Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Marriage He Thought Was Fake (The Revenge Affair-Book 2): Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Celeste's POV“Although, Celeste, if Adrian already suspects something, being careful may not be enough.”His words stayed with me, but before I could respond, Sam reached for the jacket he'd left over the back of the chair.“My mother gave me something before she left.” He pulled a cream-colored envelope from the inside pocket and held it out. “She told me to open it with you.”I glanced toward the doorway. Everyone else had already gone home, and after an entire day surrounded by family and guests, the quiet house suddenly felt much larger than it had a few minutes ago. There was no one left to interrupt us, no conversation to pull either of us away. Just Sam and me.Sam broke the seal and slid out a folded card, but before he could open it, something heavier slipped from the envelope and landed on the bed between us. Two airline tickets.I looked at them, then at Sam as he bent to pick them up. He turned one over in his hand, his eyes moving across the printed details before settlin

Nerissa knelt in front of Maya and took both her hands. “Honey, your daddy loves all of you. There isn't a single thing Ethan could do that would make him stop loving him.”“But you said Daddy treats Ethan differently from us.” Maya's voice trembled, and the tears she'd been holding back finally spilled down her cheeks. “You said his love disappears when Ethan makes a mistake.”Nerissa's chest tightened. “Maya, that's not what I meant.”“But that's what you said.” She wiped at her face with the back of her hand, but more tears followed. “Ethan is my brother. I don't want Daddy to hate him.”“Of course he doesn't.” Nerissa pulled her into her arms, holding her tightly as she cried against her shoulder. “He loves Ethan just as much as he loves you, Noah, and Luna. Your father was angry because he was scared. What happened yesterday frightened him, and sometimes when your daddy is scared, he becomes stricter than he needs to be.”Maya lifted her head from her shoulder. “So he's not angry

“But I also understand the other side.” Zane glanced at her. “You questioned him in front of Ethan, didn't you? Maybe not directly, but who knows how much he was listening? Maya heard enough of your argument to worry that her father didn't love Ethan anymore.”Nerissa hesitated, then nodded.“I can see why you did it,” he continued. “You were trying to protect Ethan. But as a father, having his decision questioned in front of his son probably hurt his pride too. Especially when he was already frightened.”Zane paused, then added with a faint, almost self-conscious smile, "Even I didn't like it when Jovi disagreed with me in front of the children. It got to my pride too. Maybe that's just a husband thing."Nerissa couldn't help smiling. “I suppose they can be.”“Then maybe Vance isn't as unusual as you think,” Zane said, though his expression remained thoughtful. “That doesn't mean you were wrong, either.”Nerissa thought back to the way Vance had looked at her when she'd challenged him

For a moment, neither of us seemed to know how to respond to the attendant's announcement. Sam was the first to recover, clearing his throat as he told her that wouldn't be necessary. She accepted that without question, gave us another polite smile, and slipped out of the room, leaving the door to close softly behind her.I looked at Sam. He looked back at me, and the silence quickly became unbearable.Without saying anything, he walked over to the bed and began gathering the rose petals from the sheets, as though removing them might somehow make the room feel less like a honeymoon suite designed for a couple who actually intended to behave like newlyweds. I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.“Your mother planned this, didn't she?” I asked as he gathered another handful of petals.He glanced at me. “You already know the answer.”I smiled. “She's subtle.”“She has never been subtle.”I laughed softly as he dropped the last of the petals into the vase on the bedside table. W

Her fingers went still in mine as I caught her hand, and I held it gently, hoping the small gesture might settle whatever had been troubling her.“I'm sorry,” I said. “It won't happen again.”The faint smile on her lips disappeared almost immediately. She studied me for a moment before letting out a small, breathless giggle that seemed strangely out of place with the hurt in her eyes. “Of course it won't.”“Caleste…”She pulled her hand free and pushed herself out of the chair. The moment she straightened, she swayed, one hand reaching for the edge of the table. I was already on my feet, catching her arm before she could knock into the chair.“I'm fine,” she insisted, followed by another little giggle as though her unsteady balance were nothing worth mentioning.“You're not.”“I said I'm fine.”She tried to pull away, but the movement only made her sway again. I tightened my grip until she was steady, and when she finally looked at me, the faint amusement in her expression had disappea