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73. Ernest Williams
Last Updated:
2025-03-07 23:17:53
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Traded For His First Love 74. What kind of marriage is this?
Elliot POVIt was late at night when I dragged Spencer back to Venus’s apartment, the city lights blurring as exhaustion seeped into my bones. The drive had been a nightmare, his dead weight slumped against the door, muttering incoherent nonsense that irritated me even more.“You could shut up, you know—because I’m damn sure if it were me in your place, you’d leave me in the middle of the street,” I grumbled, hauling him along, fully aware he wasn’t sober enough to understand.Stepping into her apartment, the air shifted—warm, familiar, laced with her scent, a blend of lavender and something uniquely Reese. Venus met me at the door, wearing a red silk robe over her nightdress, her smooth, soft skin and delicate feminine features a soothing sight. She was makeup-free, her fresh aura palpable from here. Her dark hair, tousled and loose, was the first time I’d seen it down since our reunion, and I noticed it was still as long as before. She looked light and breathtaking after a long day
Last Updated : 2025-03-09Traded For His First Love 75. A new woman
Reese POVWhen I caught Elliot with the doors of my wardrobe wide open, my heart raced in my chest, and a cold certainty settled in: the façade of my supposed marriage to Spencer had come to an end. He stood there, his eyes gleaming with a mix of accusation and hope, his hands still hovering over my clothes as if he could find answers in the folds of my dresses.His question—“What kind of marriage is this where you don’t even share a wardrobe?”—cut through the air, sharp and direct, and I knew I could no longer hide the truth.I sighed, the weight of months of lies crushing me. “Good heavens, how disconcerting…” I murmured, turning my gaze to Spencer, sprawled on my bed, snoring heavily, the smell of bourbon and smoke still clinging to him after an entire afternoon drinking with his friends at the club.“Elliot,” I murmured, keeping my voice low so as not to wake Sammy and Avie, who were sleeping in the next room, exhausted after a day filled with laughter and dinosaurs. “Let’s talk s
Last Updated : 2025-03-09Traded For His First Love 76. The problem was always me
Reese POVWhen Elliot laughed at my words, I thought he was mocking me, but then I realized he was so stunned by this new side of me that he could hardly believe what was unfolding before him.“Actually, I like this new fire in you,” he said with an approving look. “Where has this Reese been hiding all this time, huh?”I rolled my eyes, finding his words a bit silly. “I’ve always been like this—you just never bothered to get to know me better,” I shot back, picking up our cold tea cups and heading toward the sink.“You’re right,” he said, raising his voice slightly so it could reach me. “There’s a lot I should’ve paid attention to with you, and I didn’t.”I shrugged. “Well, I can’t deny that recognizing that is a big step.”He stood from the table and walked to the counter, leaning against it while still watching me. “What can I say, my jaw drops every time I notice you now. It’s like I’m literally getting to know you for the first time,” he commented.I looked at him, drying my damp
Last Updated : 2025-03-11Traded For His First Love 77. Falling in his arms
Reese POV“Careful, don’t fall,” he said, but his words came out in a drawn-out growl.As I let out a moan with my breath, I’d already pulled him closer and joined our lips in a desperate kiss.I felt his body stiffen, completely taken aback by my unexpected kiss—he hadn’t anticipated it, and probably wouldn’t have in a million years. Maybe he’d lost all hope of ever having me this intimately again, but even I didn’t know what I was doing in that moment, because this had never been my plan.Elliot groaned against my lips. When he pulled back a millimeter to look at me with that expression of utter confusion, I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. Then he moved, his hands at my waist pulling me with more urgency against his body, his lips seeking mine with renewed desperation.It was as if he’d been thirsting for this for so long… and in a way, things weren’t much different for me.The kiss ignited something I couldn’t control—a wildfire that consumed the last threads of my r
Last Updated : 2025-03-12Traded For His First Love 78. Setback
