All Chapters of The Woman He Never Chose: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Two hours later, the hotel's grand diningroom was alive with light and sound.Rita stood before the circling buffet table and stared. Her mouth watered. The dishes stretched across the entire length of the room. Every surface gleamed. Every plate was a piece of art.A wall of oysters glittered over crushed ice. A tiered tower of lobster and king crab rose from a silver pedestal. Platters of truffle roasted beef, herb crusted lamb, and glazed sea bass lined the table in precise rows. Crystal bowls overflowed with caviar and smoked salmon. Beside them sat miniature burrata, delicate sea bass carpaccio, saffron risotto, and lobster lasagne. At the far end, an entire dessert station gleamed beneath the chandeliers. French macarons in pale pastels. Gold dusted chocolates. Mille feuille. Pistachio eclairs. Creme brulee with caramelized tops. A towering Saint Honore sat at the center like a crown.The aroma hit her in waves. Rich. Layered. Warm. It rearranged her stomach in ways that made he

Rita pressed her palm flat against her chest and held it there, as if that alone could keep her heart from tearing free. It pounded so hard she could feel it in her fingertips, could hear it in her ears, could taste the panic rising in the back of her throat.Tears pooled in her big brown eyes. She blinked, trying to push them back. Trying to hold herself together the way she always did. But the harder she fought, the more the ground beneath her crumbled.So she let go.The tears fell freely, warm and relentless down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs that ripped from somewhere so deep inside her she did not even know that place existed. She covered her mouth with both hands and wept. Loud at first, then quieter, until the only sound left was her own broken breathing cutting through the stillness of the room.She had waited so many years for Philip to love her.So many years.She had yearned for it. Prayed for it. Built her entire life around the hope that one day he wou

“Can I come with you?” Blair stepped directly in front of Philip’s car just as he was about to pull out of the parking lot.Philip pressed the brakes and stared at her through the windshield. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Then his eyes dropped briefly to her stomach.“You’re pregnant, Blair.” His voice was firm, almost impatient. “You don’t need all this stress.”“But I want to help you find Rita.”Something in her voice made him pause.Blair rested one hand protectively over her stomach. Her expression was soft, concerned. “I’m worried about her too, Philip.”Philip exhaled slowly and leaned back against his seat. He was exhausted. Frustrated. Angry. And more than anything, he was afraid.He hated that feeling.Philip was used to being the man who had answers. The man who could make one phone call and have a problem disappear. But tonight, he had no idea where his wife was, and every unanswered call was making the knot in his chest tighter.“Fine.” He unlocked the passeng

Rita stood before the full-length mirror in the master suite, studying her reflection with quiet care. The deep blue gown clung to her figure in a way that felt both elegant and deliberate, the fabric catching the soft afternoon light. Her hair had been swept into a polished style that framed her face without effort. She lifted one hand and traced the cool surface of the sapphire necklace resting against her collarbone. Philip had given it to her the night before, and the stones matched the gown perfectly, as though someone had planned every detail in advance. A small smile touched her lips. It had been thoughtful of him to arrange a matching set. A stylist had delivered the gown that morning. Rita had assumed that was the end of it. Then, after breakfast, a hair specialist and a makeup artist had arrived as well, moving around her with quiet efficiency until she looked ready for something far more formal than an ordinary afternoon. “This meeting must matter a great deal to him,” sh

"Rita. Wait."Philip called after her but she kept walking. Her back was straight. Her shoulders did not roll. She did not slow down. She did not turn.He caught up to her in three steps and grabbed her wrist. Pulled her around. She faced him and the look in her eyes made his hand loosen on its own."How did you know how to do that?" he asked.Rita stared at him. Her jaw was tight. Her lips were pressed together so hard they had gone white at the edges. She was shaking. Not her hands. Her whole body. A fine tremor that started somewhere inside and worked its way out."How dare you?" she said. Her voice cracked on the second word.Philip blinked. He let go of her wrist and stepped back."I'm sorry. I shouldn't have underestimated you." He raised both hands. Palms open. Surrendering. "It's just that you never attended any medical school. So how did you...""It's none of your business, Philip."The words came out hard. Fast. Like she had been holding them in her mouth for too long and fi