The Lie Behind His Devotion 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 11 - 챕터 20

A knock came at the door."Sir? Derek's here. Says he's been trying to reach you."Grant's phone had buzzed more than once, but he'd been too preoccupied to care.Mrs. Doyle hovered, unsure what to make of his silence, not daring to push further.After a long moment, Grant pressed a kiss to Nora's forehead every bit the doting husband. "Your birthday's coming up soon. Think about what you want. I need to step out for a bit."He was gone almost before she registered the words. Only once his footsteps had faded completely did the tension bleed out of her shoulders.I'd nearly forgotten. My birthday. And right after it that's when I leave.She stared at nothing, murmuring under her breath. "Grant Pierce. I'm going to make sure you never forget this day."A slow, sharp smile curved her lips.---In the study, Derek noticed the dark cast to Grant's expression, brow furrowed tight, and felt a flicker of unease.Did something happen with his wife?He dismissed the thought almost immediately.

Nora went rigid at the sound of her own name.Footsteps closed in behind her. Panic sent her stumbling sideways, though in the disorientation she had no idea which direction was actually safe.A second later, something yanked her back with enough force to knock the breath out of her.A car screamed past, close enough to catch the hem of her dress. Her mind went white with shock, cold sweat breaking out across her pale skin. Even seconds later, her whole body was still trembling."Nora, are you out of your mind? You could've been killed just now."The voice belonged to Julian Shaw, her first love. Her former fiancé.She pulled free of his grip the instant she registered who it was.Three years, and this was the first time he'd spoken to her directly. He'd been present at Ashford dinners before, plenty of times, but always at a careful distance never a word exchanged between them.Facing him now, she couldn't honestly say she felt nothing. But she wasn't about to treat him like a strang

Across the river, Vivian handed Grant's phone back to him."Did you get through to your aunt?" he asked, distracted.She'd claimed her own phone had died, the perfect excuse to borrow his and pretend to check in with family, when really she'd used it to needle Nora.Vivian nodded absently, her mind elsewhere.What did she mean by that? "He's yours, free of charge." What exactly is she planning?Grant noticed the distraction and assumed it was leftover disappointment over Master Voss."Let me get you home."Vivian snapped back to attention, latching onto his arm, pouting. "No, I already made plans with friends tonight. Come with me, Grant. That way I won't have to worry about you drinking too much on your own."Looking at her face, hopeful and a little wounded, he found it impossible to say no. She was the one person he could never bring himself to disappoint.But is Nora still waiting for me at the club?"Let me call Nora first."He dialed right there in front of her.A flat, automate

In that split second of shock, Miles landed blow after blow, years of pent-up anger finally finding a target."Grant Pierce, she was nothing but good to you. How could you treat her like this? How does a person get this heartless?""You absolute coward. She poured everything she had into you, and you have no idea what she went through just to try to give you a child.""Bea had her on an intervention protocol, an eight-centimeter needle, straight into her abdomen, every other day, for months. She knew the odds were terrible. She did it anyway. For you.""And the one time it actually worked, you and Vivian took it from her.""You don't deserve a single ounce of what she felt for you. You're not even worth the ground she walks on."Miles shoved him aside like garbage once the fury finally burned itself out."Get him off my property."Staff appeared out of nowhere, hauling Grant up and out through the gate.He didn't fight it. He sat slumped behind the wheel afterward, hollowed out, gripp

"Mom, do you think the Aviary Gallery will actually work with me? What if they say no again? I can't handle getting turned away one more time."Six months now, and the rumors about Vivian being the other woman in someone else's marriage refused to die down. Every time the story seemed ready to fade, someone dredged it back up, and by now her reputation across every gallery in Solenne was thoroughly finished.Unable to find work anywhere at home, Vivian had taken Eleanor's advice and gone abroad to try rebuilding her career from scratch.Eleanor reassured her. "Talent is what matters out here, sweetheart, nothing else. And I've already done my homework. The Aviary Gallery is one of the most respected names in the business. Every artist they represent is a serious name. Get your work into their collection, and every rumor back home stops mattering overnight. You have to win the owner over today. No matter what it takes."Vivian nodded, steeling herself.She glanced at the paintings lini