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CHAPTER FIFTY~THREE

Penulis: Kat.E
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2024-12-14 17:36:43

RACHAEL’S POV

I didn’t know what came over me when I saw Jake talking to that woman. It wasn’t jealousy—not exactly—but something deep inside me flared to life, sharp and hot. At first, I thought I’d simply ask her to leave, but the words came out harsher, more possessive than I intended. The look Jake gave me after, was equal parts surprise and amusement, like he’d caught me pretending to be something I wasn’t—a jealous, insecure fake wife.

When he smirked and asked if I was jealous, my defenses shot up. I snapped back when he teased me about my 'dirty dancing,' firing the same question at him.

I couldn’t stop myself from hoping that maybe he was.

Draining the last of my drink, I regretted my dramatics almost immediately. I stormed back to the dance floor, determined to pretend it didn’t bother me that Jake was chatting up a stranger.

I didn’t expect him to follow me.

The grip on my waist startled me at first, and I thought it was the guy I’d been dancing with. But when I turned, i
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  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER FIFTY~FOUR

    RACHAEL'S POVAs I stepped out of the bathroom, I almost stumble into Jake."Are you okay?" he asks, his voice full of concern as he looks me over, scanning for any signs of harm.Before I could answer, his gaze shifts behind me. His face darkens as he spots Jack emerging from the bathroom, disheveled and clearly in pain."I’m going to kill him," Jake growls, taking a step toward Jack, his fists clenched.I grab his arm, holding him back with all the strength I can muster. "I’ve taken care of it," I say firmly, my voice steady.Jake looks at me, his expression a mix of confusion and pride."Those martial arts classes came in handy," I add with a small smirk, trying to lighten the mood.Jake’s eyes dart to Jack, who is now rubbing the front of his pants, his face twisted in pain and humiliation. Jake lets out a soft chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief."Let’s leave," I declare, exhaustion washing over me.Jake gives me a proud look, nodding. "Let’s go."With that, we walk out of the

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-15
  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER FIFTY~FIVE

    JAKE’S POV“Well, that was unexpected,” the words slip out breaking the silence that had stretched just a little too long.Rachael turns her gaze to me with a blank expression, we both nod and let out a laugh—a nervous, awkward kind of laugh that didn’t quite cover the enormity of what had just happened.I stand, pull up my trousers, brush sand off my knees, and tighten the belt as Rachael adjusts her dress. She looks as composed as ever, like nothing had happened. If I hadn’t been there—if I didn’t still feel the heat of her touch—I might’ve believed it.“Are we still waiting for the sunrise?” I ask, not sure what else to say. My voice comes out lighter than I expected, like I wasn’t just trying to fill the silence.Racheal exhales and turns to me, her voice steady but devoid of emotion. “we don’t have to talk about it, Jake. It was just…. The heat of the moment. We both know that.”Her words land like a punch to my gut, though I can’t show it. I nod, agreeing too quickly. “Yeah. It

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-16
  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER FIFTY~SIX

    RACHAEL’S POVWatching the firefighters battle the flames, I couldn’t take my eyes off Jake, who was standing a few feet away. The heartbreak in his expression was devastating. Jake had other businesses, successful ones, but I knew this restaurant was different. He poured his soul into it, and spent hours here perfecting every detail. I’d always wondered why it mattered so much to him but never had the courage to ask.Instinctively, I reach out and rubbed small circles on his back, hoping to provide some comfort. I don’t say anything—I wasn’t sure there was anything I could say.The loss hit me too, deeper than I expected. This restaurant had given me something to hold on to after Jack shattered my world. It made me feel like I belonged somewhere again, like I had a purpose. I’d thrown myself into work here, brainstorming ideas, dreaming of what it could become. Watching it burn felt like losing a part of myself, as if all the progress I’d made since my divorce was going up in flames

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-16
  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER FIFTY~SEVEN