Reese POVLying in the guest room bed, still wrapped in each other’s arms, our bodies pressed together under the sheets, the warmth of his skin against mine felt like an echo of a time I thought I’d never live again. His breathing was slow, his chest rising and falling as his hand stroked my hair—a gesture so familiar it hurt. The moonlight slipped through a crack in the curtain, softly illuminating his face, and for a moment, it was as if we were the only two people in the world—nights in London, before the betrayals, before Jennifer, before everything fell apart. But the past was there, a shadow I couldn’t ignore, even in that fleeting moment of peace.Elliot broke the silence, his voice hoarse and hesitant. “Reese… did you really miss me?” He turned his face to look at me, his green eyes filled with a vulnerability I hadn’t seen in years. “Because sometimes I feel like you hate me now.”My heart clenched in my chest, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. I looked away, star
Last Updated : 2025-03-13Traded For His First Love 79. Undervalued
Bethany POVToday was one of those days that left my heart aching, frustration with Josh swallowing me whole like a wave I couldn’t escape. I woke up with a thread of hope, convinced that if I arrived early at his house, we could share a moment together when he returned—maybe a dinner, a conversation, something to bring us closer for real. I wanted to feel like I meant something to him, that he saw me as the woman who would be his wife, not just a piece on the chessboard of our engagement. But, as always, reality hit me like a cold splash, reminding me that Josh was far from the man of my dreams, no matter how hard I tried to believe otherwise.At least today my waiting room was different, though no less humiliating than the last time I endured that embarrassment at his office. This time, I waited on the sofa in the grand living room of his parents’ mansion. It felt almost pathetic—I’d worn a beautiful dress, taken the time to fix my hair, dabbed on my best perfume, all just to sit h
Last Updated : 2025-03-14Traded For His First Love 80. The Morning Sun and Its Memories
Reese POVThe morning arrived like a hoarse whisper, carrying the weight of a night that still echoed on my skin and in my heart. I opened my eyes in my bedroom, my body heavy with sleep and the guilt beginning to take root, the sound of Spencer’s snores beside me pulling me back to reality. Last night, in the guest room, I surrendered to Elliot, letting the walls I’d built over years crumble under the heat of his touch and his promises. Now, with daylight filtering through the curtains, it all felt like a dangerous dream, a mistake I didn’t know how to undo.I rose slowly, careful not to wake Spencer, and dragged myself to the bathroom to splash water on my face, trying to wash away the traces of the night before. Each drop felt like a reminder—his whispers, the way our bodies met, the fragile promise that we might find our way back to each other. But the truth was, I didn’t know what I felt. Part of me still loved him, a part I’d buried beneath layers of pain and pride, but anothe
Last Updated : 2025-03-15Traded For His First Love 81. Yes, I fell.
Reese POV“What? You slept with your ex-husband?” Alice asked, her voice dripping with shock, but far too loud, drawing unwanted attention our way.“Alice!” I hissed desperately, reminding her that we weren’t in an appropriate place for such an outburst. We were at a luxurious restaurant, waiting for a client to discuss an event she wanted to host. A few heads had turned toward our table when Alice practically shouted in disbelief.She was composing herself now, but her face still held that stunned expression. “I’m sorry, Venus, but you can’t just drop a bombshell like that and expect me not to react accordingly,” she said, adjusting her short, choppy hair. I sighed. What could I even say? I could barely believe my own words myself. “So you’re telling me you and Goodwin hooked up?!”I nodded, embarrassed. “Yes, we hooked up.” I sipped my juice, feeling my throat dry up.Alice let out a humorless laugh. “But how? When did this happen? How?” She was trying to make sense of it, and hone
Last Updated : 2025-03-16
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Traded For His First Love 130. A House Too Quiet
