Semua Bab Alaric Thorne: My Mother's Dangerous Man: Bab 1 - Bab 4

“I have a boyfriend.”The words left Rhea’s mouth before she could stop them.Melissa froze mid-motion, a stack of elegant white plates in her hands. For a second, the only sound in the luxurious beach villa was the distant crash of waves outside. Then the plates slipped from her mother’s fingers and shattered across the marble floor.Rhea’s heart slammed against her ribs. She had planned to tell her eventually, but not like this — not while they were preparing dinner for the man her mother wanted her to accept as family.The broken porcelain looked almost violent against the white floor. Rhea stared at the shards, her throat tight. The smell of garlic and herbs from the oven filled the air, but it suddenly felt suffocating. This weekend was supposed to be about her mother finally finding happiness. Instead, Rhea had just dropped a bomb right before their special guest arrived.Melissa stared at the broken pieces for a long moment. She didn’t yell. She didn’t even look angry. Just… qu

She pushed the door open and stepped into a sleek, modern office. A middle-aged man in a crisp navy suit sat behind a large desk. He looked up with a professional smile.“Miss Bennett?”“Yes,” Rhea said, trying to steady her voice. “I’m here for the Junior Marketing Executive interview.”“Please, have a seat.”She sat down, smoothing her white pantsuit over her thighs. The man extended his hand.“I’m Richard Harlan, Head of Human Resources.”Rhea shook his hand and handed over her CV. He scanned it for what felt like only a few seconds before looking up again.“Your CV is impressive,” the HR manager said. “Let’s start simple. Tell me why you applied to this company.”Rhea straightened slightly. “Because I want to build something stable for myself. I’m hardworking, and I learn fast. I don’t run from pressure.”A brief pause.The HR manager studied her for a moment, then flipped through her documents.“You’ve worked part-time roles before.”“Yes.”“Good.”More silence. The kind that mad