บททั้งหมดของ The Wrong Mr Calloway : บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Sienna’s PovThe photos hit the internet before any of us had even finished breakfast.Ava was eating cereal at the kitchen table when my phone started buzzing nonstop, notification after notification piling up faster than I could read them. I opened the first one and felt my stomach drop straight to the floor.A grainy photo of Cole walking through the estate gates, taken from a long distance but clear enough that there was no mistaking who it was. The headline underneath screamed loud enough to make my hands shake.“Missing Calloway Brother Resurfaces After Four Years.”“What is it?” Marta asked, noticing my face.“Everything’s about to get complicated,” I said, closing the app before Ava could glance over and ask questions I wasn’t ready to answer.“Should I keep her upstairs today?” Marta asked quietly, glancing toward Ava.“Please,” I said. “At least until we know how bad this is going to get.”Marta nodded and gathered Ava’s bowl before the little girl could look up and notice t

Sienna’s PovCole picked me up after dark, telling me only that he wanted to take me somewhere that mattered, refusing to give any more details even when I pressed him during the drive.“You’re being mysterious,” I said, watching the city lights blur past the window.“I’m being sentimental. There’s a difference.”“That’s exactly what a mysterious person would say.”“Fine,” he said, glancing at me with a small smile. “I’m being both. Is that allowed?”“I suppose I’ll permit it. This once.”When we pulled up outside the old hotel downtown, my breath caught in my throat. The Ashford, the same small boutique hotel where we’d first met years ago, back when I was twenty-two and waiting tables at the restaurant inside, and he’d wandered in looking lost and out of place in his expensive suit.“You remember this place,” I said quietly.“I remember everything about this place.” He came around and opened my door, offering his hand. “Come on. I want to show you something.”We walked into the lobb

Cole’s PovRoman handed me the envelope without a word, his expression tight, like he already knew whatever was inside would only complicate things further.“I found this tucked behind the financial records,” he said. “It has your name on it. I didn’t open it. I thought that should be your choice.”“Where exactly was it?” I asked, turning the envelope over in my hands.“Behind the false panel,” Roman said. “Same hiding spot as everything else. Whoever put it there wanted it kept quiet for a long time.”“Did Dad know you found it?”“Not yet,” Roman said. “I wanted you to see it first.”I turned the envelope over in my hands, my father’s handwriting unmistakable across the front, my name written in ink that had faded slightly with age. Whatever this was, it had been sitting hidden for years.“Thank you,” I said quietly, and Roman nodded, giving me space as he left the room.I sat down alone and opened it carefully, unfolding the letter inside, my father’s familiar handwriting filling th

Roman’s PovI called everyone into the main study that evening, needing all of it out in the open at once instead of piecing together fragments from separate, guarded conversations. Douglas sat stiffly near the fireplace. Eleanor stood by the window, arms crossed. Cole leaned against the far wall, jaw tight. Nate took the chair nearest the door, like he wanted an easy exit if things went badly. Sienna sat quietly beside me, still shaken from the leak about Ava earlier that day.“I want answers,” I said, closing the door behind me. “All of them, tonight, from everyone in this room.”Nobody spoke at first.“Fine,” Cole said finally, pushing off the wall. “I’ll start.” He turned toward Douglas. “You sacrificed me. You knew what Victor was capable of, and you let me walk straight into it without a single warning.”“I did what I believed was necessary to protect this family,” Douglas said, his voice controlled but strained.“Necessary?” Cole’s voice rose sharply. “I disappeared for four ye

Sienna’s PovI never thought I would willingly step into a ballroom filled with cameras again, but Roman had spent almost an hour trying to convince me that this was bigger than any of us.“The company needs this,” he said as we stood inside his office. “The rumors about the twins are hurting the business. Investors are nervous. Employees are worried. Tonight is about showing everyone that the Calloways are still standing.”I folded my arms across my chest. “And you think putting me in front of hundreds of reporters is a good idea?”“I think you’re stronger than you believe.”“Roman…”“I’m asking you as a friend.”Before I could answer, the office door opened. Cole walked in wearing a black tuxedo that somehow made him look even more intimidating than usual.“I already said I don’t want to go,” he muttered.Roman smiled. “Too bad.”“I hate charity galas. I hate reporters. I especially hate reporters asking stupid questions.”Roman laughed. “I know that too.”Cole looked at me. “Are yo