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Chapter 43
Last Updated:
2025-02-24 22:02:41
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My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 44
James povRosa headed up the rebranding campaign and it was a miracle. With her innovative designs, she had infused new life into our marketing strategy, stirred the interest of our refugees investors having run from all sides and steadied our stock. And with each successful campaign, I saw Rosa become more confident, her creativity the lifeblood of our company that we so sorely needed.It seemed there was hope for the first time in months. Investor meetings ceased being a series of apologies and were instead about future growth. My chest felt lighter, and even seemed to help me sleep better. But even as we gleefully rode the wave of our success, I had this nagging suspicion that something—or someone—was out there just waiting to blow it all up.The smoldering smoke of Alex hung overhead like storm clouds. We had noticed, you know, his sudden interest in our plight.One evening we were in the living room looking over progress reports, and Rosa said, “James, I know things are improving
Last Updated : 2025-02-24My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 45
James povAs I had looked further into Alex's finances, the picture became increasingly bleak. These were no longer vague worries; these felt like concrete, irrefutable truths. It told a much uglier tale of insider trading and frauds, embezzling with clear evidence. Alex had turned the company into his private ATM and was diverting money to clandestine projects while hamstringing us from within.One night Rosa and I were in the study, just her and me, on a laptop with the screen low enough to light our faces but not much else. The files that Samuel had compiled one by one were becoming incriminating and she observed me intently choosing through them.What, exactly, is this thing we're looking at, James? Rosa asked incredulously.I slid the laptop in front of her so she could see how detailed it got. Alex had set up a number of these shell corporations – He took funds from our accounts and funneled them into these companies and used it to pay for his own startups. As it appears on the
Last Updated : 2025-02-24My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 46
Brian’s povThe light of the desk lamp was dim, but the amber liquid in my glass caught a weak reflection and cast long dark shadows on my study. I absentmindedly swirled the whiskey, my mind weighed down as I glanced at the photograph on my phone. The screen was dominated by Rosa's face — those deep emerald eyes, the angle of her mouth that always struck him as being just one degree too soft, and auburn hair that he could swear glimmered golden in every light. I reasoned that it was concern — loyalty, even! — that had me awake and alone in the dark. But of course, I knew it was more than that.It had not meant to be like that.I´d known Rosa since James´s wedding day as he was my best friend. Back then she had been radiant, glowing with excitement and James proud, nearly smug. They were the ideal couple—or so I assumed. But over the years, I started to see cracks in the veneer. Rosa started to laugh less, her smiles faded into an unnatural act. What made me feel the most was the smal
Last Updated : 2025-02-24My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 47
Brain’s povThe amber glow of whiskey in my glass matched the storm within me. I stirred the drink absent-mindedly, my head stuck in an endless racetrack of insecurity and desire. Only the ticking from the clock on the wall was breaking silence, sending warm arms of anticipation creeping over each second pulling for the next moment.James and I went way back, we were practically joined at the hip as children. He was more than a friend — he was my brother in every way that counted. We gagged it together through every difficulty, cheered collectively by each triumph, and rode out every storm. But here I was; now struggling and wrestling with this feeling that seemed like the biggest betrayal of all.Looking back, eyes shut and slumped backward in my chair with the history of time strangling me.The first time James had mentioned Rosa to me, it came flooding back to mind. It was at a gala, years ago. She had walked in on the arm of it, smiling, glowing, pouring energy through laughter in
Last Updated : 2025-02-24My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 48
Rosa’s povAll around us, the restaurant buzzed faintly but it still felt like we were in a bubble of quiet. The stoic look on Brian's face that I had always known shattered with my words. His jaw went tight again, his hand swept forward like he was going to grab the whiskey glass then seemed hesitant before retracting.“Brian, stop. I said again, hoping that the firmness of my voice would make this easier for him—for both of us.He nodded and his shoulders sagged a little, the mask dropping into place. But I have studied him enough to not fall for it. The hurt was there, unembellished and evident, right beneath the surface.I know, he said — though his tone revealed the difficulty with which he'd come to terms with it. He spoke in a controlled tone, but the slight rasp within it told me he was preparing to pull through. "But can I ask why?"His question caught me off guard and I froze. My mind raced. And how was I to say it all without making more pain? His eyes were boring into mine
Last Updated : 2025-02-25My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 49
Brain’s povI could hear Rosa's rejection in my head over and over: "Brian, stop. Please.”Her own voice—despite being firm, resolute, yet with a layer of compassion in it piercing through the thick flesh of the statement like a hot iron needle scorching a sheet of paper. Each syllable rang out like a challenge, a reminder she thought she'd be rid of me. Me. Like I was just an unnecessary annoyance;I stood there in the center of my study, almost feeling as if the walls were closing in upon me. The silence was deafening save for the soft crackle of the fireplace. The amber light devoured the edges of darkness, but what did that matter to the storm swirling within?I paced the room, muttering, "She's blind." My fists balled and unballed in time with my heart. "Blind to what could be blind to what she needs."The images of Rosa flooded my mind. The gleeful twinkle of her smile, the light in her eyes when she talked bullshit about her dreams, the few times she lowered those walls. What s
