Chapter 8.1
When it was over–again–I let Lyle carry me to the balcony. Wrapped in a thin blanket, I clung to the chill of the night air, trying to calm my ragged breathing.
And then I saw him.
Nicolas.
He was standing in the driveway, his face tilted upward, caught in the amber glow of the porch lights. Even from this distance, I could see the raw shock in his eyes as he
took in the scene above him.
Lyle’s lips pressed against mine again, slow and deliberate and I let out a soft gasp before he carried me back inside.
By morning, Eldermere was buzzing with scandal.
“Adopted son of the Kent family in an
illicit affair with a married heiress-
shameless!”
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Chapter 8.1
The headline spread like wildfire, making its way into every conversation. Even Annette, the golden girl of morning television, couldn’t resist throwing in a sly, off–script comment after wrapping up the weather report.
By the time Lyle returned from work that evening, he had a stack of documents in hand. He set them down in front of me with that maddeningly calm composure he always carried. The only thing betraying. his seriousness was the faint glint behind. his gold–framed glasses–the ones with no prescription. He looked nothing like the man who had dragged me down six times last night.
God, he was such a contradiction. A beast in a human clothing.
“So,” he said, voice smooth as silk but laced with quiet authority, “do you want to handle this yourself, or should I?”
The choice was obvious. I picked up the stack and began flipping through the
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Chapter 8.1
papers. That same afternoon, the truth hit the internet like a sledgehammer.
My parents had formally dissolved Lyle‘ s adoption long before I came of age. Not because they didn’t care about him, but because they wanted to protect me. Nicolas‘ s unpredictable behavior had raised too many red flags and they feared for my future.
To give me a safety net, Lyle had willingly drafted an agreement the year I got married. He transferred all the Kent‘ s‘ assets, along with any compensation he‘ d received from my parents, back to the family trust. The deal was clear: he would manage the estate but never take a penny for himself.
In essence, Lyle had nothing–nothing but
- me.
I posted the divorce papers online, along with damning evidence of Nicolas and Annette‘ s sordid three–year affair.
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Chapter 81
The internet exploded.
Lyle was suddenly hailed as a beacon of integrity and loyalty, a modern–day fairy- tale hero. My parents were praised for their moral backbone and excellent parenting. Even the national news station retweeted
my statement, calling it “an inspiring example of justice and love.”
And then there was us.
“Lyle and Rowena–the real-life forbidden. romance we didn’t know we needed!”
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Chapter 8.2
Chapter 8.2
For an entire week, social media was ablaze with speculation, memes and analysis of our relationship. Some called it scandalous; others found it.
heartbreakingly poetic.
Meanwhile, Nicolas and Annette were being dragged through the mud.
The Reid Group‘ s stocks plummeted and Annette‘ s television program was boycotted into irrelevance. There’s no redemption arc for someone who plays the other woman, especially not when the whole world is watching.
But Nicolas wouldn’t give up.
For days, he camped outside the Kents‘ estate, day and night, stubbornly clinging to some shred of hope. The 108th time he sent a message through the butler, asking to speak with me. I finally relented, took all the screenshots chat I print the night
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Chapter 8.2
before and strode to the front porch. I’ll make it clear once and for all.
I met him outside, standing a cautious distance away. His face was drawn, shadows pooling under his eyes. His phone buzzed relentlessly in his pocket. Definitely from Annette. He cursed under his breath, definitely impatience and silenced it. I glanced at the phone, a dry smirk tugging at my lips. She must‘ ve been blowing it up for days.
I pulled out a folder of printed messages and held it up. “These should look familiar.”
He hesitated, his brow furrowing as he
flipped through the pages.
The color drained from his face.
“You start this, didn’t you?” I asked, my
tone calm but pointed.
“What the hell is your endgame here, Nicolas?”
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Chapter 8.2
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, his voice shaky. “I went home and asked my parents–they told me the truth. I swear, Ro, I had no idea. I thought… I thought you were part of it. I thought you were trying to break us up.
“Six years, Nicolas. We were together for six years. You have thousand chances to go to your parents and ask about it.” I let out a bitter laugh. “Why now? You could‘ ve saved us both a hell of a lot of trouble.”
“I know,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I was angry and I-”
His shoulders slumped and for a moment, he looked like he might cry.
“I’m sorry, Rowena,” he whispered. “I… I just-”
He said nothing, the silence stretching
between us like a chasm. But out of nowhere, his eyes lit up.