    JAKE’S POVThe past few days had been a blur of chaos. Between insurance meetings, ongoing investigations, and trying to salvage what I could from the restaurant fire, I barely had time to breathe, let alone see Rachael. I would leave the house before she woke up and return long after she was asleep. It wasn’t ideal, but it had to be done.At least I was making progress.I’d managed to acquire a significant number of shares in Crawford Oil Industries (COI), and now, I was one signature away from becoming the majority shareholder. It was a risky game, but one I couldn’t afford to lose. I just hoped the Crawfords wouldn’t catch wind of what I was doing before it was too late.Tonight is crucial. I had arranged a dinner with the last shareholder, Mrs. Raymond, a shrewd businesswoman with a reputation for playing hardball. I picked one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city—an attempt to “butter her up” before dropping the offer. If I could convince her, my plan would finally fall

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-17
  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER FIFTY~EIGHT

    JAKE’S POVInside, the lobby gleams with marble floors and crystal chandeliers, its elegance only adding to the sour taste in my mouth. At the reception desk, a woman with a practiced smile informs me Mrs. Raymond had already left instructions. I was to be sent directly to her suite.As I ride the elevator up, my stomach churns. I feel like a cheap escort being summoned to perform a duty. The thought makes me sick, but I bury the emotion deep, locking it away where it can’t touch me. I remind myself why I am here. This is business. Nothing more.The elevator chimes softly, and the doors slide open. I walk down the plush-carpeted hallway, my footsteps muffling as if the hotel itself is trying to silence my guilt. Room 912. My hand hesitates on the door handle for a brief second before I swipe the keycard and step inside.The room is dimly lit; Mrs. Raymond is already waiting for me. She is sprawled across the bed in a silk robe and red lingerie that leaves little to the imagination. He

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-17
  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER FIFTY ~NINE

    RACHAEL'S POVI hadn’t spoken to Jake in days. Not because there wasn’t anything to say, but because I was avoiding him. Avoiding the guilt that gnawed at me every time I thought about the evidence I’d hidden. That jerrycan with the old Crawford Oil Industries logo felt like a bomb in my purse, waiting to explode. I’d been going in circles, debating what to do with it.The logical part of me knew I had to confront Jack. But the idea of calling him, of hearing his voice, twisted my stomach into knots. How would he react? Would he deny it outright? Laugh in my face? I wasn’t sure I was ready for the confrontation.When Jake’s name lit up on my phone, my heart skipped a beat. He never called me, ever. If he needed something, it was always a text or a face-to-face conversation. I hesitated for a while, but I finally answered.“Hello?”His voice was slurred, almost incomprehensible. “Rachael... I’m... I’m at the bar. Pick me up. I’m at...” he trailed off, mumbling the name of the bar befor

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-18
  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER SIXTY

    RACHAEL'S POVJack’s deflection had said it all. He’d danced around the question with that smug indifference that only made him look guiltier than ever. It was time to involve Jake, even though I knew how this would go. He will be furious that I hadn’t shared this with him earlier. But what choice do I have now? Better late than never, I tell myself as I pull into the driveway, already bracing for the fallout.When I step inside, the house is quiet, except for the low hum of the fridge in the kitchen. Jake is sitting on one of the bar stools, pressing an icepack against his head. He looks like hell—disheveled, pale, and haunted, like the aftermath of whatever had driven him to drink is still clinging to him.“You good?” I ask, setting my purse down on the counter, trying to ease into the conversation.Jake nods silently, not even glancing my way. He looks like the angel of death had brushed past him and left him worse for wear.“Want to talk about what made you drink like that?” I ask

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-18
  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER SIXTY~ONE

    JAKE’S POVAs I speed past the estate gates, my hands grip the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turn white. My blood is boiling, and no amount of deep breaths can calm me down. Rachael had betrayed me. The one person I thought I could trust. The one person I let in.I thought we were partners. I thought she had my back. “Damn it!” I slam my palm against the wheel in frustration. How could she keep something like that from me? There is only one explanation: she still loves Jack.My chest burns with a mixture of anger and pain, my head pounding not just from the betrayal but from the lingering hangover of last night. Why today, of all days, did she decide to drop this bomb on me? She couldn't have picked a worse moment.I had to leave the house before I did or said something I couldn’t take back. The anger was too raw, too consuming. The walls of that place felt suffocating. At least I still had my penthouse in the city—a sanctuary I could retreat to at a time like this.As I

