2025-08-12 05:09:57
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 173
Lara's mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. “I… Ethan, I have no idea about any of this. I’m as confused and… and horrified as you are." But suddenly, something clicked in Ethan’s mind. His instinct, the one that had been gnawing at him to never fully trust her, flared to life. How could she know nothing about this? According to Magnus, she knew the ins and outs of Aurelius Conglomerate better than he did. His brows narrowed dangerously. "You really expect me to believe that?" he snarled. He scoffed. "You knew absolutely nothing about any of this?” Something in Lara flared at his accusation. “Are you really suspecting me right now?” She snapped back. "When will you finally stop doubting me?" she asked, her voice breaking. She was overwhelmed by everything—the way he’d hurt her at that restaurant, how he was always suspicious of her, and how he still didn’t trust her despite all the sacrifices she’d made. "What exactly did I do to you to deserve this... endles
Chapter 172
Ethan’s brows lifted, suspicion and curiosity mixing in his voice. “What is it?”But Lara just stood there, frozen, staring at the screen like she was looking at a ghost.“Lara,” he said again, his voice sharper now. "What’s on the phone?”She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her hands were shaking, and she looked between Ethan and Marcel like she was drowning.Marcel shifted nervously. “Sir, maybe you should just—”“What is it?” Ethan’s patience was wearing thin after everything that had happened tonight.Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the phone.“I… I don’t know how to—”She shook her head. “Just… you need to see this yourself.”“What do you mean you don’t know how to explain it?” Ethan’s voice carried an edge now, impatience mixing with growing unease."Lara, what the hell is going on?!" He snapped, his voice cutting through the room, making Marcel flinch from his position.She finally looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock and fear.Without a word, she exten
Chapter 171
A cold wave of disbelief washed over Ethan. His chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped steel bands around his ribs and was slowly tightening them. His hands trembled slightly before he clenched them into fists, his knuckles turning white.“Everyone out,” he said to the medical staff, his voice barely controlled. "Now!"The doctors and nurses quickly filed out, leaving only Magnus lying unconscious on the bed, Ethan sitting rigidly in the chair beside him, and Lara standing across the room, watching his every expression.Ethan stared at Magnus’ pale face, his mind reeling. He couldn’t believe that all this time, his own father had been dying, and he had no clue. Not even the smallest hint.The doctor’s words kept playing over and over in Ethan’s head—Magnus had less than six months left to live. It was breaking his heart.He finally looked up at Lara, meeting her eyes for the first time since they’d been left alone in the room.“I just don’t get it,” he said, his voice hollow.
Chapter 170
“Wait,” Lara said sharply, her voice cutting through the shock. She stood up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. “How do you know this, Marcel? How did you find out before us?”Marcel’s eyes darted between them, his face still flushed from running. “One of the maids called me. She said they’ve been trying to reach both of you, but your phones—”“Our phones?” Ethan’s hand immediately went to his jacket pocket.That’s when it hit Lara like a punch to the gut. Her phone had been buzzing for the past several minutes, but she’d put it on silent. She’d been so focused on their conversation, so determined to make Ethan see reason, that she’d ignored every call.Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my God.”Ethan pulled out his phone, his face going pale as he saw the missed calls. He’d been declining them, one after another, not wanting any interruptions during their difficult conversation.“We need to go. Now.” Ethan was already moving, his long strides eating up the distance to t
Chapter 169
Lara knew he might say no, but the way he said it hurt way more than she thought it would.“Is…” she stammered, forcing out a disbelieving chuckle that sounded more like a sob. "Is this about your suspicion of me? Do you still not trust me?” She pointed at herself.“It has nothing to do with that,” Ethan replied without hesitation and added that he no longer suspected her.However, he lied about the suspicion—he still had doubts about her. But he was being honest about everything else. He had never loved her, and now his heart belonged to someone else entirely.Seeing her silent, broken expression, her face pale and drawn with pain, he leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Seeing your expression and reaction tells me everything I need to know.""You do have feelings for me, don’t you?"He sighed. "I’m sorry for putting you in this position, Lara. If I hadn’t forced this narrative on you, something like this wouldn’t have happened.”Her voice came out ba
Chapter 168
The soft glow of candles danced across the white tablecloth at Le Bernardin. Crystal glasses caught the warm light, casting tiny rainbows on the polished surface.Ethan sat across from Lara, his dark suit perfectly tailored, but his expression unreadable. She looked stunning in a simple black dress, her hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders.She picked up her wine glass, taking a small sip before setting it down carefully. “The food here is amazing."“Father has good taste in restaurants,” he replied, cutting into his fish with precision.She tried again, leaning forward slightly. “Do you remember the first time we met? You were so serious, even then. I thought you might never smile.”“I smile when there’s a reason to.”The silence stretched between them. “So,” she said, twirling her wine glass between her fingers, “how do you think we’re doing? With the whole… performance, I mean. Do you think people are buying it?”“Lara.” His voice was quiet but firm. "You know this i
You may also like
I AM NOT A POOR SON-IN-LAW
Calendula564.2K viewsYou Do Not Deserve Me
Keep It Flowing93.8K viewsReturn Of The Dragon Lord
Snowwriter 130.1K viewsTop Expert in Floraville
Earth at Dawn157.9K viewsMy Demonic System
Anton Hansen2.1K viewsThe forgotten heir
Empire2.0K viewsCharismatic Shoemaker Lloyd
Snowpinch144 viewsHazeed : Guardian Of The World
MDW1.3K views