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51. Insecure
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-01-20 19:05:19
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Second Chance For Him? 52. You lose
James' POVMy jaw tightened when Clara walked away from me and made her way to Keith instead. Where was their supposed fight? Why did they still fine with each other?Did they quarrel but have now come back together? It frustrates me because I remember how Clara always had a knack for steering us into conflict in the past. Yet with Keith, it seems she always retreats.I stepped away from the crowd and watched those stupid games when Stephanie approached me. "Mr. James, maybe you want to participate?""No." I wasn't feeling up to having a small conversation.Stephanie picked up right away and offered an awkward smile. She shifted the topic. "I've escorted Mrs. Zoe to her room."Zoe's mood took a downturn the moment she saw Clara here, so she left the gathering and retreated to one of the rooms instead. I should be the one to accompany her, but I was engaged in conversation with someone else earlier.Zoe said it was fine and that Stephanie would be the one to accompany her."Thank you
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-20Second Chance For Him? 53. His entertainment
Clara’s POVI felt a tightness in my chest as Stephanie wrapped her hand around Keith's neck, while his hand rested on her waist. Romantic music was playing as now we were all indoors. They started dancing with their respective partners.I had no idea that seeing Keith dance with Stephanie would hurt this much."Aren't they perfect together?" James asked as he stood beside me.God. I thought he'd already left this place."Yes, they are.""You're jealous aren't you?""Why should I, Mr. Morgan? It's just a dance."Am I jealous? If I'm honest with myself, yes. Just a little. But who am I to have the right to feel that way?"You wish that were you. But there's someone else who knows him better."It's not a big surprise that Stephanie knows more about Keith than I do. They are the boss and Secretary, of course they know the details of each other."You're wrong. Stephanie is his secretary, she should know that information."James simply laughed, and I felt an urge to strike his face. Once th
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-20Second Chance For Him? 54. Moody
Clara's POVI woke up when the sunlight hit my face. The brightness outside signaled that it was already noon. I leaped from the bed, but the sharp pain in my arm caused me to flinch."Ouch..." I forgot my arm was injured after being hit by an idiot last night.I overslept and now I'm running behind for work. I still haven't dropped Layla off at school! Stepping out of my room, I’m about to wake my daughter up. "Sweetheart, are you awake-But I paused in my tracks when I saw Layla playing in the TV room. She appeared to have just showered and was dressed casually. But what made me shocked was not that. But the fact that she was with James!"Good morning Mommy! you're finally awake!" Layla shot me a quick look, smiling brightly. "Does your arm still hurt?"I didn't even register her question as I swiftly closed the gap and reached for my daughter's arm. Layla appeared taken aback as I helped her stand up. James, seated on the carpet, quickly rose to his feet.He gave me a concerned lo
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-21Second Chance For Him? 55. Apology
Clara's POV"You know who I am; I'm your best friend's brother, yet you treat me like I'm some kind of threat to your daughter." James paused, "Unless you have another reason for being so anxious about me interacting with her, Clara."'Because you're my ex-husband who never wanted me or the baby in my womb. You're the man I never wished to see again. How can I not be scared when now my nightmare has come true?'I sealed my lips, a prisoner of my thoughts, fearing the words would slip away before I could catch them."Answer me, Clara."Taking a breath, I said, "This is simply a parent's concern; you'll understand once you have a kid, Mr. Morgan."James arched an eyebrow, a flicker of intrigue dancing across his expression."No. I don't mean to accuse you're a threat to me or my daughter. You're right, I shouldn't let my concerns get the best of me."I feel tortured not being able to share my real reason with anyone. I feel so tired of having to constantly sidestep it. "What are you t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-21Second Chance For Him? 56. Steal her away
James' POV"What the hell are you doing here?" Keith's anger flared the moment he spotted me in Clara's living room."I should be the one asking. What brings you here? Me? I'm here to take her to the hospital." I answered calmly. Keith frowned at my response. "Hospital? Is she sick? How do you know when I don't?" He snapped."Of course you don't know, you're too busy sleeping with your secretary last night."As soon as Clara stepped out of the hotel yesterday, I quickly followed her, making sure Keith wouldn't catch on. Luckily, Stephanie did a good job distracting him. Keith didn't even realize that Clara had left the gathering."You were behind that, weren't you? You shared the details about me with Stephanie. You were just trying to get Clara to be mad with me so you can be with her." Keith fixed me with a piercing gaze."Me?" I keep my face nonchalant "Why should I bother? If I wanted, I could have easily taken her back from you without needing to involve Stephanie."Upon hearin
