Semua Bab His Hidden Devotion. : Bab 31 - Bab 40

Lucas arrived at the hotel alone, his car handed off to the valet before he had fully stepped out. The building rose above him, all glass and warm light, the kind of place where business deals were made over champagne and family dynasties were quietly arranged. He had been here before, many times, but never with this specific weight pressing against his chest.Victor was using business as the respectable reason for forcing him into this meeting. The expansion project, the strategic partnership, the family interests—all of it was carefully constructed to make refusal look unreasonable. Lucas understood that. He had agreed to come not because he wanted to, but because refusing outright would create another battle before he had even decided how to deal with the custody situation.He needed to know what Victor was scheming. That was the only way to fight it.The lobby was elegant and busy, filled with senior executives, investors, and members of several wealthy families who had gathered f

Teresa arrived at the studio the following morning determined to reclaim something of herself. The custody changes had left her feeling unmoored, but she refused to let Asher's strategy destroy her ability to work. She had built this business from nothing, piece by piece, and she would not let him take that away too.She threw herself into a residential design project, spending the morning reviewing floor plans with Priya. The work gave her something solid to focus on, measurements and materials and the satisfying puzzle of making a space feel like home. "That wall needs to come down," Teresa said, tracing the line on the blueprint. "The family wants an open kitchen, and the current layout makes that impossible without structural changes."Priya leaned over the table. "We'll need an engineer to confirm the load-bearing walls.""Already arranged. He's coming tomorrow morning."Priya smiled slightly. "You think of everything."The work continued. Teresa lost herself in the details, and

Teresa sat in the passenger seat of Natalie's car, watching the city lights blur past the window. The evening had started with laughter and old stories, but the weight of the week had settled back onto her shoulders the moment they stepped into the restaurant. She had tried to push it away, to be the woman she used to be, but the effort had drained her more than she expected.Natalie glanced over at her. "You look like you're already planning your escape.""I'm not planning anything. I'm just tired.""You're always tired." Natalie's voice softened. "That's exactly why I brought you out. You don't have to have fun. You just have to leave the house and forget about the whole custody exchange saga that is becoming too repetitive." Teresa laughed despite herself. "That's a very low bar.""It's a bar you've been missing for weeks."The restaurant was stylish and warm, filled with the comfortable hum of conversation. Natalie had invited a small group of women Teresa knew from before her mar

Teresa did not answer Lucas's message immediately. She read it several times during the drive home, her thumb hovering over the screen without typing a reply. Then she locked her phone and set it face down on her lap. Natalie noticed her mood but did not ask. She understood that Teresa needed time to process what had just happened.When Teresa got home, the apartment was quiet. Emma was asleep, her small body curled around her stuffed rabbit. Mrs. Lim stood in the kitchen doorway, a dish towel in her hands."She asked about Lucas earlier," Mrs. Lim said quietly. "Wanted to know why he hasn't showed up at all. I told her things were complicated right now."Teresa's chest tightened. "What did she say?""She said she understood." Mrs. Lim paused. "But she looked sad."Teresa nodded and thanked her. Mrs. Lim left for the night, and Teresa stood in Emma's doorway for several moments, watching her daughter sleep. The quiet gave Lucas's words even more weight.She had spent months trying to

Lucas sat in his apartment, staring at the message from Victor. The words had not changed since he first read them, but their weight had settled deeper into his chest with every passing hour."If you insist on choosing Teresa, I will make sure Asher understands exactly how to use that choice against her."He had not told Teresa. He knew she would blame herself. She would see his choice as the reason for whatever came next, and she would try to protect him from it the way she tried to protect everyone. He could not let her carry that.Instead, he tried to think through what Victor could realistically do. His father had influence. He had money. He had people who owed him favors and he also knew Asher had his own motives. Until now, the two men had been operating separately, even when their actions benefited each other. They did not trust each other. They did not work together and that was about to change.✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦Asher received the message. "We need to talk. Privately. T