All Chapters of Charmed By A Rival: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

“It seems only CEO Braiyden Simon came with their parents,” a low voice murmured near her ear. “Vice President Zachary Simon is nowhere to be spotted.”Bella stiffened.She had chosen the farthest corner of the hall on purpose—where the golden light from the chandeliers thinned into softer shadows. A crystal glass of pale juice rested between her fingers, untouched more often than sipped. From here she could watch the glittering frivolity of the evening without being pulled into it.The black gown she wore made that nearly impossible.Satin the color of wet ink poured over her body in a single, uninterrupted line. The bodice sat low and clean across her chest, leaving one shoulder completely bare while the other was claimed by a single, extravagant ruffle—fabric twisted and layered into the shape of a dark rose mid-bloom. The sculpted petals rose high against the side of her neck before cascading over the shoulder in a dramatic fall that shifted with every quiet breath. She stood st

“Let’s go, Evaughn. I’m feeling better already,” Bella whispered, drawing a slow, deliberate breath to steady herself.They remained in the quiet corner a moment longer, letting the dizziness fully recede. Evaughn watched her carefully, one hand hovering near her elbow.“I can just go tell Mom and Dad we’re leaving now,” he offered, voice low.“I’m fine,” she insisted, already stepping forward. “I can go back for a little while. Then we’ll leave.” She meant it—mostly. Returning felt safer than vanishing without a word, but she had no intention of staying long.Evaughn exhaled through his nose and followed. The moment he drew beside her, her fingers closed around his arm, seeking the solid reassurance of him. Together they crossed the crowded space, Bella’s eyes already scanning for their parents and the rest of their brothers. She spotted them almost at once and steered toward the cluster of familiar faces.“Miss Ortega?”The voice cut cleanly through the murmur of conversation. Bel

“Zachary hid it from everyone,” Samantha said coldly. “He used every means at his disposal to erase every trace that could link him to Lax City.”She fixed Isabella with a hard, unblinking stare. “He deliberately broke the unspoken rule—for what? For Isabella Conti?”“What are they saying, Isabella?” Kalix demanded, his voice low and dangerous.“Dad…” Bella’s voice trembled.“Isah…” Ellen squeezed her hand tightly, trying to pull her daughter’s attention back to her.“What are they saying?” Kalix repeated, jaw locked, every word forced through clenched teeth.Bella felt the weight of every eye in the room settle on her. The air itself seemed to thin. She met her father’s intense gaze and held it for a long, silent moment. Then she turned to her mother’s tear-filled eyes and felt guilt crash through her like a wave. She drew a slow, steadying breath, gathered the last of her composure, and faced Samantha’s piercing stare.“We’re both adults,” she said, though her voice still shook. S

“You said it yourself,” Samantha murmured, the words quieter than they once would have been. “This is all but a game, Isabella Conti. And it’s over. Have you not said that Zachary has already made his point?” There was no arrogance left in her voice. No sharp edge. Only a tired kind of certainty, as if even she had grown weary of the role she used to play so well. Bella’s throat tightened. “Yes. A game.” The admission scraped against her tongue. “But that doesn’t mean Zachary can simply turn his back on me—and on the twins—without a single word. There are two lives between us now. It’s different.” Her eyes stung, hot and sudden, but she refused to let the tears rise. She would not give anyone the satisfaction of seeing them fall. Somewhere deep inside, she was still clinging to the last night she had spent with him. The memory lived in her bones, the way he had held her, the low, almost broken sound of his voice as he begged her to wait. She had waited. Through silence. Thr

“Isabella Conti is asking to stay,” Samantha said, the words coming out heavier than she intended. “She wants to take care of Zach. And she’s pregnant… with his twins.” She kept her eyes on the floor for a moment longer than necessary.Gabriel watched her carefully. His voice, when it came, was calm, almost deliberate. “Then let her stay. She might help him remember.”His gaze never left her face. He had always been able to read the subtle shifts in her expression, the ones she tried to hide from everyone else.Braiyden shifted slightly in his chair, glancing between his parents. “She seems like a good person, Mom,” he said carefully. “And she’s willing to help Zach. That has to count for something.”Gabriel’s eyes flicked toward his son for a brief second before returning to Samantha. “We can give her a chance,” he murmured, noting the hesitation still etched across her features. Then, softer, more cautious: “Does it bother you that she’s Ellen Johnson’s daughter?”Samantha turne