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TWENTY (5): Tracking Andre
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2024-10-26 16:45:42David’s presence filled the room instantly, his tall, broad frame making the spindly secretary look even more insignificant. His face was unreadable, but the tension in his posture and the tight set of his jaw were unmistakable. James shot up from his seat the moment he saw their father, knocking into Rachel in his hurry, and ignoring her surprised yelp. She scrambled to stand, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but David didn’t even spare her a glance. His sharp, dark eyes were locked onto Annabelle.
“What did you learn from Andre Winters?” David asked in a low, authoritative tone, his voice carrying the weight of years of command. There was no greeting, no pleasantries, just the demand for answers.
Annabelle rose slowly from the couch, meeting her father’s gaze with the same steely resolve she’d inherited from him. “He wouldn’t give me the details outright,” she began, her tone calm and measured, “but he
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Lila hadn’t seen Dominic for days. After their lunch together with Aaron and Winnie, he’d disappeared like mist in the early morning sun, leaving behind only the odd flutter in her chest whenever she thought about him, and an unexpected ache she couldn’t quite understand. Sea’s Edge was small enough that bumping into someone frequently was inevitable, but somehow, Dominic had vanished from her daily life. The one constant was Aaron and Winnie. Every day, like clockwork, Marcus would show up at the bookstore with the children in tow. He had started babysitting them more frequently, and every day after school, he would bring them by the shop before taking them home. Idly, Lila wondered if this was related to how little she saw of DominicWhenever school ended, Marcus brought Aaron and Winnie to the bookstore before taking them home, lingering just long enough for the kids to burn off some of their energy, but not long enough for Lila to ask about Dominic
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“I can pick them up, no problem,” she said, trying to keep her tone light. “But I don’t know if the school will just hand them over to me.”Marcus chuckled. “Already ahead of you. I called the school, described you, and gave them a password for extra security. You’re all set.”“Wow, you really thought this through,” Lila teased, grinning. “Maybe this is the universe telling you it’s time to let that old monstrosity of a car go.”“Hey! Put some respect on my baby’s name,” Marcus shot back, laughing. “But yeah, this might be the final straw. Just make sure you use the password. And, Lila? Thanks. I owe you one.”They hung up, and Lila closed up the shop in record time, locking the doors and getting into her small car. Her mind raced as she drove. She couldn’t ignore the way her heart fluttered at the thought of seeing Dominic, even if it was jus
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Lila hurriedly got Aaron and Winnie out of the car, huddling under their umbrellas as they made their way to the front door of Dominic’s home. Rain drizzled steadily, a cold dampness creeping into the air that made her instinctively adjust Winnie higher on her hip, trying to shield the toddler as much as she could. The house loomed ahead.When they reached the door, Lila set Winnie down for a moment to check if the door was unlocked, but to her dismay, it was firmly shut. The toddler, her eyes half-closed with sleep, leaned heavily against Lila’s leg. Shifting her weight, Lila dug into her pocket to pull out her phone, first trying Dominic’s number. As Marcus had warned, the call went straight to voicemail. From where she stood on the porch, Lila could faintly hear the muted sound of a ringtone from inside the house, but it quickly cut off.“Looks like your dad’s a pretty heavy sleeper,” Lila muttered to Aaron, who had
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His strong, broad frame rested on the desk, his shirt long discarded. The faint glow of the computer monitor in front of him cast soft light over his bare torso, revealing the lines of muscle that shifted with his steady breathing. Lila’s eyes couldn’t help but linger, taking in every inch of his tanned skin, the slight curve of his back as he slept deeply.“Dad’s really tired,” Aaron whispered innocently, standing beside her. But Lila barely registered the words. Her mind was elsewhere—caught in the realization of just how much Dominic affected her.She swallowed hard, forcing herself to look away. What was she doing? This wasn’t like her, not at all. Just over a month ago, she had left James, still reeling from the mess her marriage had become. How could she possibly be feeling… this? Her heart pounded in her chest as she fought the wave of emotions rushing through her.But it was undeniable. She was drawn
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With a quiet resolve, Lila rolled up her sleeves and stepped into the living room.She started by gathering the scattered toys, little cars and soft stuffed animals that had been flung around in the middle of playtime. She took her time, gently placing each toy in a small woven basket near the couch. Next, she picked up the throw blankets, folding them neatly and draping them over the back of the couch. Every few moments, her eyes flicked over to the study door, the sight of Dominic asleep etched vividly in her memory.After she was finished with the living room, she moved to the kitchen. A small pike of dishes sat in the sink, and the countertops bore traces of breakfast cereal and the crumbs of hastily-made snacks. She rolled up her sleeves further, turning on the warm water and beginning to wash each dish with practiced ease. The repetitive action allowed her mind to drift back to the heat she’d felt earlier, the strange thrill that had come with the idea of b
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Dominic took a step closer, and Lila’s pulse beat quicker, her heart caught in the wild thrill of anticipation. There was something intoxicating in his gaze, something that made her feel as if he were peeling away her walls, layer by layer, with each unspoken word. The air between them felt , electric, and she knew if she didn’t step back now, she’d be swept away in whatever was about to happen.His face was only inches from hers, his gaze flickering to her lips in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. Her breathing hitched. She felt herself leaning in, just a fraction, but enough to betray how much she wanted to close that small distance between them. She didn’t know what had come over her, this overwhelming desire to abandon all her worries and cautions and let herself feel something she hadn’t dared in a very long time. Dominic’s presence was waking her up, sparking something in her that she hadn’t realized she missed.
