All Chapters of Two Can Play: I Became My Ex's Mother-in-law : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

ClarissaRed and blue strobe lights cut through the sheer curtains, painting the bedroom walls in long, bleeding stripes. Outside, the dull roar of engines, shouting voices, and muffled megaphones rattled the windowpanes. High-beam camera lamps flickered against the dark glass, flashing like lightning strikes across the ceiling.Valentine bolted off the floor, his boots heavy against the rug as he crossed to the doorway. Brittany stood in the hall, her face white, pointing her thumb toward the front gates. He didn't say a word to me. He just grabbed the door frame, took one step back into the hall, and let the wood click shut, leaving me in the dark.I sat on the edge of the mattress, my legs dangling over the side. The wet fabric of my sweater clung cold to my back, sticking to my skin. My stomach tightened into a hard knot, the baby kicking once, sharp and low against my ribs.Downstairs, the front door slammed shut.I stood up, my knees shaking as my feet hit the floorboards. The r

ClarissaThe door clicked shut, cutting off Dr. Evans' quiet instructions as his footsteps faded down the hall. White plaster seams stretched across the ceiling, meeting in the far corner where a small crack spiderwebbed toward the lamp. The ceiling fan turned in slow, silent sweeps, cutting through the heavy air in the room.My lower stomach throbbed in dull, rhythmic pulses, the heat radiating deep into my hips. I kept my palms pressed flat against the mattress, my fingers digging into the cotton sheets to anchor myself against the lingering haze of the pain meds.A shoe leather scuff sounded right beside the mattress.Valentine dropped onto the edge of the wood frame, the mattress dipping sharply under his weight. His jacket was gone, his white shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows in rough folds, revealing the red friction marks on his forearms from where he’d hauled me off the floor earlier. His chest heaved in shallow, ragged gaps, his broad shoulders hunched forward like he was

Clarissa The door slammed shut. The wood vibrated hard in its frame, sending a dull hum through the walls before the entire bedroom dropped into dead silence.I sat glued to the mattress, my chest heaving, the faint sound of Brittany’s designer heels clicking fast and fading down the hallway outside.I tried to shift, to push myself up further against the headboard, but the movement pulled something deep in my gut. A sharp, hot throb shot straight across my lower stomach. It didn’t just ache. It squeezed, tight and cruel, hard enough to knock every bit of air right out of my lungs.My hands flew to my belly. Sweat broke out across my forehead, cold and slick. My vision blurred around the edges, the white walls of the bedroom tilting sideways for a second. I let out a ragged breath and sank straight back onto the pillows, my spine collapsing into the soft bedding.Don't move. Just don't move at all.I shut my eyes tight, focusing entirely on the slow, heavy rhythm of my breathing. In

ValentineClarissa’s hand felt so small in mine, cold and completely limp, her fingers barely curling around my thumb. I stared down at her pale face, taking in the faint dark circles under her eyes and the hollow look around her cheekbones. She looked so fragile resting against those big white pillows, completely drained by everything that had gone down over the last few hours.I tightened my grip on her cold fingers, feeling the faint, rapid flutter of her pulse against my palm. I swore right then that no more chaos was going to reach this room. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever again.I leaned down a little closer so I didn't have to raise my voice, keeping my tone low, quiet, and steady."I increased security around this whole floor," I told her, brushing my thumb over the back of her knuckles. "I got guards posted right at the top of the main stairs. Nobody is stepping near your bedroom door. Not Brittany, not her mother, nobody."Her eyelids fluttered, her dark eyes opening just

Valentine “Mr Gaston?” Marcus barely knocked before pushing into the study. "Mr Landon called. He's in town and would love to visit.”I glanced down at my watch. "Tell the driver to pull the car around. I’ll go pick him up myself."I stood up, adjusting my cuffs, when a sharp wood-on-wood crash echoed through the foyer. The study door banged against the wall, bouncing back an inch before sticking open.Victoria stood in the doorway. Her hair had a few loose strands framing her face, her coat hanging off one shoulder like she’d sprinted through the main hall. In her right hand, she held a sheaf of white papers, the edges slightly creased where her thumb dug into the margin.Marcus shifted his weight, his arm reaching out to block her, but I held up two fingers. He stopped, gave a tight nod, and stepped backward into the corridor, pulling the door almost closed behind him.Victoria didn't wait. She took three fast strides toward the center of the room, her designer heels clicking again