All Chapters of Too Late to Regret: Claimed by my Stepbrother: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The door to the CEO’s office at White’s Incorporated swung open with a soft whoosh of air-conditioned coolness, and a tall, sharp-featured man stepped out into the hallway, his dark eyes cutting from one end of the polished corridor to the other like he was hunting for something that didn’t belong.“Who is it?” his best friend called from inside, voice tight with leftover tension.The man scanned the empty stretch of hallway again, jaw tight, then gave a short shake of his head. “I don’t see anybody. Let me check with my secretary.”The heavy door clicked shut behind him, sealing the office once more.A shaky breath of pure relief finally slipped past Rose’s lips as she moved away from the back of the door she had hidden.She hurried toward the elevator, shopping bags clutched awkwardly against her chest so hard the paper edges dug into her arms.Her hands still trembled and her mind spun wild from everything she’d just overheard, the words looping over and over until her stomach chur

Rose sank into Tristan’s warm embrace, the solid heat of him wrapping around her like a shield while tears blurred her vision and soaked straight into the front of his expensive blazer.The familiar press of his chest, the steady thump of his heart against her ear, and the faint scent of that cologne their mother had always reserved just for him hit her all at once.She was the only one who truly understood how packed his schedule usually ran, so the questions tumbled through her mind in a rush.How had he known she was here, and more importantly, how had he gotten inside at all?She finally drew back, lifting her gaze until it locked with his. “Tris, I thought you’d be in Manhattan or California.”Tristan had changed since the last time she’d seen him. His features looked sharper, more mature, the kind of handsomeness that had only deepened with time, yet that same familiar scent clung to him exactly as it always had, just like hers.Their mother Cassie had made sure to keep that par

Cruz’s phone lit up with Jessica’s name while he was still in the penthouse, and the sight of it sent a jolt straight through his chest. He didn’t wait.He grabbed his keys, left the cool quiet of the high-rise behind, and slid behind the wheel of his car. The drive to the office building took forty minutes of thick city traffic.The second Jessica spotted him in the doorway she crossed the space in three long strides, threw her arms around his neck, and crushed her mouth to his.Her body trembled against him, warm and desperate, the faint citrus of her perfume mixing with the salt of fresh tears. When he finally eased back, her face crumpled.“Cruz.” Her voice cracked. “Dad found out about the baby. He’s demanding we get married right now.” Tears spilled down her cheeks and her eyes went wide with panic. “I know you’ve got some plan cooking, but I don’t know what the hell to do. I can’t go home.”Cruz’s fingers curled into hard fists at his sides, knuckles whitening. He couldn’t risk

Last night, right before Rose walked out, Tristan’s phone lit up with Hailey’s name.“Tris, when are you coming back? There’s a stack of stuff sitting here that needs your signature.”He’d only flown into Chicago for the deal, but once the city lights spread out under the plane he’d decided to check on Rose.The memory of her telling him to stay away still sat cold in his chest, so he’d gone to her father’s office instead.Frederick had looked tired but proud when he talked about how well she was doing and the wedding plans already underway.No one liked the idea of the wedding but slowly, they had began to roll with it, especially when Rose insisted on introducing them to Cruz only on the wedding day.Then Rose’s call had cut through everything, her voice thin when she said Cruz didn’t love her. For one sharp second the ice around Tristan’s heart cracked open and something hot and raw leaked through.When Rose told her father not to come, Frederick’s face had gone gray with worry, an

Rose raised a brow, caught somewhere between amusement and pure disgust. Some people truly had no shame at all.Faced with Jessica, regret filled Rose’s heart. She almost regretted coming back last night but the information she got last night and this morning were all worth it.“Why don’t you go right ahead? If your brother calls off the wedding, yeah, I’ll be hurt for a while, but trust me, I’ll get over it and move on.”It was just as she was hurt when she eavesdropped on Cruz’s conversation with Romeo but the pain was healing slowly and she was sure to get over it soon.“Feelings heal with time, and as for money, I’m not short on it, and I’ve never taken a single cent from him, so I don’t see what I’d be losing here.”Jessica stood frozen, mouth half-open. At the same time, envy burned hot in her chest every time her eyes landed on Rose. The girl was beautiful, so beautiful that Jessica had once wanted nothing more than to look exactly like her. Rose might not know but Jessica ha