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63. This time you will back off
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-27 19:42:52
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Traded For His First Love 64. Well deserved
Reese POVAlice’s laughter erupted beside me, so loud I could barely keep my hands steady on the steering wheel, my fingers trembling not from fear or nerves, but from pure, unbridled adrenaline.“Did you see that bitch’s face?” Alice choked out between giggles, slapping her thigh with delight. “Haha, it was so satisfying when you slapped her! I swear, Venus, I’ve never felt anything so gratifying in my life!”My hands remained tense on the wheel, my knuckles white from the force of my grip, the adrenaline still coursing through me like wildfire. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat thundering like a drum, resonating with the rush of what we’d just done. But despite the tension, I couldn’t deny it… this had been cathartic. As if years of pent-up rage, frustration, and hatred had finally found an outlet, exploding at that moment of raw defiance.“I’m still trying to process all of this,” I murmured, letting out a shaky laugh, half-convincing myself that everything was okay. “My God
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-27Traded For His First Love 65. There's still hope
Elliot POVI tucked Sammy into bed, pulling the dinosaur-patterned blanket up to his chin, his small frame settling into the mattress with a sleepy sigh. The soft glow of his nightlight cast shadows across the room, illuminating his face—peaceful, innocent, and so much like Reese’s it hurt. “Goodnight, buddy,” I murmured, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead.“Night, Dad,” he mumbled, his voice drowsy but content, his eyelids fluttering shut. I lingered for a moment, watching his chest rise and fall, the quiet rhythm easing some of the tension in my shoulders. But the peace didn’t last long.My phone buzzed on the nightstand, the sharp vibration cutting through the stillness. I glanced at the screen—Jennifer. My stomach tightened, a familiar dread creeping in, but I answered, stepping out into the hallway to keep my voice low.“What do you want, Jennifer?” I said, my tone clipped, already bracing for the storm.Her voice exploded through the line, furious and shrill. “I’m going t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28Traded For His First Love 66. My walk here
Reese POVI stood at the window of my bedroom, holding a glass of red wine, the deep crimson liquid glinting under the moonlight filtering through the curtains. The distant hum of the city was a faint murmur, but my thoughts were fixed on the path that had brought me here. The battles, the losses, the victories—I was close to winning.A soft creak made me turn, and Avie, my daughter, ran in, dressed in a pastel nightgown, her blonde curls bouncing. She climbed into my lap, hugging my neck, instantly bringing peace.“Mommy, can we read a story?” she asked, her voice sleepy.“Of course, sweetheart,” I replied, smiling as I carried her to the bed, grabbing a book about dinosaurs—Sammy’s favorite. I imagined the day he and Avie would meet, laughing together in this room.Flashback on: Three Years AgoThree years ago, pregnant, I stepped into a new apartment in the city, the empty space echoing my loneliness. I stood at the window, looking out, my heart heavy after divorcing Elliot and los
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28Traded For His First Love 67. Everything goes in love
Bethany POVThe sound of Josh’s car crunching over the gravel of my parents’ mansion driveway jolted me out of my reverie. Josh sat beside me, and since we’d left the restaurant, a morbid silence had hung between us. Every time I spoke, he’d huff, grumble, or roll his eyes as if the sound of my voice alone irritated him. I considered myself pretty, but Joshua Carter’s disdain made me feel like the ugliest, most uninteresting woman in the world.“Alright,” he said after pulling up in front of my house, his voice flat, not even glancing at me. “You’re safely delivered. You can go now.”I looked toward the house through his car window and sighed. So that was it? I’d just get out of the car, and this would end here? For heaven’s sake, things were only getting worse… “Or better yet, why don’t you come in? My parents won’t mind if you sleep with me tonight. It’s kind of fitting, since we’re engaged,” I invited, flashing a seductive smile.He frowned at me as if I’d just said something outr
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28Traded For His First Love 68. Fortunately we will be unhappy