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-22Second Chance For Him? 57. Suffer
Clara's POVI know this is all James' doing. I know he must told Keith an exaggerated narrative of what happened last night."Just forget it. He's been difficult since a kid" James said after I forcefully brushed his hand aside.I fixed him with a piercing gaze; his face was utterly lacking from guilt."Are you satisfied now Mr. Morgan?"James furrowed his brow as if confused by what I had said. I was sure he understood what I was implying"Your presence here has led to a misunderstanding between me and Keith. Now I beg you to leave my house right now."My desire to apologize to him vanished in an instant. Upon hearing about my expulsion, anger flickers in his eyes. His jaw tensed but I didn't care anymore."Your arm. You should at least go to the hospital for a check-""I don't need a check-up. My arm is perfectly fine. Thank you for the ride home yesterday but now just leave me alone." I turned to walk away, but James swiftly grabbed my wrist.He held my shoulders firmly to ensure I
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-22Second Chance For Him? 58. Emptiness
Clara's POVAfter thinking it over, I decided to visit Keith's office today."Ma'am I think you should solve this problem as soon as possible. You cannot let Mr. James win."Diana said after I told her about my past relationship with James and his dislike of seeing me being on a good term with his brother. I felt a sense of relief knowing she was on the same board as me"What good is his good looks if he ends up just being a devil in disguise?"I knew Diana felt let down as soon as she discovered that James wasn't the prince charming he appeared to be. James is the devil, yet the most handsome of all angels."I will. But I don't know where I should look for him, Keith hasn't picked up my calls since yesterday."I was convinced he hadn't come back to the penthouse. I had a specific place in mind, but I was just in denial about Keith being there.What if he did go to Stephanie’s place? His pretty secretary always knew how to ease his worry. The idea of it left me suffocated."I will go
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-23Second Chance For Him? 59. Back to LA
Clara's POVI can't believe I flew to LA on the day I learned about Mr. George's passing. The news shattered my heart in a way I had never experienced. I didn't even share blood ties with him, yet it felt as though I had lost someone who was my closest family.It's been five years since we last met, and I never got the opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding from back then. And now I won't have the chance to see him again."Mommy, are we going to see grandma and grandpa?"Layla asked as our plane took off. I leaned back, gently stroking her hair, and answered."No. We're not going to see grandma and grandpa."Layla rarely inquired about her grandparents or the rest of our family. She appeared to understand that the question upset me.Yet sometimes, like many children, she always curious if we could visit Grandpa and Grandma someday.I can't help but feel mad at myself; I couldn't bring myself to tell her that she would never meet them. "So who are we planning to visit? Why did yo
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-23
Bab terbaru
Second Chance For Him? 221. Someone who knows her
Keith's POVThe warder come to me again, the old, wrinkled man, bringing breakfast with him. But I pushed it away with my hand, and the plate crashed to the floor. Giving the cell its sickening echo. My ears are aching, and my head is throbbing. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. The warder quickly walked away as soon as I stood up. But it wasn't long before that dick Criston showed up. A frosty look, that haughty grin I desperately want to erase right away."Tell him to come here! I wanted to talk to him!""Who are you talking about?" Criston asked."Who else? James. There's no way he's still scared now that I'm behind the bar and he's out there with all the power in his hands" I made sure to add a touch of mockery to my tone. James should have been here since yesterday when my mom asked him to come. But naturally, his arrogant self wouldn't go for it. He would show up only when he thought it was necessary. Criston's lips formed a tight line before he responded, "A
Second Chance For Him? 220. You have to go!
Lily's POVClara has agreed to the trip that James suggested, taking Layla to Europe. It's a great idea for a gift, however I'm still feeling a bit wary. I was just about to tell Clara to reconsider when I noticed how thrilled Layla was to hear about this trip.That got me thinking, I suppose I should just believe that he has changed this time. I suppose I need to let go of my negative thoughts and fully trust Clara. She's Layla's mom, and she knows what's best to do.We're at the shopping center in the city now to grab a few things before we depart. We were in the women's and children's section when Clara called out to me. "Hey, you should grab some sunscreen. The UV is strong in the summer, you'll need it when we go swimming in the sea, Lily." She said. “Huh? Why would I head to the sea for a swim?"I'm feeling a bit lost. It seems like I missed something"Because you're joining us on this trip to Europe!" Clara responded. It instantly made me widen my eyes. What? "James agrees.
