Wings of Broken Time by Alina Das 536
It made you wonder just how many storms Larissa had weathered to become so composed and self–reliant, never causing anyone a moment of worry.
It was true what they said: adversity forces a child to grow up fast. Larissa’s maturity was a direct result of a childhood without shelter, where she’d had to learn to fend for herself. There was so little they could do for her now.
…
Later that evening, after dinner, Larissa tended to her herb garden as she always did. She meticulously checked on each plant, watering and fertilizing them as needed. Once finished, she went back to her room for a long, hot shower.
After drying her hair, she slipped into a set of comfortable pajamas, climbed into bed, and pulled out her phone. She tapped on Haskell’s profile and started a video call.
It only took a moment for him to answer. Haskell’s face appeared on the screen, and it looked like he’d just showered, too. He was wearing a soft robe, his damp hair tousled and slightly messy.
“Haskell, how did it go today? Any news about your brother?”
She knew from their recent sessions that he spent every day investigating his brother’s disappearance, sometimes having to check out leads
himself.
Haskell offered a faint smile. “No luck today, either.”
Larissa could see the frustration and disappointment behind it. She had even tasked Nightveil with looking into it, but it was baffling that even her organization’s top people couldn’t find a single trace of Haskell’s brother.
“Haskell,” Larissa said, “I think you need to confront your father again.”
Chapter 536
She paused for a moment before continuing. “If he still won’t talk, you need to get tough with him. If you can’t bring yourself to do it, I will. I’ll force it out of him. I don’t mind feeding him another one of my little concoctions if that’s what it takes.”
Haskell chuckled softly. “No need to waste your precious poisons. I’ve already made up my mind. I’ll give my teams one more week to search nationwide. If they still find nothing… I’ll get the truth out of Thatch, no matter what it takes.”
He had to know if his brother was alive. Was he safe?
If he was living well, then a little more time wouldn’t matter. But if he was suffering, then every passing day was just another day of pain.
“Okay. As long as you’ve made your decision,” Larissa said, then switched gears, telling him about the phone call from her grandfather.
“You see what he’s doing, right, Haskell? He wants me to forgive them.”
“Mm,” he hummed in agreement. “From his perspective, that makes sense.”
“If that’s his plan, it feels like a total betrayal,” she said, her voice sharp with frustration.
“Don’t worry about what he thinks,” Haskell said, his tone serious. “Just stick to your plan. You and your father control Judson Pharmaceuticals and Starlight Media now. That’s what matters. All this other emotional baggage is just noise.”
Larissa nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m thinking the same thing. It’s a good thing you and my dad insisted on giving me the shares. Otherwise, I could have built up the company just to hand it all over to Paxton’s family on a silver platter.”
“Exactly,” Haskell said, his expression firm. “The only thing you can count on is what you hold in your hand. Feelings… they’re fragile. They rarely survive the test of time and reality.”
14:40
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A playful glint appeared in Larissa’s eyes. “Oh? Is that what you think? Does that mean you think our feelings aren’t reliable, either?”
Chapter 537
Chapter 537
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.