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Annabelle fastened the last button on her shirt cuff, the soft fabric sliding over her wrist as she adjusted it, her fingers lingering a moment longer than usual. She stared at her reflection, but her thoughts were miles away. Her mind wasn’t on her outfit, not really; it was on Andre Winters. She was about to march into his office unannounced. No appointment. No polite prelude. Just a woman who wasn’t about to let some businessman derail everything her family had worked for without a fight, but she was certain Andre wouldn’t turn her away.And, if she was honest with herself, part of her was thrilled at the idea of seeing Andre again, to test whether him giving her a hint was strictly professional—or if there was something else simmering beneath the surface. She almost laughed at herself for the thought. He’d given her that hint about his mysterious decision to pull the plug on her family’s business, and he hadn’t offered
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“You mean Rachel, the woman who lives here solely because you’re supporting her. The same Rachel who’s always ‘loved’ you—as long as there’s money involved?” She shook her head. “Let me get this straight. She’s afraid you’ll leave her… so she’s decided the best way to keep you is to scream at you?”James’s face tightened, and he visibly stiffened at her words, his face a mixture of hurt and indignation. He rubbed his eyes, sinking lower into the chair. “It’s not like that, Annabelle,” he said defensively, though he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than her. “She’s just upset.”“Oh, it’s not?” Her tone was sharp, relentless. “Rachel might seem upset now, but that’s only because she’s terrified her free ride’s about to end. It’s not you she’s afraid of losing, James. It&rsqu
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The name hit Lila like a thunderclap. Her breath caught in her throat, and her body went rigid. The color drained from her face, leaving her as pale as the moonlight streaming through the kitchen window.Annabelle didn’t miss the way Lila’s hand trembled in hers or the wide-eyed look of fear and shock that overtook her expression. It was as if the very mention of Andre’s name had opened a floodgate of emotions that Lila had fought to keep buried.“Lila?” Annabelle pressed gently, though her own heart twisted at the reaction she’d gotten out of Lila.Lila swallowed hard, her hands clutching the edge of the marble island. “Why are you asking about him?”Annabelle hesitated for a beat, as if carefully choosing her words. Then, her voice dropped to a soothing tone, as if Lila was a scared child she was trying to comfort. “Because I need to know, Lila. He’s involved with the family. I think you
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Margaret’s face twisted with regret, her hand trembling as she reached for Annabelle. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. “I took James that night because I knew it would cut your father the deepest. He always saw James as his heir, even if he never said it out loud.”Annabelle’s head snapped up, her chest tightening at her mother’s words. “His heir?” Her tone was sharp, laced with a bitterness she couldn’t suppress. So what was she? The spare?Margaret flushed, rushing to clarify. “Oh, darling, don’t misunderstand. Your father loves you too. Of course, he does—”“Stop.” Annabelle’s voice cracked like a whip, her words slicing through the air. She felt the sting of those words in her chest, the unspoken truth they carried. “I didn’t ask you to justify him. I asked you what happened that night.”
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Annabelle blinked, the words hitting her like a well-aimed punch. She stared at her mother, her mouth slightly open in shock. Of all the things she had expected, this wasn’t one of them."Rachel’s affair?" Annabelle repeated slowly, her voice laced with disbelief.Margaret nodded miserably, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.Annabelle shook her head, trying to make sense of it. "Mother, how could you possibly know about Rachel’s affair? How long have you known?"Margaret pressed her hands to her face again, as though trying to block out Annabelle’s questions. "I didn’t mean for it to get this far," she whispered, her voice muffled. "I didn’t mean for it to spiral like this."Annabelle’s chest tightened, a cold dread creeping over her. "Mother," she said carefully, "what are you talking about? What do you mean you didn’t mean for it to spiral?"Margaret lowered her hands, her eyes bloodshot a
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Annabelle was halfway up the stairs, her mind still buzzing with the revelation she’d gotten from her conversation, when she felt a hand grab hers, sharp nails digging painfully into her skin. She gasped and turned around, expecting to see Rachel had come after her to take their fight to a physical level. But the face she saw wasn’t Rachel’s—it was her mother, Margaret’s.Her irritation flared for a moment, ready to scold her mother for sneaking up on her like that. But the harsh words froze on her tongue the moment she saw Margaret’s face. Her mother looked almost unrecognizable from the elegant beauty Annabelle was used to seeing. Her skin was deathly pale from so many days of shutting herself up in the house instead of going out into the sun. Her usually soft, pleasant features were twisted with panic, her wide eyes darting around like a frightened animal. Her thin frame seemed even smaller beneath the loose, stylish robe she wore.
Tangled Destinies THIRTY (2): Truths at the Table
Rachel’s silence was all the confirmation Annabelle needed. Her pale face and trembling hands told a story louder than any words ever could.Annabelle tilted her head, her smile turning razor-sharp. "You played your cards well," she admitted. "Using that baby to manipulate James into throwing Lila out of the house? It was a bold move when it wasn’t even his. But here’s the thing about lies, Rachel—they have a way of catching up to you." She leaned forward, her smile fading as she fixed Rachel with a cold stare. "You lied," she said quietly, the words cutting through the air like a blade. "You lied to James, to my family, and you ruined Lila’s life for nothing. All because of your selfish, disgusting games."Rachel’s breathing grew uneven, her hands trembling as she gripped the edge of the table. "You... you don’t have proof," she said weakly, though her voice lacked conviction.Annabelle laughed softly, a sound devoid of
