Lahat ng Kabanata ng Signed, Sealed, I’m Rich: The Rejected Luna’s Multi-Billion : Kabanata 351 - Kabanata 360

Salome POV“You cannot hide that look from your own mother, Salome.”The glass of cold milk hit the granite worktop with a sharp clink.Three drops splashed over the rim.I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes fixed on the yellow plate in front of me.Two chocolate chip muffins sat there.Suddenly, they looked completely unappetising.“I do not know what look you mean, Mum.”I forced a smile, but my jaw muscles twinged.I reached out and picked up the muffin, breaking it in half just to keep my fingers busy.Mum did not turn around.She opened the dishwasher door with a loud clatter of plastic and stainless steel.“Your father is already out in the garden,” she said.She slotted a ceramic bowl into the bottom rack.“He is trying to find the perfect patch of soil for those roses.”My hand froze halfway to my mouth.“The roses,” I repeated.“The ones Jeremiah gave him,” Mum said.She turned the hot tap on.Steam began to rise from the sink, masking her face for a second.“He cannot stop talki

Salome POV"Do not look back," I told myself.The driver side door of the saloon car clicked shut. Desmond walked away. His boots crunched against the gravel. I kept my hands locked on the steering wheel until his shadow cleared the side window.He was a good person. He was a familiar face. But the heavy weight in my chest did not lift.I turned the key in the ignition. The engine coughed. It settled into a low purr. I pulled out of the driveway and shifted into second gear.The road to the office was clear. The morning sun hit the tarmac. It made the black surface gleam. I shifted gears again. My mind drifted back to the front door. I wondered if I had been too blunt. I wondered if he understood the word no.A silver grille appeared in my rear-view mirror.I tapped the brake pedal. The car behind me did not slow down. It maintained a strict two-car distance.The traffic light ahead turned amber. Then it turned red. I brought my vehicle to a complete stop at the white line.I adjusted

Salome POV"Get in the bloody car before you drop."Jeremiah gripped my elbow. His fingers dug straight into my skin through my thin top.The concrete floor of the underground car park spun. My heels dragged across the grey tarmac.To my left, Benedict hit the side of a concrete pillar. He slid down two inches, his face green under the fluorescent lights.Jeremiah did not look back at him. His jaw remained locked. A thick vein pulsed right at the corner of his cheekbone."I can walk," I said.My tongue felt thick. The words came out slurred, bouncing off the low concrete ceiling."You can barely stand," Jeremiah said.He shoved the passenger door open. The metallic click echoed in the silent car park.Behind us, Benedict made a wet, retching sound. He doubled over, vomiting straight onto the black tarmac near the rear tyre.Jeremiah flinched. A sharp, disgusted grunt left his throat. He did not go to help. Instead, he shoved me down into the leather passenger seat.The leather was cold

Helen POV"Your father tells me you two looked very cosy the last time he saw you," I said.I forced my lips to stretch wide.The skin across my cheekbones pulled tight.Jeremiah did not blink.He sat across the low coffee table, his spine pressed flat against the leather cushions.His eyes looked exactly like mine. Dark. Still. Unreadable."He did, did he?" Jeremiah asked.His fingers tapped a slow rhythm against his knee.One. Two. Three."He did," I said.I picked up my porcelain cup.The white rim clicked against my teeth.The tea inside had gone cold, a dark skin forming over the surface."I heard you are dating that lovely girl, Salome," I said.My voice remained steady.It did not rise.It did not shake.Jeremiah shifted his weight, his leather shoes scraping against the rug."We are seeing each other," he said.He did not look away."How delightful," I said.The lie tasted like copper in my mouth.My knuckles turned white against the handle of the teacup.An employee.A woman f

Jeremiah POV"If Rita breathes near Salome again, I will ruin her."My own voice sounded flat. Cold. It did not sound like it belonged to a son talking to his mother on a sunlit balcony.Helen flinched. She gripped the white iron railing of the balcony so hard her knuckles turned the colour of chalk. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out for three seconds."Next time you speak to her, pass on the message," I said.I leaned closer to her face. I wanted her to see the lack of hesitation in my eyes."Tell Rita that if she dares to hurt Salome, I will do whatever it takes to punish her," I whispered. "I will banish her from New York forever."Helen took a sharp, rattling breath. Her chest rose and fell beneath her expensive silk blouse. She looked at me as if a monster had suddenly crawled out of her favourite garden hedge."You are completely out of your mind," Helen whispered.Her voice shook. She backed away until her spine hit the brick wall behind her."Look at yourself, Jeremiah," s