Last Updated : 2025-02-25My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 50
Brain’s povI then spent the entire walk back thinking of all the different ways I could say something to win Rosa over. I could not lose her to James — or anyone for that matter. The no burned but it also helped to drive me. She was mine. She just didn’t know it yet.I will break her down, use her weaknesses against her and create a new world for her where I am the center of it. That only required patience and precision.First, I will win her trust back. I will make her feel like she should be ashamed for me regretting my “mistake,” victimizing myself through my emotions. A love so pure that it leads to tragedy.I practiced the words in my mind, gentle and remorseful, every syllable a lasso meant to tug on her heart."Rosa, I’m sorry. I was blinded by my feelings. I had gone over a line I shouldn't have and I'm very sorry for doing that. Please, forgive me. "I'm not going to let my stupidity ruin something I cherish as much as our friendship.I could already see her balking, doubt fl
Last Updated : 2025-02-25My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 51
Rosa's POVBrian made me apologise, and I could not shake it off. His words became an unwanted thought, getting louder every hour: “Sorry. My feelings got in the way of my vision. I was left wondering why his apology affected me so much. For a while, I thought I had escaped the bullet. I had shut him down, but his determination felt like a hurricane I couldn't dodge. Maybe he sounded more sincere when he apologized—or maybe because deep inside I knew it was no longer about the apology. It was more than that. He was doing everything to make me doubt everything.I was so sure that I had dodged a bullet at telling him I was married, but now bubble of confidence seemed to have burst and the ground was slipping away. Just when I thought I had it under control what Brian would do forced me to question everything. The way he looked at me, the way he spoke — it was almost like an emotional scalpel. What disturbed me even more was how effortlessly he did it, forcing his seed into my brain wher
Last Updated : 2025-02-25
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My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 117
James’s PovThere was a charged air, electricity hanging in the atmosphere — waiting for a spark. The energy in the room was palpable—anticipation, excitement, and disbelief. Rosa was pregnant with twins. Our twins. Years of love, toil and growth had built up to this moment, it was almost surreal in its enormity.I scanned the room to find our friends, family and colleagues filling up the venue for the grand opening of The Harden Family Foundation —the foundation we had worked so hard to build. This initiative was something we had both cooked up, helping young entrepreneurs and artists with the tools needed to build their dreams. This was the beginning of our next chapter, a one that would create an impact much larger than we ever could alone.Still, all of that felt secondary now to the fact that Rosa was mere hours away from delivering. Her body had been through so much already, the ability to carry this pregnancy now along with everything else—it was nothing short of a miracle. Yes
My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 116
James’s PovWatching all those little kids in their funny caps and gowns from the back of the auditorium felt strange. It filled me with a combination of pride, nostalgia and disbelief. Emma, our daughter with the wobbly knees walking into her first day at school was long gone. She was at the threshold of something more—her life. And it was happening literally in front of me.Rosa was next to me with her hand resting lightly on my arm, staring at Emma as she stood in front of the podium. I could almost taste her tension, the pride and love she'd been brewing there for more years than I could count. The moment was not only for Emma. It was ours. We had forged this, together, following our lead, with us being there to support and love her through her trials, and victories. And here she was now, standing ready to address an auditorium full of people, preparing to tell the world what she needed them to hear.My heart raced with anxiety as Emma walked to the mic. She was steady, composed b
My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 115
James’s PovThe day had been a long one. Too long, in fact. With the business problems, Bethel came back, and was still looking for whoever had started messing with Rosa's designs—my brain was like a one-person track team going around in circles. Through all those storms there had been one constant—Rosa. She was the peacekeeper, the nucleus of everything that revolved around it.That evening when she entered with a pale face, an absent look in her eyes, I knew something was wrong. I recognized the expression, my mind saying to keep it together baby girl as though something heavy was on her. Not that she needed to say anything. Not even for a moment did I doubt that always in the air, there was tension.“Hey, what’s wrong?” I said, putting down the coffee cup. Not waiting for an answer, I knew that she needed to talk and I was all ears.But what she would open her mouth and say next would leave me breathless.“I’m pregnant.”My initial reaction was disbelief. I found it hard to take in
My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 114
