across her face.Kenny lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Luke. I asked Sylvia for it. After your injury, you still can't give her a child. It would've g

When I woke up, I was in a VIP hospital room.My lower back had been treated, but the ache was still there.Kaela sat beside the bed.The moment she saw my eyes open, some of the tension left her face."How are you feeling? The doctor said you aggravated an old injury. You need to rest."Her voice was soft.I remembered the early days of Sylvia's business.To help her land contracts, I'd spent night after night drinking with clients until I ended up with a perforated stomach.That was when I injured my back, too.It had never fully healed.Whenever it flared up, Sylvia always said the same thing. "You're way too fragile for a man."Does it really hurt that much? Even assistants from other companies can drink more than you."I noticed the dark circles under Kaela's eyes. She must've rushed here straight from the airport."Sorry for dragging you into this."Kaela poured a glass of water and helped me sit up."Are you an idiot?"There was frustration in her voice.But mos

Luke's POVKaela drove me back to my apartment.She looked around the small space I'd made comfortable and inviting.A hint of admiration crossed her face."You've always had great taste. Unlike some people who think throwing money at everything makes it classy."I knew she meant Sylvia and her over-the-top mansion.I smiled and poured her a cup of coffee. "Thanks, Kaela. If you hadn't shown up yesterday, I don't know what would've happened."She accepted the cup but kept her eyes on me. "What I said yesterday—I meant it."Can we... start over?"I froze.The hope in her eyes was impossible to miss."I...""You don't have to answer right now." She cut me off with a gentle smile. "I can wait."I'll wait until you've completely moved on. Until you're ready to accept me."I'll always be here."Her words settled somewhere deep inside me.Like warmth spreading through ground that had been frozen for years.Over the next few days, she never brought it up again.Instead, she

Third-Person POVKaela didn't waste a second.The very next day, Reed Corp's stock started crashing.Major projects hit one problem after another. Authorities stepped in and suspended them for investigation.Sylvia panicked.She called in every favor she had, only to discover the people she once relied on wanted nothing to do with her.That's when she realized she'd seriously underestimated her opponent.She immediately ordered a deeper investigation into Kaela's background.The report landed on her desk.She went still.The Kleins were old-money elites—the kind of family that could shake the entire business world with a single phone call.Compared to them, Reed Corp was nothing.Sylvia couldn't understand how Luke had gotten involved with a family like that.What she knew even less was that the Langdons and the Kleins had once been close family friends when the Langdon family was at its peak.The startup capital that helped her build Reed Corp had actually come from the