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CHAPTER 236

Author: CagalieYula
last update Last Updated: 2025-02-07 21:21:39

The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. My father’s fingers tapped against the rim of his whiskey glass, his mind working through the implications of what I’d just said. He was a master manipulator, but this time? He had backed himself into a corner.

“You don’t have proof,” he said finally, but there was something uncertain in his voice.

I leaned against his desk, forcing a smirk. “Oh, but I do.”

Lucia’s voice crackled in my earpiece. “We have everything, Bridgette. His authorizations, timestamps, and even the IP addresses he used. All trace back to him.”

I didn’t break eye contact. “I have enough to bury you in court. Fraud. Embezzlement. You’d be finished.”

His jaw clenched, and for the first time, a flicker of unease crossed his face.

Thiago, standing just behind me, chuckled lowly. “She’s not bluffing, Martinez.”

I felt the heat of his presence at my back—solid, unwavering. And I hated that some part of me found comfort in it.

My father exhaled slowly, setting his
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    I hated this.Hated the way Thiago could twist a simple truth into a noose around my throat. Hated the way he stood there—so calm, so sure that I’d fold.Because he knew.He knew I didn’t have a choice.I could say no, of course. I could walk away, pretend none of this was happening, pretend I wasn’t tangled in a mess that could bury me alive.But that would be a lie.I swallowed hard, keeping my chin up as I stared into his dark, calculating eyes. “And if I agree?”Thiago’s smirk deepened. “Then you’re mine.”My pulse stuttered. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”“No?” He tilted his head, feigning innocence. “Bridgette, cariño, everything is part of the deal.”My fingers curled into fists. “Define mine.”Thiago chuckled, a slow, velvety sound that sent a shiver down my spine. “Loyalty, Wifey. That’s all I ask.”I knew better. With Thiago Bermudez, nothing was ever that simple.He took a step closer, the heat of his body pressing against mine. “You don’t trust me. Good. You shouldn’t. Bu

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    The elevator doors slid open, and the crisp evening air greeted me as I stepped into the parking lot. My heart was still racing from Victor’s words, his warning clawing at the edges of my mind."You’re wrong."I shoved the thought aside and walked briskly to my car, my heels clicking against the pavement. I needed space—to think, to breathe. The moment I slid into the driver’s seat, I rested my hands on the wheel and exhaled, forcing myself to loosen my grip.Signing that contract had felt like a death sentence, but wasn’t it what I wanted? Wasn’t this exactly what I had set out to do? To secure my place in Bermudez Group? To get revenge for my father’s downfall?So why did it feel like I had just handed over my soul?A sharp knock on my window made me jump.Thiago.I hadn’t even seen him come down. He stood beside my car, hands in his pockets, looking every bit the wolf who had just cornered his prey.I rolled the window down. “Are you here to gloat?”His lips curled slightly. “If I

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  • TRAPPED WITH MY DAD'S BESTFRIEND   CHAPTE 244

    I stepped back, putting distance between us before his presence could suffocate me.“Cut the theatrics, Thiago. Why are you really here?”His smirk never wavered, but there was something darker in his gaze now. “I came to remind you who holds the leash in this arrangement.”My stomach tightened. “Leash? I don’t belong to you.”His hand lifted lazily, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face before I could swat him away. “You signed the contract, cariño. That makes you mine in ways that matter.”I let out a bitter laugh. “Yours? Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night? You don’t own me, Thiago. No one does.”His lips quirked. “You say that, but every time I push, you react.” His fingers trailed down my arm in a slow, deliberate path. “Tell me, Bridgette, if I don’t own a part of you, why do you tremble when I touch you?”I shoved his hand away. “You’re delusional.”His dark chuckle was low, knowing. “Maybe. But I always get what I want.”I crossed my arms, trying to suppress

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  • TRAPPED WITH MY DAD'S BESTFRIEND   CHAPTER 274

    The silence stretched between us, thick with words left unsaid. Victor's gaze remained steady, unwavering, as if he could will me into understanding the danger I was walking into. Maybe he could see the fracture lines forming beneath my skin, the way I was slowly unraveling under the weight of my own choices.But what choice did I have? Thiago was a shadow I couldn’t outrun. No matter how far I went, how fiercely I tried to carve out a life separate from him, he was always there. And worst of all, some part of me still wanted him to be.I exhaled sharply, shoving past Victor toward the kitchen, needing space—needing something to ground me before I lost myself completely in this never-ending push and pull. I reached for the half-empty wine bottle on the counter and poured myself a glass. My hand trembled slightly as I took a sip, the bitter liquid burning down my throat.Victor followed but didn’t say anything right away. He just leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest,

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    The silence between Victor and me stretched, taut and suffocating. He watched me like I was a puzzle he had almost solved but was too frustrated to finish.“Bridge,” he finally said, his voice softer now. “You don’t have to do this alone. You know that, right?”I swallowed against the lump in my throat. Victor had always been my safety net, the one person who saw the mess I was and still chose to stand by me. But even he couldn’t save me from myself.I turned away, rubbing my arms as though that could shake off the cold creeping into my bones. “I’m tired, Vic. Can we just—can we not do this tonight?”His eyes darkened, but he nodded once, reluctant. “Fine. But this isn’t over.”With that, he left, the door clicking shut behind him. I waited, standing frozen in place until I heard his footsteps fade down the hallway. Then, with a shaky breath, I turned and pressed my forehead against the door, letting my eyes close.Not five minutes later, my phone vibrated on the counter.I didn’t wan

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