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-19

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  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER EIGHTY~NINE

    JAKE’S POVThe day of the will reading was finally here. The story leak had worked perfectly. I used a foreign number to text the journalist, and even though I didn’t get a reply, the next day, the story was everywhere—in newspapers, magazines, and local news channels. Wherever Jack and Karen were, they couldn’t have missed it.I made sure everything was set before leaving the house. My friend had sent a small security team, and they were thorough. The first thing they did was sweep the entire house. Dean was visibly uncomfortable with all the strangers, but Rachael managed to distract him with games and stories.The will reading is being held at Crawford estate’s lawyer’s office in the city. To be safe, I bring one of the security guys along, just in case. He stays on the lookout as I park in the building’s basement. Together, we take the elevator to the top floor.I knock on the door I was instructed to and a tall, thin man in a well-tailored suit opens the door."You must be Jake M

  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER EIGHTY~EIGHT

    RACHAEL’S POVJake was in denial, and it bothered me deeply. He refused to see this situation in any other way, clinging to the hope that everything would work out perfectly. That wasn’t me. I believed in preparing for every possible outcome, no matter how unpleasant. To avoid being blindsided. That’s why I’d asked those questions earlier. I might have gone a bit overboard with the one about him marrying someone else—it was petty and uncalled for, and I knew that.Peter had called earlier with some promising news: the judge said he will consider bringing in a handwriting expert. It was a glimmer of hope, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the storm in my mind.I am playing a video game with Dean, trying to keep myself distracted, when I hear quick, heavy footsteps from upstairs. Jake comes rushing down, his expression unreadable."Rachael, can we talk for a second?" he calls out, urgency in his voice.I hand the controller to Dean and stand, following Jake to a quieter corner of the room.

  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER EIGHTY~SEVEN

    JAKE’S POVIt had been a few days since Rachael asked me if it made a difference that she spent the last four years missing me, and that question still hung in the air, making the house tense. Every interaction we had since then was awkward, limited to pleasantries or discussions about Dean.She’d asked me several times to take Dean out of the house and spend quality time with him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to leave her alone in this place, not when I knew she wasn’t truly safe.Instead, I ordered Dean a massive TV and a PlayStation to keep him entertained. It worked for the most part—he was too engrossed in his games to ask questions or notice the weight hanging over the house. Every now and then, I’d sit with him and play for a while, trying to focus on the laughter rather than the storm brewing in the background.As for Rachael, her wound was healing well. A nurse stopped by regularly to check on her, and she seemed to be doing okay physically. But emotion

  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER EIGHTY~SIX

    RACHAEL’S POVI was transferred to the house Jake had bought four years ago after our fake marriage. The one in Oakwood. The moment we arrived, i felt like I had just stepped into a time capsule. Nothing had changed. The furniture, the curtains, even the art on the walls—it was exactly as I had left them. It was eerie, almost as if time had stood still in this place.The police escort me to my old room and attach an ankle monitor to my leg."Remember, you're being monitored 24/7. If it blinks more than three times, you'll be back in your old cell before you know it," one of the female officers warns in a harsh tone.I nod to acknowledge avoiding her steely gaze. They scan the room briefly and then leave, leaving me alone to soak in my current reality.Minutes later, Jake and Dean come in. Dean's face lights up as he jumps onto the bed, his small body radiating excitement. Jake stands by the doorway, his eyes scanning the room as if revisiting some old memory."You kept everything intac