Bethany POV“Lady Venus is a beautiful and very interesting woman, but she really isn’t my type,” Josh said, “so stop hating her to ease your frustration over me not responding to you, okay? Besides, you’re so pretty—stop being so bitter, it doesn’t suit you.” He pinched my cheek in a gesture that was anything but romantic, then reached for my door handle. “Now get out of the car, come on. It’s getting late.”But I pulled the door shut, closing it firmly, and looked at him with my nose tilted upward. “What?” He was confused by my defiance.“I already said, I’m not getting out of here unless you’re with me,” I repeated. “Or would you rather take me to your place? I’ll take any place as long as we’re together.”“You’re not seriously doing this, Bethany, are you? You’re not challenging me like this, are you?” he raged, his brow furrowed. There was danger in his green eyes, but I wasn’t afraid. What more could happen? I was already in deep trouble anyway.“If Lady Venus isn’t your type,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28Traded For His First Love 69. My condemnation
Elliot POVI stood on Venus’s doorstep, clearly anxious, Sammy’s hand gripped tightly in mine, my heart pounding like a drum against my ribs. It was Saturday, and the crisp, quiet morning stretched before us, the promise of a whole day with her pulsing through my veins.I’d barely slept, my mind racing with anticipation—not just for Sammy’s sake, but for mine. I wanted to be near Venus again, to feel the spark of connection we’d once shared, to see if we could start understanding each other after all this time. Who knows… maybe this could be the start of something new.Sammy shifted beside me, his dinosaur-themed sneakers scuffing the stone step, his wide, curious eyes darting between me and the polished wooden door. “Dad, is Lady Venus really here?” he asked, his voice small but hopeful, the uncertainty left by years of Jennifer’s lies still echoing in his tone.“She is, buddy,” I replied, squeezing his hand, my voice steady despite the nerves churning in my stomach. “She’s excited t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28Traded For His First Love 70. My kids together finally
Venus POVThis felt like a dream—watching my two children, Sammy and Avie, communicating for the first time, their small voices filling the living room with chatter about dinosaurs. Sammy’s excitement over his T-Rex book, Avie’s timid but growing curiosity about the big, scary ones—I could barely breathe, my heart swelling with a joy I’d held onto for years, buried under the pain of loss and Jennifer’s lies. It was as if the fractured pieces of my family were finally stitching together, and I stood there, frozen, soaking in the miracle of it all.Sammy sat cross-legged on the carpet, his dinosaur-themed sneakers glowing against the soft rug, holding up a plastic T-Rex figurine for Avie to see. “This one’s the strongest, but I think the Velociraptor’s smarter,” he said, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm, the uncertainty left by Jennifer’s manipulations melting away.Avie, still clutching her favorite stuffed bunny, peeked from behind the couch, her blonde curls bouncing as she edged
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28Traded For His First Love 71. The Annoying Spencer Davies
Elliot POVVenus’s suggestion had been damn awkward. Spencer and I, going out together? We had nothing in common—hell, what were we even going to talk about? I hugged Sammy tightly, promising I’d pick him up later, my chest aching with the need to stay, to be part of this moment with Venus and the kids. But I forced myself to step away, descending the elevator with my rival in a silence so thick it felt suffocating. There was nothing to say between us, nothing but the weight of our shared history and Venus’s shadow looming over it all.When we reached the parking lot, I pointed to my car, my voice gruff but steady. “We’ll take my car, right?”Spencer rolled his eyes, letting out an unnecessary, mocking chuckle. “The city’s mine, so I’m driving,” he said, striding toward his sleek black sedan, his movements sharp and confident.I sighed, shoving my hands into my pants pockets, already knowing this day would be a bloody challenge. But I couldn’t disrespect Venus—I could see she was ben
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04
Bab terbaru
Traded For His First Love 142. A Fragile Haven in the Storm
Reese POVI never imagined I’d end up here, back in the Goodwin mansion, the place that haunted my nightmares with memories of rejection, betrayal, and loss. Each white column of the facade, each dark window reflecting London’s gray sky, seemed to glare at me with contempt, as if it knew I didn’t belong. When I arrived in the city, exhausted and penniless after a harrowing journey—the theft of my bag in New York, the cramped flight, the uncertainty gnawing at me—my plan was clear: take Sammy and Avie and leave, rebuild our family far from Elliot, from Jennifer, from this mansion full of ghosts. But Elliot, with his anger and resolve, made it clear in the entrance hall that he wouldn’t let me leave with the kids. I faced a cruel choice: walk away alone, empty-handed, returning to Chicago defeated, or stay here, in this house that terrified me, to be with my children. There was no choice, really. Sammy and Avie were my life, and for them, I’d swallow any fear, any pain. So, I stayed.
