Todos los capítulos de Too Late to Regret: Claimed by my Stepbrother: Capítulo 31 - Capítulo 40

Earlier, Tristan was asleep when he felt something soft tickling his face. The sensation pulled at the edges of his consciousness, dragging him from the depths of a dreamless slumber."Rose, we aren't kids anymore. Stop it," he mumbled sleepily, turning to his side. But then again, something soft tickled his ear, and as he tried to grab it, he ended up slapping himself. The impact was sharp and sudden."Ouch," he screeched, his eyes flying open.A familiar sound of laughter echoed in his ears, bright and teasing. "Hehe."Tristan's eyes snapped open as he sat up straight, instantly pulling the duvet to cover his chest because he slept in just his boxers. His heart hammered against his ribs, a flush of heat creeping up his neck."Hailey, what are you doing in my room?"Tristan lived in a penthouse and had only come here because of Rose, so something like this was strange. The intrusion felt like a violation, a crack in the walls he had carefully built around himself.Hailey smiled at hi

Hailey stormed into her room, the door banging against the wall behind her just as her phone lit up and vibrated across the nightstand.The sound cut through the thick, muffled quiet of the hallway she’d just escaped. She hadn’t carried it with her when she’d gone to Tristan’s room, hadn’t been thinking about anything except getting to him.So, she wasn’t surprised to see a group call waiting for her. Her family’s names glowed on the screen.Her chest heaved. She pressed a hand to her mouth, sucked in one deep breath, then another, and wiped at her tears with the heel of her palm. She smeared mascara across her cheek and didn’t care. She answered.“Mom, Dad, how’re you guys doing? And how’s Randy?” She tried to sound cheerful. The words came out thin and cracked, and she winced at how badly she failed.“I’m good, big sis,” Randy said from the other end. His voice was bright, oblivious. “I heard Rose is back. How’s she doing? I wanted to come, but Mom said she’s gonna invite Rose over.”

 "Mr. Roth, welcome back."A manager greeted Tristan in the corridor, his voice carrying that nervous edge people got when they weren't sure if they should speak at all.Tristan nodded once, a sharp, dismissive jerk of his chin but didn't say a word. He kept walking, his stride long and purposeful, his attention fixed straight ahead.But when the manager's gaze lingered a beat too long on the woman beside Tristan, something dark flickered across his face."Mr. Clyde." Tristan's voice dropped, ice-cold. "It looks like you don't have enough work. I'll triple it for you."The manager paled, his face draining of color like someone had yanked a plug. He tore his gaze off Rose instantly, his eyes dropping to the floor like he'd been caught committing a crime.It had been ages since anyone at the office had seen her, but she had only grown prettier, and sexier. That was the problem.No one read any meaning into Rose and Tristan'

The meeting was still in session when Hailey leaned toward Tristan, her voice dropping low so only he could hear. "I've got low battery. I'm gonna run and grab my charger."Tristan didn't look up from the stack of reports in front of him. His pen kept moving across the page, his eyes scanning numbers and figures with the kind of focus that made everyone else in the room invisible. He nodded casually, barely registering her words. "Sure, just hurry back."Hailey slipped out of the conference room, her heels clicking soft and quick against the polished floor. The heavy glass door swung shut behind her, muffling the drone of voices and the shuffle of papers.She left her recorder behind on the table, a deliberate move, so she'd have every detail of what transpired in her absence for her official report. But her battery was still sitting at ninety-something percent. Full enough. Her real reason for excusing herself had nothing to do with a charger.She needed to talk to Rose, and with Tri

Rose had loved Hailey once, like a sister. There was a time not so long ago, when she would have done anything for her. Shared her secrets, lent her clothes, defended her to anyone who dared speak ill of her name.Hailey had been family. Not by blood, but by something that felt deeper, something that felt unbreakable.But after what she'd pulled today, Rose knew better. She'd learned from her mother’s experience to keep the likes of Hailey at bay.The lesson tasted bitter on Rose's tongue, but she swallowed it anyway."I hold nothing against you, Hailey," Rose said, her voice flat and controlled. She met Hailey's teary gaze without flinching, without blinking, without giving an inch. "But Tristan is the CEO. I have no right to go against him."In the end, she could only turn it back to Tristan. He was the one who'd hired Hailey, the one who'd kept her on despite everything.Hailey's adoptive parents' companies were on par with Roth Empire, hell, they were practically partners. And yet