Rosa’s PovThose next few weeks were a series of meetings, lack of sleep, and questioning. Bethel had returned to the family home for some time, looking for a sense of stability. Yet, she was merely rebuilding things in her life — There lay an ambiguous journey the next. The search didn't let up for whoever was leaking our designs and the business was feeling that heat. Yet all that remained unchanged, despite the ruckus swirling around us, was James and I locked in as teammates who would bounce forth whatever lurked next.But while the storm raged on we did something weird — something that felt like a cosmic nudge in my direction to say life was still happening literally throughout all this.I had missed a few periods. I initially presumed it was stress. I had hectic days behind me and felt a whole range of emotions. But as days passed, a subtle dread grew in the belly of my stomach.So I grabbed the phone, called my doctor's office. They were able to squeeze me in the next morning f
My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 113
Rosa’s PovThe first days in the world after moving out of my family home, was like a strange kind of birth. I had reconciled my past and was okay with it, now I would get on with my life. The burden that held me down was finally removed. But as life likes to teach us, we donÕt get change without a fight.The first of many challenges hit James and me while we were sitting at our favorite restaurant, enjoying dinner together. Suddenly, there was a little buzz on the table where his phone was resting. His eyes scanned the words on it, narrowing as he read a message.“What’s wrong?” I half asked, my fork freezing in the air, the pleasant buzz of the restaurant dulled.James, with clipped vocals, replied: "It's about Bethel."I had put my fork down; I could hear the tension behind his voice. And his sister, Bethel, had always been the wild card of the Harden bunch—free-spirited, reckless and bold. Yet lately, she had been making more than a couple of bad choices.“What happened now?”"Of
My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 112
Rosa’s PovAs we neared the house, which had once been my world, now a rundown old heap. The car came to a slow crawl. I had completely forgotten how much I missed that creak of the tires rolling on the gravel driveway. When I stepped out of the car, a surreal sense of nostalgia and unease washed over me. It was the first time for me back here in years, not since everything had changed. Not since the day I left in search of making a life for myself: so far away from here and all this history that hung around like an echo.“Are you sure about this?” Uh oh what happened James asked down beside me with concern in his voice.I shook my head, probably too fast and grinned at him with a tight smile that was only half reassuring. “Yeah. I think it’s time.”He gazed at me for a second, dark eyes roving over my face, the furrow between his brows growing deeper. He didn't follow up, but I could feel the question line hanging in the air. James had watched me go through hard times over and over,
My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 111
James’s PovThe morning light was spilling through the blinds of my office, casting long shadows on the floor. While outside, the city hummed quietly in comparison to the storm in my brain. I had been expecting this. And I knew that after all we had done together Reginald would never let things like this slide. Defeat was not one of his words–not easily, anyway. So when I saw his name flash on my phone screen bright and early that morning, I knew it meant something.The door opened and Rosa, a placid but attractive figure of a woman always ready to chat broke into my thoughts. The question if she too had seen the message didn’t even need asking. There was already a heaviness between us.I said, and the words came out like an accusation — though I hadn't even finished speaking.Rosa’s gaze hardened. We knew that walking away quietly was not going to be an option for him. What does he want this time?”I sat back in my chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose as I pondered our choices. Such
My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 110
Rosa’s POVOn a lazy Sunday afternoon, Emma surprised me with a question that caught me short. She had just finished her homework and was on the couch with her legs tucked under her, watching TV without really paying attention. Her innocent voice interrupted the soft hum of the house.Someday, at some point in our lives, one of us will ask the question — “Mom, why do you and Dad get married?”I paused, as the shock of words were more impactful than I had anticipated. Emma had never been dull — she always asked the kinds of questions that forced you to consider things in a way you never had before. I knew this day would come, but so early I didn't expect My thoughts were tumbling a bit as I tried to find the most appropriate words; how do you explain the mixed feelings behind our choice, or rather why the decision was not so simple for me or us?I looked at James, who was sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper, with his back toward us. His eyes glanced at mine for a split sec
My Enemy Is My Lover Chapter 109
James’s POVIt was something I had always prided myself on: knowing where I came from; understanding the legacy of my family. I thought I knew everything about our wealth, our power, the empire we had created; that little part of my life which I imagined was mine. But when I sat across the table from my mom, her hands shaking a little as she passed me an envelope with a strange, faded insignia ironed on it, I knew just how little knowledge I had.“James,” her voice wavering, she continued “I have to tell you something. The family history around how we came by our money, I guess.I frowned and focused on my breathing. “What do you mean, Mom?”After some delay, she opened the envelope and took out a few creased yellowing sheets of paper. “Of course, I never wanted you to know this but today feels like it could be time. You have to know the real story about your father, about what it took to build the Harden dynasty.I leaned in, heart racing. Decades of effort, well-placed investments,
