All Chapters of Trade Breaker: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Dominic paced the living room of the Hale estate. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he marched back and forth. His jaw clenched tight, and his keen and sharp gaze was clouded with frustration.“You called her, didn’t you?” he said, his voice cutting through the silence like a whip. His posture screamed God alone knows what I would do to you if you weren't my mother?Seeming unphased sitting on the plush sofa, Isabella raised an eyebrow and sipped her tea with feigned calm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, though the slight upward tilt of her chin betrayed her guilt.“Don’t lie to me, Mom.” Dominic stopped pacing and faced her, his voice growing louder. “You’re the only person who would have done this. Do you want me to believe Sapphire just happened to show up at the house right after I told you what happened? Please, don’t insult my intelligence.”Isabella set her cup down with deliberate precision. “Dominic, you’re overreacting. Sapphire needed a chanc

Solo shifted on the examination table, the crinkling paper beneath her amplifying her discomfort. The clinic room was sterile, the faint hum of medical equipment filling the air. Across from her, having finished her prenatal examinations, Kirael sat in a plastic chair, thumbing through a magazine. Her brows furrowed, but her mind seemed elsewhere.“I wish they’d just get this over with,” Solo muttered, one hand protectively cradling her rounded belly.Kirael looked up, offering a small smile. “Relax, these things always take forever. It’s routine. You and the twins are fine.”Before Solo could respond, the door swung open, revealing a young trainee. Her movements were awkward, and the nervous energy of someone new to the job was evident in how she adjusted her stethoscope.“Miss Dale,” the trainee greeted with a polite smile. “We’ll be listening to the babies’ heartbeats today.”Solo nodded, reclining as the trainee prepared the Doppler. The steady thump of the first heartbeat filled

The soft, sterile hum of the hospital room felt suffocating. Aralise lay in the center of the made bed, her head propped up by stiff, firm pillows. An overhead light illuminated the room, casting shadows that danced along the edges of the walls. She glanced toward the crib beside her, where the baby slept, her delicate features visible under the pink blanket.Aralise’s fingers tapped on the hospital sheet as she tried to compose her expression. She didn’t dare look at the baby too long. The longer she stared, the more a strange discomfort grew within her—as if her body rejected the child, as though the entire situation threatened to unravel.The sound of approaching heels snapped her out of her thoughts. The door swung open to reveal the midwife, her sharp, calculating eyes scanning the room. She carried a clipboard under one arm and a handbag hanging from her shoulder.Her movements were brisk, purposeful, and unyielding, like someone accustomed to cleaning up messes.“Well, Miss Wat

The door opened, and a nurse wheeled Kirael into the room. She cradled her newborn daughter, gazing at her with motherly warmth. Her face glowed despite the exhaustion etched onto it. Her hair was pulled back into a loose braid, and her eyes sparkled when they landed on Solo.“Solo,” Kirael said with a tired but warm smile. “Look at you,” glancing at the two babies wrapped in blue blankets in the cribs beside Solo’s bed, their little faces poking out. “Two boys. They’re gorgeous.”Solo smiled through the weariness—her expression mirrored Kirael’s. “And your little girl, she’s stunning.”“She is,” Kirael said in agreement, gazing down at the pink baby bundle swaddled in her arms. “My parents have already gone into overdrive. They sent someone to help me...” She raised her head and motioned it to indicate the woman behind her—pushing the wheelchair, “along with…” She nodded toward the doorway, where two tall men in dark suits stood guard, their faces impassive. “They sent bodyguards, to

Charles cradled the now fresh baby, her soft coos filling the room. While he rocked her, his thoughts swirled. The birthmark felt significant, but he couldn’t explain how or why he felt this way.Maybe he was transferring his anxiety about Aralise’s attitude toward the infant, which gave him a sense of unease and a faint warning that he didn’t yet understand. He placed the baby back in her bassinet.Aralise sat upright on the bed, her demeanor shifting as she smoothed her hair and put her phone aside. Her eyes softened, a calculated vulnerability flickering in her gaze.“Charles,” she said, her voice almost hesitant. “I’ve been thinking about things, and...I realize I’m not doing this the way I should.”“You need to do better,” he said. “This little girl depends on you.”“I know.” Aralise hands fidgeted in her lap. She lowered her gaze, her tone turning wistful. “It’s just...it’s hard, Charles. I didn’t expect any of this. I feel overwhelmed. Being a single mom is a huge undertaking.