All Chapters of Tangled Destinies : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

“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

Annabelle crossed the room with steady steps, keeping her face neutral as she met his gaze. But the closer she got, the more she felt that prickling awareness again, the same one she’d felt every time she was near him. She sat down, crossing one leg over the other and folding her hands in her lap. "Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Winters," she said, careful to keep her tone level."Of course," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "I must say, I was curious when I heard you were here. I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon after our last conversation.”The corners of his mouth lifted in a faint smile, but his eyes remained unreadable. He was testing her, she realized, waiting to see what angle she would take. Annabelle met his gaze evenly.“I didn’t think so either,” she admitted, “but I couldn’t stay away—not when you gave me that hint about the contract.”He raised an eyebrow

Annabelle gripped the steering wheel as she drove, her mind whirring through her conversation with Andre Winters. She replayed each word, every flicker of expression that had crossed his face, hunting for something she might have missed. The image of his self-assured smirk, his dark eyes glinting with secrets, lingered vividly. But what haunted her most was his revelation about Lila—how he had taken on her father’s company, not because he felt it deserved his business, but simply to make sure Lila would be provided for, hidden under the guise of business.Annabelle’s chest tightened at the thought. This admission alone raised more questions than it answered. Did Lila even know that Andre was looking out for her? Or perhaps… was there history between them that Lila had never mentioned? As much as she tried, Annabelle couldn’t shake the idea that maybe, just maybe, Andre had once been close to Lila, closer than mere friends. If that were true, why

As Annabelle spoke, she could see her father’s frustration rising, his temper ready to spill over. But what troubled her more than anything was the way James shrank under their father’s simmering rage, the way his shoulders hunched in defeat. She could feel the familiar tension in the air, the power struggle between her father and brother, one that had been ongoing for years.David didn’t waste any time before turning his fury on James. “You’re useless, James! Utterly useless!” he spat, his words biting through the silence. “How could you let this happen? How could you let Lila slip through our fingers? And you never even bothered to run a proper background check on her?”James flinched, his face pale. He struggled to find his words, his hands twitching at his sides as he stumbled over his answer. “I… of course, I did,” he muttered shakily, his voice betraying his nerves. “The background check cam

They found a nearby bench, surrounded by hanging plants and soft sunlight streaming through the glass roof, and settled down. Annabelle felt her tension begin to ease. It wasn’t as if she was unaware of the dangerous position she was in—she couldn’t forget for a second that Andre had the power to crush her family with the flick of his wrist. But for now, in this quiet space, she allowed herself to pretend she lived a much more normal life. She forgot about her father’s frantic desperation and the threat Andre posed. In the bubble of their easy banter, the power dynamics seemed to blur, leaving just two people talking in a quiet garden.The hours seemed to slip by as they talked— business, the weather, small things that made her forget the weight of her responsibilities. Annabelle found herself surprisingly at ease with him.It wasn’t long before she realized that she was enjoying his company. There was an undeniable chemistry between them, something that made her feel