All Chapters of The One He Let Go: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Kelly Sliding into the driver’s seat, I exhaled sharply, my pulse hammering in my ears. Clara's SOS call had been hideen yet urgent enough to drag me out of an already chaotic day. My thoughts raced as I sped toward the office, each scenario more unsettling than the last. What could have possibly happened to warrant such a desperate call? Arriving at the building, I ascended to the third floor, the familiar scent of polished floors and light coffee filling the air. But as I stepped off the elevator, chaos greeted me. A man’s voice thundered through the hallway, demanding to see someone. “Kendra Lewis!, tell her I must see her or else I will keep disturbing" My stomach dropped as recognition hit me like a train. Anderson! What does he even want from me now? The guards were holding him back, with Clara nervously attempting to intervene. The moment they saw me, their collective tension eased. "Ma'am," Clara said, breathless, "we tried to stop him—" "It's fine," I cut her

Clara The office was unusually quiet that morning, save for the faint sound of keyboards and the occasional ringing of phones. I sipped my coffee, already feeling the weight of the day ahead. Kelly had texted me late last night to let me know she was taking the day off—a rare occurrence. As her assistant, I knew how much she hated leaving things unfinished, but even she deserved a break after the chaos of the past few days. I had just started reviewing the new marketing materials for her upcoming clothing collection launch when my phone buzzed on the desk. A notification from one of the celebrity gossip sites lit up the screen. My stomach dropped. I clicked the link, and there it was, a fabricated clip of Kelly at a restaurant, pushing a girl away in what looked like a heated moment. The headline was sensationalized, painting Kelly as rude and out of control. The replies under the post were worse: “Typical diva behavior.” “Always knew she was fake.” “Isn’t this the same woman w

Kelly The office was quiet, I sat quiet, nervous even, as I leaned back in my chair, staring blankly at the half-empty coffee cup on my desk. It had been a week since Anderson’s chaotic visit, but his words still lingered in the corners of my mind, like a problem I couldn’t quite shake off. "I’ll come back for you. The memory of his dark, venomous tone sent a chill down my spine. But what could he possibly want now? After years of silence, after the hell he put me through, why show up again? My fingers gripped the armrest of the chair, the wood creaking under the pressure. A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. Clara peeked her head in, her expression hesitant. “Ma'am, do you have a minute?” I gestured for her to come in. Clara rarely hesitated unless it was something serious. “What is it?” I asked, straightening in my seat. She closed the door behind her, her movements unusually careful. “I’ve been going through some of the feedback from the Ava incide

Kelly It had been a long, grueling day at work, one of those days where every decision seemed to amplify the pressure. The Ethics Committee had been circling, their discussions hinting at censure or worse, expulsion. Somehow, I managed to convince them to hold off for now. I couldn't entirely blame them; the controversies surrounding me had been so much. Still, the last thing I wanted to do was address any of the scandals. By the time I arrived at Harper’s school, I could feel the pressure in my neck, the tightness in my chest. I’d tried to ignore it, tried to convince myself it was just another normal day. But the flash of cameras in the distance told me otherwise. The paparazzi were here, and they had found Harper. As I stepped out of the car, my heart pounded. It wasn’t the first time my privacy had been invaded, but seeing them camped out near the gates of my daughter’s school felt like a line had been crossed. A group of photographers stood, cameras raised, hoping for an op

Kelly The streets were quieter than usual as I drove toward Adrian’s family house, but the storm inside me was anything but calm. Harper sat in the backseat, humming a song she had learned in school, completely oblivious to the weight pressing on me. I tightened my grip on the wheel, breathing in deeply to steady my nerves. Adrian was back in the city, and tonight was the customary family dinner. It wasn’t a tradition I enjoyed, but it was necessary to maintain the facade. Over the years, Adrian’s family had become fond of me, showering Harper with love and acceptance as their granddaughter. They believed what Adrian and I had were real: that we were married and Harper was his child. It had been Adrian's suggestion to keep our arrangement a secret from them. “It’ll save everyone unnecessary drama,” he’d said. And I had agreed, not knowing how much that lie would come to suffocate me. Adrian arrived before us, he greeted us by the porch, his usual composed expression softeni