Reese POV The air in Spencer’s apartment felt thick, suffocating, as his words landed like a blow to my chest: “Elliot’s heading back to London soon — with his kids.” My heart stopped, the world tilting around me. Avie, my Avie, his daughter? How could he know? How could Elliot know? The question burned, but Spencer’s mocking smile, his voice dripping with venom, held the answer before I could even ask. I stood frozen, my hands trembling, the industrial decor of his bachelor pad blurring as his accusation echoed in my mind.“What do you mean, he knows?” I managed, my voice barely a whisper, my throat tight with dread. “How does Elliot know about Avie?”Spencer leaned against the counter, his eyes cold, the warmth I’d once trusted in him gone. “Jennifer told him,” he said, his tone almost gleeful, like he was savoring my unraveling. “She cornered him, spilled the whole truth — that Avie’s his, not mine, not anyone else’s. And you know what, Venus? He’s done with you. He’s planning t
Traded For His First Love 129. Shattered Trust
Reese POV “Reese…?” Spencer gasped as he opened the door to me. He clearly hadn’t expected me to show up at his place; I hadn’t warned him beforehand, precisely because I didn’t want him coming up with excuses to avoid me. Spencer and I had a lot to talk about.“It’s Venus to you, darling,” I said, my voice sharp as I stepped into his apartment without waiting for permission. “My real name is reserved for the truly intimate people in my life, if you catch my drift.”The place was spacious, with industrial decor that screamed single guy’s bachelor pad. “You won’t believe it, but I met your wife,” I said, sarcasm dripping from every word. “She’s so charming, treated me so well. But I’m sure you already know that, don’t you?”Spencer sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I heard about it. Alice told me Roseanne went to see you,” he admitted.In that moment, something broke inside me, a crack splintering through my heart. I’d clung to the hope that Roseanne was anything but his
Traded For His First Love 128. Facing the Storm
Reese POV The kitchen was alive with the chaos of morning, the kind of messy, beautiful noise that made my heart feel full even when everything else was crumbling. Sammy was giggling, smearing syrup on his pancakes, while Avie babbled about a cartoon, her curls bouncing as she waved a sticky fork. Elliot sat across from me, pouring orange juice into their cups, his smile soft but strained, the same shadow in his eyes I’d noticed last night in bed. The memory of our early morning — his arms around me, the heat of our bodies, the words I’d said about our family — warmed me, but that quiet distance in him lingered, a knot of worry I couldn’t untangle.I pushed a piece of pancake around my plate, my appetite dulled by the weight of what lay ahead. Roseanne’s slap, her accusations, the way my employees had looked at me — it all churned in my mind, a storm I couldn’t escape. I’d spent yesterday broken, leaning on Elliot to hold me together, but today, I needed answers. Spencer owed me th
Traded For His First Love 127. A Silent Fracture
Elliot POV The bedroom was cloaked in the hush of four a.m., the kind of stillness that made every thought feel louder, heavier. I lay beside Reese, her body curled against mine, her warmth a stark contrast to the cold knot of betrayal in my chest. The day had been a storm — her desperate call, the way she’d collapsed against me outside Lunaris Event, the story of Roseanne’s slap and accusations spilling from her lips. I’d held her, promised to confront Spencer, brought her home, and tucked her in, but now, in the quiet, Jennifer’s words from the garage haunted me: “Avie is your daughter, Elliot. Reese has been lying to you.” The truth — if it was the truth — was a blade, and it was cutting me open.Reese stirred, her breath soft against my neck, and I turned to look at her. The faint moonlight slipping through the curtains traced her face — the curve of her cheek, the lashes resting against her skin, the vulnerability that made my heart ache even now. She’d been through hell toda
Traded For His First Love 126. Tangled Bonds and Hidden Truths
Alice POV The mirror in my bedroom reflected a version of myself I hadn’t seen in a while — a spark in my eyes, a flush on my cheeks, the kind of glow that only came from feeling alive. I smoothed the hem of my navy dress, the fabric hugging my curves just right, and checked my phone again. Connor’s text from an hour ago — “Can’t wait to see you tonight, Alice. You’re gonna knock me out.” — still sent a thrill through me, my heart doing a little flip. Every date with him was like a shot of adrenaline, each laugh and touch pulling me deeper into something I hadn’t felt in years. Maybe ever. I was falling for him, hard, and the thought made me giddy as I slipped on my heels, ready to meet him at the restaurant.I grabbed my purse, humming to myself, the anticipation buzzing under my skin. But when I opened the front door, the song died in my throat. Roseanne stood there, her hand raised to ring the bell, her blonde hair pulled tight in a ponytail, her face a mask of barely contained