  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER EIGHTY~FIVE

    JAKE’S POV.Rachael stares at me for a long moment, her expression somewhere between shock and disbelief. Finally, she finds her voice.“What do you mean you did?” she asks, her voice trembling with both confusion and anger.I swallow the lump in my throat and nod slowly. “Yes. I orchestrated the whole thing,” I admit, my voice calm but confident. “I’m only telling you because I don’t want to keep anything from you, Rachael .” I add.Her face becomes pale as the weight of my confession sinks in. She tries to sit up, but I gently press her back down, careful not to aggravate her fresh wound.“Why, Jake?” she blurts out, tears starting to pool in her eyes. “I almost died.”“You were never in real danger, Rachael,” I interrupt quickly, my words tumbling out in an attempt to reassure her. “I would never put you in harm’s way. I knew it would hurt, but—”“Hurt?” she barks, her voice rising. “I’m lying in a hospital bed, Jake. Look around! How can you say I wasn’t in real danger?”“It was t

  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER EIGHTY~FOUR

    RACHAEL’S POVOrange Is definitely not my color. I contemplate as I lie on the thin, uncomfortable mattress of my jail cell. My thoughts spiral, and I wonder how my life got to this point. I replay the last few years in my head.I allow myself to reminisce about the fleeting moments of peace and connection I had shared with Jake before it all went to hell. If I had walked away from Jack for good, maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess now.But if Jake hadn’t come into my life, there would be no Dean. That thought alone soften the edges of my regret. Dean is my blessing in disguise, the one thing that makes my mistakes feel almost worth it.My relationship with Jake, though—that is another story. Complicated doesn’t even begin to describe it. Before I left, it was clear we had something between us, something unspoken but undeniable. Now, I am not so sure. I know he cared about me— otherwise, he wouldn’t be fighting so hard to help me—but can he ever forgive me for taking Dean and disappearing

  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER EIGHTY~THREE

    JAKE’S POVWatching Rachael walk through those double doors, I feel like a knife is twisting in my chest. With all the power, influence, and connections I’d built over the years, I couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it. I felt so powerless.Dean’s small body tremble against mine, his face buried in my chest. He isn’t crying loudly—just quiet, heart-wrenching sobs that tear me apart even more.But I can’t afford to fall apart. Not now. They both need me.The moment I step out of the precinct, I spring into action. I call my lawyer and order him to assemble the best legal team money can buy and meet me at my penthouse within the hour.We get there, and I prepare the guest room for him. I try to get him to eat something but my efforts bear no fruit. He hadn’t said a word since Rachael was taken, and no matter how many times I tried to start a conversation, he just stared blankly. I don’t push him. Instead, I let him lie down until he is ready to talk.After tossing and turning, he falls a

  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER EIGHTY~TWO

    RACHAEL’S POVAs I watched Dean in Jake’s arms while being dragged away by the police, my heart shattered into a million pieces. His confused, frightened expression mirrored mine. I had no idea what was happening, and the panic only grew when they took me into a small interrogation room.One of the officers place a file in front of me and opens it, revealing a stack of papers. My signature is on multiple documents, but I can’t make sense of what I am looking at.“What is this?” I ask, my voice trembling.The two officers exchange a glance before one of them replies, “Take your time. Read.”I flip through the pages. They are invoices and other official documents, though I don’t recognize most of them. My name and signature are everywhere, yet I have never seen these papers before.“I... I don’t know what these are,” I blurt out, shaking my head.The officers begin firing questions at me, their frustration growing with every answer I can’t provide. I have nothing to tell them—I am just a

  • SHATTERED VOWS    CHAPTER EIGHTY~ONE

    JAKE’S POVWe finally land at the airport back home. The flight had been longer than expected, and exhaustion tugged at the edges of my nerves. But watching Dean bouncing up and down in the cabin eased some of the tension. He was such a happy kid. Every smile, every excited exclamation chipped away the walls I’d built around my heart.As for Rachael, I couldn’t deny the mix of emotions swirling inside me. Her apology on the plane had been heartfelt, but no amount of words could erase the four years I’d missed with my son. Even though I understood she thought she was doing the right thing, the pain of being robbed of those moments lingered. I’d never get them back, and that reality stung more than I cared to admit.When I look outside, I notice a convoy of police cars waiting on the tarmac. Their presence doesn’t alarm me; I’d arranged for extra security to ensure we made it home safely.As soon as our feet touch the ground, chaos erupt.“Hands in the air, now!” a sharp voice commands.

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