Lahat ng Kabanata ng Second Chances Under the Tree : Kabanata 131 - Kabanata 140

TWO DAYS AGONORAThe hallway stretched endlessly in front of me. My heart pounded harder than usual, and it wasn’t because of the long walk. I wasn’t just nervous… I was terrified.Lucas was dead.My boss had warned me. Don’t take him to the hospital, Nora. But I hadn’t listened. I thought I could control the situation.Instead, Lucas had made a choice… a final, irrevocable choice. He’d killed himself, and no amount of my reasoning or regret could undo it.I reached the door to Grayson’s office and paused. My hand hovered over the handle, my fingers trembling. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but it didn’t work.Get it together, Nora. You’ve faced worse.But this was different. Lucas wasn’t just another case. He was someone I’d sworn to protect and now he was gone.Pushing the door open, I stepped inside.The aroma of grilled chicken filled the air as I stepped into Grayson’s office. The room was dimly lit, the heavy curtains blocking most of the sunlight. Grayson sat be

PRESENT DAYCALLIEI leaned against the desk, my legs barely holding me up as what I’d just heard sank in. My hands gripped the edge so tightly my knuckles turned white. Charlotte. Ethan’s own mother. I knew she was cold, manipulative even, but this? This was a new level of evil.My mind raced, piecing it all together. Mrs Reynolds… she’d been working with Charlotte all along.“Wait,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Mrs Reynolds… that night… she was the one who put the house on fire, wasn’t she?”Sebastian froze mid-step, his hand running through his hair as he paced the room. His disbelief was evident in the way his shoulders sagged.“It’s starting to make sense now,” I continued, swallowing hard.My stomach churned at the thought of how meticulously this had all been planned.Sebastian didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the floor as if the answers were hidden in the carpet. He walked to the corner of the room, his hands on his hips, staring at the wall.I could imagine the sho

CALLIE His breath hitched for a split second, and I could feel his body stiffen, then relax under my touch. His lips parted slightly, his gaze darkening with desire. I couldn’t help but smirk, feeling his body react to mine.He let out a soft laugh. “You’re unbelievable,” he murmured. “Always turning everything into an adventure.”I couldn’t help but smile, my fingers sliding down back to his thigh. “What can I say? I’m all about making memories, especially the ones we’ll never forget.”Sebastian looked at me, his eyes burning with that familiar intensity. “And trust me,” he responded, “this is a memory I wouldn’t mind making.”I let out a soft laugh, feeling the heat between us rise as his hand slid over mine, guiding it up just a little higher.He looked at me with a smirk, his hand sliding to my chest. “ Babe let's quickly fuck.”That was all I needed to hear. I hastily slid my pants and panties down halfway, and he did the same.“Are you wet already?” Sebastian asked, placing his

CALLIESebastian’s hand was already at my side as the car rolled to a stop in front of the boutique. Before I could even think of opening the door myself, he was there, pulling it open with that signature smile of his.“Still doing this, huh?” I teased, stepping out and smoothing my dress. “Aren’t you going to get tired of it someday?”He chuckled, his warm brown eyes sparkling as he closed the car door behind me. “Get tired of taking care of my love? Never.”I felt my cheeks flush, and I quickly glanced away, pretending to adjust my purse. “ You will soon stop.”“I can’t, my love,” he said, offering me his arm.Rolling my eyes but unable to suppress a smile, I slipped my hand through his arm and together, we walked toward the boutique.“Why are we here again?” I asked as a cheerful sales associate greeted us and led us inside.Sebastian gave me a look like it should have been obvious. “You need new dresses.” I shook my head, smiling. “Babe, you could’ve just let me take the ones I a

CALLIESebastian parked the car in a reserved spot, cutting the engine before stepping out. I barely had time to open my door before he was already there, holding out his hand for me like some kind of gallant prince.“Seriously?” I teased, slipping my hand into his as he helped me out of the car. “You’re making me feel like we’re about to walk a red carpet.”He chuckled, his grip gentle as we strolled toward the venue. The pathway was illuminated with fairy lights that twinkled like stars. The soft hum of live music floated through the cool evening air.I glanced at him, shaking my head with a bemused smile. “Sebastian, I don’t understand anymore. Isn’t this just dinner? You’re acting like this is some kind of royal event.”He stopped walking for a moment, turning to face me. His dark eyes softened as he brushed a strand of hair off my face. “It’s not just dinner, Callie. You’ve been through so much lately, and I wanted to give you something... magical. You deserve it.”My heart did t