Traded For His First Love 125. A Wound Unspoken
Elliot POV The city blurred past the car windows, a smear of lights and shadows as I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles white, my heart a tangled mess of rage and heartbreak. Jennifer’s voice echoed in my skull, her words like shards of glass cutting deeper with every mile: “Avie is your daughter, Elliot. Reese has been lying to you this whole time.” My chest burned, each breath a struggle as I tried to hold myself together, but the truth — if it was the truth — was a weight I couldn’t carry. Avie, my Avie, with her giggles and curls, was mine? Not Spencer’s, not some other man’s, but mine? And Reese, the woman I loved, the woman I’d fought to win back, had kept that from me for years? The betrayal sliced through me, sharp and relentless, leaving me raw.I slammed my hand against the wheel, the dull thud doing nothing to ease the storm inside. How could she? All those moments — the late-night talks, the way she’d look at me with those eyes that promised forever — and not once
Traded For His First Love 124. Truths That Break
Elliot POVThe hum of the Carter’s Wine offices was a distant noise—phones ringing, keyboards clicking—but all I could focus on was the stack of contracts on my desk, each one a reminder of the long road to rebuilding my life. I was halfway through signing a distribution deal when my phone buzzed, Reese’s name lighting up the screen. Her voice, when I answered, hit me like a freight train—shaky, broken, desperate. “Elliot, can you come get me? Please. Something happened… I don’t… just come, okay?” The raw panic in her words sent a jolt through me, and I was already on my feet before she finished, the chair scraping against the floor.“I’m on my way. Stay there, alright? I love you,” I said, grabbing my keys and coat, already sprinting for the door. Her “hurry, please” echoed in my head, each syllable tightening the knot in my chest. Reese wasn’t the type to fall apart like this, not unless something had gone terribly wrong. My mind raced—was it Sammy? Avie? Something at Lunaris Even
Traded For His First Love 123. Cracks in the Truth
Reese POV The burn on my cheek still pulsed, as if the woman’s hand had left more than a red mark on my skin. I stood frozen in the Lunaris Event reception, my hand on my face, heart pounding as I tried to process what had just happened. The employees were still, eyes wide, some whispering low, and the heavy silence was only broken by the echo of her words: “You think you can get away with it?” The woman was already at the door, but now I could see her clearly — blonde, piercing light eyes, dressed in expensive clothes that screamed wealth, the kind Nathalie, Bethany, or even Alice would wear. And beside her, clutching her hand tightly, was a boy, about Sammy’s age, maybe five, staring at the floor like he wanted to vanish.Before I could speak, she spun back around, her face twisted with rage. “You’re a homewrecker, Venus!” she spat, my name dripping with disgust. “I’m Roseanne, Spencer’s wife. At least, he’d still be my husband if you hadn’t shown up to steal him from me!”Her wor
Traded For His First Love 122. Shattered Facades
Reese POV The Lunaris Event office felt smaller that morning, the white walls and modern art pieces Alice and I had chosen so carefully now staring at me like silent judges. I sat at the head of the conference table, my laptop open in front of me, but my focus was on the faces of the employees around me — six pairs of eyes filled with doubt, worry, and something that edged on mistrust. The air was heavy, not just with the scent of fresh coffee my assistant had brought in, but with the weight of unspoken questions. The gossip magazines had done their dirty work, spreading the scandal from Nathalie’s party like wildfire, and now Lunaris Event — my company, my dream — was feeling the flames. “Okay, let’s get started,” I said, forcing my voice to sound steady, though my stomach twisted. The chair where Alice usually sat, to my right, was empty, and every glance that landed there felt like a jab at her absence. “I know things are… tough. I want to hear what you all have to say.