Second Chance For Him? 219. No turning back
James' POVI was glad to hear that Clara is back to her usual activities. It's good, it means she no longer feels down. Lily's in town, so I suppose that's why she was able to leave Layla. But when Lily gets back to LA, who’s going to look after Layla? Thinking about it, it's time to bring in a professional assistant for her. To look after Layla and ease Clara's responsibilities at home. I'm not sure if she'll go for it, but I'll bring it up with her later. Dain entered my study and said, "Sir." I intentionally asked him to come today. "Did you take Layla to school?" "Today, Mrs. Clara's cousin is the one driving her," Dain replied. I gave a nod. “Should I go to her school to pick her up this afternoon?” I think Clara has already asked Lily to grab Layla as well. Perhaps her cousin would like to hang out with Layla while she's in town. "No. Not necessary.""Alright, sir. Anyway, how was your dinner last night going?" Asked Dain.Oh, dinner last night. It was nearly flawless
Second Chance For Him? 218. To cross her
Lily's POVToday I spend my time with Layla, and we make an awesome team. We got up early and went for a jog. We headed home for a quick shower and then went cafe hopping until noon. Later in the afternoon, we kept strolling through the city park. We just got home in the evening as Clara was getting ready to head out for dinner with James. Before she left, I made sure to remind her multiple times that she needed to call me if she sensed even the slightest hint of his behavior. I recall how that man used to treat her and to be honest, I didn't want my cousin to have dinner with him by herself tonight. But if I went with Clara, then who would look after Layla? Also, Clara asked me to stay home and look after her daughter. I didn't have any other option."Auntie, did you just call mommy?" Layla asked as I stepped back into the TV room. I sat down beside her on the carpet. She was focused on her Lego, completely tuning out the cartoon on the TV. "Yeah, I did. I just made sure to be re
Second Chance For Him? 217. The least
Clara's POVEverything was going smoothly. James showed up, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me because we could finally begin our dinner before diving into the main topic tonight, to discussing the trip he wanted to take Layla on.But then the door swung open and Selena burst in. Yes, Selena. She's at the restaurant we were at. I’m not sure when she got here, but I didn’t notice her at all before. Her face was a mask of rage that was impossible to conceal. “You!" she snapped, pointing a finger at me. Her teeth clenched. "What did you do to Keith? How could you do all of this to my future husband?"Her voice trembled.I jumped up right away. Watching her on the brink of tears pulled at my heart, but just as I was about to reach out, Selena smacked my hand away forcefully."Answer me bitch!"Her words made James stand up immediately. And the atmosphere felt like it had shifted. Selena, who was saying something, fell silent under James's piercing gaze. She looked at him with des
Second Chance For Him? 216. Mother's request
James' POVThe night to have dinner with Clara has finally arrived. I spent three hours getting ready, feeling pretty anxious, searching for the right word to persuade Clara to go along with this trip. This would be a good chance for me to connect with my daughter and learn more about her. And a chance to resolve what happened between Clara and me. No, I didn't expect her to just forgive me so easily. I just expected her to be more open to me.'Good luck trying to win her heart.' Keith's words rushed into my thoughts, and once more, I felt disheartened. I grabbed my phone and chose to call Dain. He accepted it a moment later. "How's it going, sir? How's everything going?""I haven't even gone yet. Do you think she’s going to give me this chance or not?" I hate sounding like a downer.But I really need to hear from Dain because he was the one who noticed Clara's reaction when she got the invitation to her apartment yesterday. Clara gave her agreement the very same day. She texted m
Second Chance For Him? 215. Tale to share
Clara's POVWe headed to the airport this morning around eight and got there about thirty minutes later. I ensured we arrived on time so Lily wouldn't have to wait. Yeah, my cousin is alive here in NYC today. Lily mentioned it to me in our call just yesterday, saying she planned to surprise me."Clara!"I glanced over at the voice, spotting Lily rushing toward me. With a smile, I hurried over to her, and we embraced tightly. Lily wrapped her arms around me so tightly that I could feel my ribs nearly being crushed."Hey take it easy Lily! I can't breathe!" I coughed."Sorry. I’m just really excited to be here and see you again!" She exclaimed after we released our embrace. Lily then turned to Layla, who was standing beside me. She bent down to hug her too. “Hey sweetheart, it’s so great to see you again. You've grown so much." Lily asked when they let go of their embrace, "Do you miss me?" "Absolutely Auntie!" Layla exclaimed, "I've been waiting for you to arrive for so long, Aunt
Second Chance For Him? 214. What kind of devil?
James' POV"Do you think it's good enough? Do you think Layla will like it?" I asked Dain for his thoughts.Fuck. Why is it harder than I expected to find a gift that fits Layla? I think it will be easy. But I've been reconsidering how Clara has managed to provide everything Layla needed, and my daughter is certainly not missing out on anything.So, I need to choose something unique and special.Something that will bring her joy when she receives this gift I gave her. I just wanted to see her smile again, to wipe away the sadness. It was annoying to see her sad, and I just couldn't stand it. "Hmm, I think this might be a little too much, sir. And besides we have to wait a few more years until she can drive the car on her own?" Dain looked at me with a puzzled expression.He glanced at the picture of the pink Mini Cooper on my laptop with a raised eyebrow and said, "I don't think this is a good idea." I nodded and shut the website down. I might just hand over the car to her when she'
Second Chance For Him? 213. The place he deserves
Clara's POVNew York CityWe’ve been here for a week now since coming over from Paris. Even after that week, I still can't seem to get back into my work routine. I still feel anxious about leaving Layla alone like I usually do. My day starts with waking up, driving her to school, and then picking her up again when school is done.I just can't trust Dain to drive Layla anymore. James got us a bodyguard, but I said no. I just can't get comfortable with the idea of another stranger being close to my daughter, even if it's someone James trusts.I stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind me. Diana called earlier to say she would swing by after work, so I figured I’d prepare some snacks for her. "Layla you can change your clothes before grabbing a bite to eat. I'll whip up something for us to eat. Auntie Diana will swing by later too.""Okay, mommy." My daughter hurried to her room.In the meantime, I headed to the kitchen. I checked the cupboard and fridge to see what ingred
