All Chapters of Shattered Trust: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Chapter Seventy-Two: Beneath the SurfaceVanessa tapped her long, polished nails on the wooden table of the quaint café she'd chosen for her meeting with Clara. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filtered through the air, mingling with the soft hum of murmurs around her. Clara was already running five minutes behind, but Vanessa wasn't bothered. It gave her time to strategize. This wasn’t just a casual catch-up—it was a carefully crafted move to uncover the truth about Noah and Stephanie.The bell above the café door jingled, and Clara stepped inside, wrapped in a long beige coat. Her light smile brightened her face as she spotted Vanessa waving her over.“Vanessa! Sorry, I’m late,” Clara said, sliding into the seat opposite her. “Traffic was a nightmare.”"None at all," Vanessa said as she smiled warmly. "I am glad you could make it. It has been forever, and we never got to catch up!"Clara chuckled. "You said it: life gets so busy, sometimes."Vanessa attracted the waiter's attentio

Chapter Seventy-Four: Her NumberStephanie's POVThere was only silence in the house but for the soft ticking of the wall clock. I sat in the sitting room. My hands were a bit jittery, and my head had problems staying focused on whatever was in front of me. The night had gotten so still and peaceful. Finally, Noah went to his room, and I had some alone time with my thoughts. Other than the soft hum of the heater in the corner, the only sound that filled the space around me, I found myself lost in the rhythm of its quiet whirring.I didn't know what I was doing anymore. Every minute that passed felt like another step into the unknown, into a place to which I wasn't even sure how to find my way. One thing was for sure, though: I had to leave. I couldn't stay here forever. The walls were closing in on me, and every corner of this house seemed to be telling secrets-secrets I wasn't ready to hear.But there was one thing I needed to do before leaving: getting Sophia's number. I had to get

Chapter Seventy-Six: Desperation and DeterminationRachel sat in the darkened room, her fingers playing with the rim of her coffee cup. The thoughts that swirled in her mind were different, but one thing was for sure: she had made up her mind. She could no longer sit in the shadows of uncertainty. She needed Noah back, not only because of what had happened between them but also because deep down, she knew she couldn't live without him.It was days since Noah had distanced himself from her, and though she had tried to tell herself she would be fine, the reality crushed her. Day by day, the space extended, and she was suffocating in the silence. Rachel had reached out repeatedly, but he seemed either too busy or further away each time. She had told herself it was for the best, that he needed space, but her heart would simply not listen to reason.Her hand trembled slightly as she put the cup down, staring into the dark liquid within, as if it would hold the answers to all things. She mi

Chapter Seventy -Eight: Unspoken Truths and Conflicted FeelingsThe creak of the front door swinging open jerked the tightness in the room. Rachel's heart skipped a beat as her eyes shot towards the door when Noah stepped inside. It was as if the moment he appeared, time had stood still-the air was just so thick with anticipation. He stood still for a moment, his eyes locked with Rachel's, though his expression was unfathomable, distant. For one flashing instant, she could have sworn something flickered in his eyes-something which she couldn't name-but then it was gone, just as quickly as it appeared.Noah did not even acknowledge the two ladies standing by the door but instead, in one swift motion, looked in the direction of Stephanie, who stood by awaiting his reaction towards the visitors who just came knocking on the door. From the time Rachel and Vanessa had come to the door, Stephanie had felt a mixture of unease and concern building in her chest, to which Noah's arrival now add

Chapter Eighty: The Storm WithinStephanie sat on her bed, looking out the window at the soft glow of the moon that managed to stream in, and the night was really still. The house did not have any sound, only occasionally the old wooden floor would creak under the weight of the night. Her mind was a very different story. It churned relentlessly, the happenings of the day rerunning within her mind-the unsolicited visit from Rachel and Vanessa, Noah's cold dismissal of them, most of all, Marcus's cryptic warning.An intuition within her hollered that something was really wrong. Very wrong.She had worked for Noah for months now, and though he had always been private, she'd never felt the weight of secrets so heavy until today. It wasn't just the tension in the air or the abrupt way he had ended their conversation about Marcus; it was something in his eyes, a flash of something she couldn't quite place. Fear? Guilt? Regret?She passed her fingers through her hair, staring out the window