No Longer The Ones Who Lose のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

Tristan It had been days since Valarie last responded to any of my calls or messages. The silence kept looping in my head, feeding the same questions. Had she finally left him? Had she decided the entire arrangement was over? I told myself it shouldn’t matter as much as it did. The original plan had never depended on her feelings — only on timing and leverage. Still, the quiet left a restless edge under my skin.Today I sent another message with the location of the apartment. Then I waited.She arrived on time. The punctuality made something twist in my chest; I was the one who had kept her waiting the last time. I hadn’t actually expected her to show up.“Hi, Tristan,” she said, calm as ever.I managed a small, awkward smile. “Hi.”She sat down. I took the seat near her and, after a second of hesitation, covered her hand with mine.“Look, Valarie… I’m sorry about last time. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, and I shouldn’t have been late. I—”“It’s okay,” she cut in quietly. “

NovaI slotted the last document back into place and let out a long, heavy breath. He hadn’t just made me clean the whole room — he had left me locked in here overnight like some misbehaving child. The anger still sat hot under my skin, but beneath it was a thinner, more practical fear: if I didn’t finish the job, he might leave me in here even longer. People at work would already be wondering where I was. The longer I stayed trapped, the more control I lost over the version of the story they would hear.I straightened the last stack of papers, smoothed the bed, and stepped back. Everything was back in order. Exactly the way he had demanded.I went into the small bathroom, washed my face, and pulled on one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers. The fabric still carried a faint trace of his cologne. As much as I hated him for this, a reluctant part of me was impressed. I had always despised how quiet and easy to dismiss he seemed. But the way he had lifted me onto his shoulder and loc

“Honey, are you listening to me?”I raised my eyebrows and looked at Silas. He was watching me from across the table, head slightly tilted.“You’re so quiet. Is something wrong?”I forced a light laugh. “No, no. Everything’s fine. I’m just tired.”He studied me for a moment longer, then set his fork down. “I still wonder why you never really explained why you stopped working for me and went to that other company.”I met his eyes and kept my voice steady. “It’s not a secret, honey. I just wanted a different environment. There’s no hidden motive.”He held my gaze, then nodded slowly. “Okay. I believe you.”After supper he went upstairs to bed. I stayed in the sitting room with Maya a little longer. The house felt quieter once his crutches stopped tapping against the floor.“Maya, thank you for taking care of him,” I said. “When he’s fully back on his feet, you can go home. I still wonder why Mum told you to come. I could’ve managed… but you’re doing amazing.”She smiled. “That’s not an

He uncapped the tube and squeezed a small amount onto his fingers.“Are you seriously doing this, Tristan?”He glanced up at me, expression dry. “Do I look like I’m kidding? I’m going to apply it. Who knows… you might even relax enough to stop thinking about ending our arrangement before the divorce.”I exhaled and leaned back against the sofa cushions. He paused, studying my face.“Wait. What were you planning to do to him? Just walk away?”I shrugged. “Yes. I was going to give him a piece of my mind and leave.”He let out a short, disbelieving scoff. “Come on. The man is shamelessly raising a child with his wife’s best friend. What makes you think telling him off would actually hurt him?”I sighed. He wasn’t wrong.“I want to leave Nova with nothing,” I said quietly. “And as for Silas… I want the whole world to know exactly what kind of man he is. Not just me.”Tristan’s eyes held mine for a moment. “And what if they see us first?”“Even if they do,” I answered, “we’ll have already

I didn’t sleep at all that night. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Maya’s face when she pushed the eye drops into my hands and walked out. Worry sat heavy in my chest, mixed with a guilt I couldn’t shake. I didn’t tell Silas. There was no point. His crimes had already come between me and my sister; dragging him into it would only make the mess uglier. Even when the driver arrived in the morning to take him to his mother’s place, I said nothing. I simply helped him down the stairs, watched the car pull away, and went back inside to the quiet.That was when I called my mother.She picked up on the third ring.“Good morning, Mum,” I said, my voice lower than usual.“Oh, hi Valerie. Is everything okay? Why are you calling so early?”“Mum… did Maya sleep there last night?”There was a short, surprised laugh. “What? I thought she was at your place. Why would she stay with me?”My stomach dropped.“Wait.” Her tone sharpened. “Is she missing? Is my baby missing?”“Mum, I’ll call you back.”I