Traded For His First Love 141. A Heart in Conflict
Elliot POVThe entrance hall of the mansion felt too small to contain the storm of emotions engulfing me, a vast space of marble and chandeliers that now seemed suffocating. Reese was on her knees in the doorway, Sammy and Avie clinging to her as if afraid she’d vanish. “Mommy, you came!” Sammy kept repeating, his voice choked, tears streaming down his face as he hugged his mother with a strength that seemed bigger than his eight-year-old frame. Avie, her little arms wrapped tightly around Reese’s neck, sobbed, “Mama, I missed you so much,” her high-pitched voice cutting through the air like a bell. My heart ached, a physical pain that made every breath an effort, as if an invisible hand were squeezing my chest. I wanted to be firm, to hold onto the anger that drove me to flee Chicago with the kids, the anger over Reese’s lies—about Avie’s paternity, about the secret lawsuit to take Sammy from me. But seeing them together, seeing the unconditional love in my children’s eyes, made s
Traded For His First Love 140. A Heart That Won’t Give Up
Reese POVThe gate of the Goodwin mansion loomed before me like a barrier, but I held my head high, even as the weight of the past dragged me down. Each step on the gravel driveway echoed like a drum, stirring memories of the darkest days of my life—the fights with Elliot, Florence’s disdain, the betrayal that culminated in our divorce and the loss of Sammy. This house, with its white columns and dark windows, was a tomb for my shattered dreams, but it was also where Sammy and Avie were, my children, my reason for living. For them, I would face any terror, any pain. I adjusted my cardigan, took a deep breath, and rang the bell, the sound cutting through the silence like a warning.The door opened slowly, and there was Elliot, his green eyes that I loved now hard, heavy with anger and hurt. He crossed his arms, blocking the entrance, and the weight of our past crashed over me like a wave. My heart, already broken by his betrayal—fleeing with the kids, aligning with Jennifer—wept, but
Traded For His First Love 139. Facing the Past
Reese POVThe plane landed in London with a jolt that reverberated through my bones, as if the impact could shake off the exhaustion consuming me. As I stepped into Heathrow’s terminal, the cold, damp air of the London winter enveloped me, bringing a bittersweet mix of relief and fatigue that nearly made me collapse right there, amid the hurried travelers and noisy suitcases. My clothes were crumpled, clinging to my skin from the sweat and the torrential rain I’d faced in Chicago. My hair, plastered to my face, was a curtain of defeat, and the deep shadows under my eyes betrayed sleepless nights and the strain of the past days. In New York, my wallet was stolen at the airport, and I nearly missed my connection to London. Now, I was penniless, with nothing but a crumpled passport, a phone with a dying battery, and a stubborn hope that kept me upright. But I was in London, thousands of miles from home, and closer to Sammy and Avie than I’d been in months. That was enough to make my h
Traded For His First Love 138. Ghosts of the Past
Elliot POVThe bedroom was exactly as I remembered it, as if time had frozen since the last time I was here with Reese. The heavy blue velvet curtains, the canopied bed with its carved mahogany frame, the Persian rug she loved because it was “too soft to resist.” Every detail was a knife, slicing deeper into the longing I tried, but couldn’t, suppress. This London mansion, where I grew up, where I fell in love with Reese, where our marriage crumbled, carried the weight of all our promises and failures. When I moved to Chicago, I swore to myself I’d only return to this room with her, that we’d fix everything, that we’d be a family again. But here I was, alone, with Sammy and Avie sleeping in the guest room, Jennifer infesting the house like poison, and Reese an ocean away, perhaps hating me as much as I loved her.I lay on the bed, the mattress yielding under my weight, and the scent of fresh linens mixed with the faint lavender aroma of the house enveloped me. I closed my eyes, and
