All Chapters of Forced to Wear My Sister's Wedding Dress: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Eva's scream tore Julian out of sleep before he'd even registered moving.He was down the hall and through her door in seconds, chest heaving, finding her upright in bed, drenched in sweat, hands fisted in the sheets like she was trying to hold onto something solid."Eva." He crossed the room fast, dropping onto the edge of the bed. "Eva, look at me."Her eyes found his, wild and unseeing at first, then slowly focusing."Don't let him take me," she gasped."Who?"She didn't answer. She simply reached out and grabbed his shirt, fingers curling tight into the fabric like she needed proof he was real."Julian," she whispered, breath still ragged. "I couldn't see anything. I couldn't see you.""I'm here.""Where were you?"He didn't understand the question, not fully, but he didn't try to correct her. He simply pulled her against his chest and let her breathe there, trembling and shaking, until the worst of it passed.---"Don't go," Eva murmured, some time later, her voice small in the d

Application submitted successfully.Eva stared at the screen a long moment before closing her laptop. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she'd done something that belonged entirely to her —no favor pulled, just her own qualifications sent into an ordinary HR system to be judged on their own merit.Julian found her a few minutes later. "You look pleased with yourself.""I submitted my application."Something warm softened his expression. "Good."She nodded, already reaching for her tea, and something in her tone came out colder than she intended."Did I do something?" Julian asked."No.""You're sure?""Yes.""You haven't looked at me properly since breakfast.""I'm busy," She said, and left before he could ask anything further, still turning over the memory of that woman's hand on his arm at the investor gathering, unwilling to admit even to herself why it still sat so heavy in her chest.---By afternoon, Julian had noticed enough to be certain something was wrong.

Julian didn't take her to a flashy, high-profile restaurant where corporate couples went to be photographed. Instead, he chose a small Italian place called L’Aria, — small, private, tucked away somewhere quiet enough to actually hear each other talk.Eva watched him across the table. He had already taken off his suit jacket and rolled his sleeves up a couple of turns, looking far more relaxed than he ever did at the house."You didn't interfere with the panel," Did you?" Eva asked, her voice cutting through the soft crackle of the hearth.Julian reached for his wine glass, his movements deliberate. "I don't compromise the integrity of my firm for anyone, Eva."You wanted something that belonged to you. Now you have it. "Eva felt a strange, unfamiliar warmth bloom in her chest. "You are surprisingly good at giving compliments.""Do not grow accustomed to it," Julian replied.Eva laughed, warmth settling comfortably between them. Then she studied him a moment longer, noticing what he'd

Eva woke before her alarm, although she had spent most of the night convincing herself that she was not nervous about her first day.She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling before finally getting out of bed. By the time she reached the dressing room, she had already gone over the same list in her head twice: employee badge, identification, notebook, laptop, interview notes she probably no longer needed.She chose a navy blazer and paired it with a cream blouse, then stood in front of the mirror longer than necessary.This was ridiculous.She had survived a wedding she had never expected, a family that seemed determined to remind her she did not belong, a missing five years of her life, and enough unanswered questions to fill several notebooks.A first day at work should not have frightened her.Yet it did.Her badge lay on the dresser. She picked it up and clipped it to her blazer.Eva Hart-CastellanJunior Investment AnalystSeeing the title beneath her name still felt str

Eva woke later than she had intended, the pale morning light already spreading across the ceiling when she opened her eyes. For several seconds, she remained still, trying to remember why she had gone to sleep with the faintest smile on her face.Then she remembered.Julian.More specifically, the moment in the room when he had stood close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body, his fingers resting against her cheek as his attention settled on her mouth.They had come dangerously close to kissing.She pressed her lips together at the memory and turned onto her back.She still couldn't decide whether she was disappointed that he had stopped.She got out of bed before she could dwell on it any longer and went through her morning routine with deliberate efficiency. By the time she reached the dining room, she had convinced herself that whatever had happened the night before belonged to the night before.Julian appeared equally determined to prove that point.He sat at the head