Alle Kapitel von You Lost Me, Desmond Vaughn : Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

Less than forty minutes later, Desmond’s sleek black Bentley purred into the underground parking garage beneath Sterling Holdings. He slid smoothly into an empty parking space and killed the engine, but he didn’t get out right away. His fingers remained locked around the steering wheel as the same storm raged inside his chest.Every unanswered call, every ignored message, and every memory of Genevieve replayed relentlessly in his mind until they all pointed him toward the same conclusion.Alain Sterling knew exactly where she was.And if there was anyone in this world Genevieve would actually listen to right now, it was him.Desmond exhaled sharply before stepping out of the car and striding toward the executive entrance. His expression was carved from stone. Employees crossing the lobby instinctively moved aside as he walked past them, some offering polite greetings that he acknowledged with nothing more than a brief nod.The receptionist stood the moment she saw him.“Good morning,

The bedroom door clicked shut behind Olive with a soft thud.She stayed pressed against it for several long seconds, eyes closed, listening to the muffled laughter and warm voices drifting up from downstairs. The sounds of a family welcoming one of their own home.It should have meant nothing to her.Instead, it left a heavy, uncomfortable weight in her chest.“Ethan…” she whispered to herself.She pushed away from the door and began pacing the room, her thoughts refusing to settle.Desmond’s brother. Of all people.Everything about their brief encounter downstairs replayed in her mind — Ethan’s easy, charming smile, the casual handshake, the polite curiosity in his eyes as if she were just another stranger.Her footsteps gradually slowed.A tight knot formed in her stomach.Does he remember me?The question sent her heartbeat racing. She quickly shook her head, trying to push the fear away.“No…”She whispered the word like a prayer she desperately needed to believe.“If he remembere

Genevieve felt as though every sound around her had disappeared. Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the crumpled paper towel in her hand as she stared at the man she had spent weeks trying desperately to forget.What was he doing here?The question hit her first, quickly followed by another that made her stomach twist.*Did he come here with Olive?*Her chest tightened painfully. The image she had fought so hard to bury rushed back in vivid color—the bedroom door swinging open, Olive in his bed, the crushing humiliation of realizing her marriage had ended long before she’d even admitted it to herself.Her gaze drifted briefly over his shoulder, half-expecting Olive to appear at any second.So… had they come here together? Were they already living the life that used to be hers?The thought stung sharper than she wanted to admit.Almost immediately, she scolded herself. Why does it matter? He was free to go wherever he wanted. Free to be with whoever he wanted. Just as she was f

The meeting had been in progress for almost twenty minutes, yet Desmond Vaughn couldn’t remember a single word that had been said. Around the polished conference table, department heads took turns presenting reports, discussing projected profits, upcoming acquisitions, and investment opportunities. Charts appeared on the large screen at the front of the room while figures and percentages filled the air.Normally, Desmond would have corrected a misplaced decimal before anyone else noticed. Today, his attention was nowhere near the meeting. His mind kept drifting back to the previous night and the moment he had stood in the dim corridor outside the restrooms, staring at Genevieve as though the world had stopped turning.He had rehearsed countless conversations in his head over the past few weeks. He had imagined apologizing, explaining, and even begging for another chance. Yet when she had finally stood in front of him, none of those words had come. Then her aunt had appeared, and withi

Neither woman answered. For several long seconds, Isabella simply stared at Olive. The threat still echoed in her ears. "If you do that… I’ll tell Desmond the truth." The words had shaken her far more than she was willing to admit. She had spent years protecting that secret, years making certain it would never reach her son’s ears. She refused to let everything she had sacrificed crumble because of the woman standing across from her. Without another word, Isabella lowered her eyes and walked toward the bed. Desmond frowned in confusion as she picked up the brown envelope resting on the mattress. Only then did she turn back to him. “Come downstairs. We need to talk.” She didn’t wait for a response. The bedroom door opened and closed behind her, leaving an uneasy silence in its wake. Desmond remained where he stood for another moment. His gaze settled on Olive. She looked exhausted. Her face was pale, and although she tried to appear composed, he noticed the faint tremble i