Traded For His First Love 137. A Bitter Return
Elliot POVThe engine of the rental car fell silent with a sigh as I pulled up in front of the London mansion, the imposing structure rising like a sentinel of my past. Its tall windows caught the gray light of late afternoon, reflecting a heavy sky that matched the weight in my chest. The Georgian facade, with its white columns and stone embellishments, was both a home and a prison, every detail carrying echoes of Reese—the moments we laughed together on the veranda, the nights we argued in the dining room, and the raw pain of the night she left, driven out by me, by Jennifer, and by my mother, Florence. Now, I was back, bringing Sammy, older and more wary, and Avie, my newly discovered daughter, who was seeing this place for the first time with curious eyes. And, to my shame, Jennifer was here too, sitting in the front seat, her overpowering perfume invading the car like a constant reminder of the mistake I was making.Sammy stayed silent in the back seat, his videogame powered of
Traded For His First Love 136: A Path Full of Thorns
Reese POVThe plane landed in New York with a jolt, the impact snapping me out of the daze I’d been in since leaving Chicago. My small, rain-soaked bag was clutched tightly against my chest, as if it were the only thing keeping me whole. The JFK terminal was a chaos of voices, dragging suitcases, and blinding lights, but it all felt distant, muffled by the one thing consuming my mind: Sammy and Avie, in London with Elliot, so far from me. I had to get to them, had to fix what my lies—about Avie, about Sammy’s custody—had destroyed. Every second standing still was torture, but my body screamed for a moment’s pause, for something to keep me going.I dragged myself to a terminal café, the smell of burnt coffee mixing with the hiss of an espresso machine. “Black coffee, please,” I muttered to the barista, a bored-looking kid who barely glanced at me. My voice was hoarse, my eyes swollen from crying, and I knew I looked a mess, with wet hair plastered to my face and a drenched coat. Whi
Traded For His First Love 135: A Race Against Time
Reese POVThe living room felt smaller, as if the walls were closing in around me, every shadow a cruel reminder of Sammy and Avie’s absence. I was sitting on the couch, knees pulled to my chest, clutching Avie’s favorite toy and Sammy’s baseball, my face still wet with tears that wouldn’t stop falling.Because they left in such a hurry, my kids couldn’t even take the things they were so attached to. Elliot, what have you done…? I was weak, my mind foggy, unable to think of anything but how much I missed my children, Elliot’s betrayal, and the consequences of my mistakes. I was devastated.Alice and Connor stood before me, their voices soft but firm, trying to anchor me as the world crumbled. The house, which hours ago had echoed with the promise of a plan to get my kids back, now felt like a cage, trapping me in Chicago while Elliot took Sammy and Avie to London, with Jennifer by his side.“Venus, you need to prepare legally,” Alice said, sitting in the armchair, her eyes full of con
Traded For His First Love 134. A Heart Divided
Elliot POVThe interior of the private jet felt smaller with each passing hour, the space cramped not by its size but by the suffocating presence of Jennifer Durham. The hum of the engines was a constant drone,steady noise, but it didn’t drown out the sound of her voice, sharp as a blade, as she berated a flight attendant. “This is lukewarm coffee,” she said, pushing the cup back at the young woman, whose face flushed with embarrassment. “What do you think I am? An economy passenger? Bring me another, and make it decent this time.” The attendant mumbled an apology, hurrying to the back of the plane, while Jennifer rolled her eyes, adjusting her pearl necklace with an exaggerated flourish.I watched her from my seat, anger simmering beneath the surface. Jennifer was insufferable, always had been, but now, with her haughty demeanor, she seemed determined to make every second of this flight a living hell. She leaned toward one of the other staff, a man organizing the bar, and pointed
