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288 Vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or maybe I\u2019d have snuck up behind him, wrapped my arms around his shoulders, tugged gently at his ear, and teased, \u201cHow could you forget my breakfast? Don\u2019t you love me anymore?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bainbridge was sharp-he noticed the shift in me instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he didn\u2019t ask more. He just nodded and said, \u201cI\u2019m heading to the office. Take your time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He took the suit jacket the maid handed him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He held it for a few seconds, hesitating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, I wondered if he was waiting for me to come fluttering over\u00a0<\/p>\n
over to help him into it, as I always did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he shrugged it on himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soon, the front door clicked shut behind him, his footsteps fading into silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The maid turned to me. \u201cMs. Ortiz, what would you like for breakfast?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head. \u201cNothing, thank you. Could you bring me some packing boxes? I\u2019ll need them today.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I dragged my suitcase upstairs to the bedroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time the boxes arrived, I\u2019d already neatly folded my clothes and essentials.\u00a0<\/p>\n
0.00%\u00a0<\/p>\n
18.52\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 2\u00a0<\/p>\n
288 iVouchers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then I stepped into Bainbridge\u2019s walk-in closet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the years, I\u2019d showered him with gifts like ties, cufflinks, shirts, and watches.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rarely wore any of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only when I\u2019d insisted, practically dressing him myself, would he reluctantly appear in public wearing something I\u2019d chosen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My gifts, like me, had always been kept in the dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed the lump in my throat and gathered every last one, packing them carefully into the boxes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It took hours. When I finally finished, I collapsed onto the edge of the bed, breathless and hollow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My phone buzzed This book had been added on your bookshelf. ed up on the screen: \u201cThe driver\u2019s on his way to pick you up. He\u2019ll be there in thirty minutes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The message was curt, with no explanation and no context.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was certain I would never refuse him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gave a bitter little laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was just as well. I needed to see him anyway. It was time to end things.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The private club was alive with colored lights and laughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This kind of place used to be my playground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d grown up surrounded by love and indulgence, bright and bold as\u00a0<\/p>\n
23.16%\u00a0<\/p>\n
MON\u00a0<\/p>\n
18 52\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 2\u00a0<\/p>\n
288 (Vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
wildfire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My friends nicknamed me the Wild Rose of New York.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At Aelfric\u2019s university alumni gala, I saw Bainbridge for the first time. One look at his icy, ascetic beauty, and I was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had nudged Aelfric, asking if his friend was single.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aelfric had rolled his eyes. \u201cWith that glacier of a personality, what girl would dare get close?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had beamed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was frost, I was flame. We could be a perfect match.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pursued him relentlessly behind my brother\u2019s back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I even changed my This book had been added on your bookshelf. to Houston just to be near him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Aelfric found out, he blew a fuse, but his protective streak still\u00a0<\/p>\n
won out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I went to college, he called Bainbridge and asked him to \u201clook after\u201d me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d grinned to myself: everything was falling into place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back then, I thought I was brilliant, that I had played them both beautifully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only now did I realize how naive I\u2019d been.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The waiter led me to the private booth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
-49.07%\u00a0<\/p>\n
18.52\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 2\u00a0<\/p>\n
288 Vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside, the mood was electric.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone was teasing loudly. \u201cBain, you\u2019ve kept your little girlfriend under wraps for years. But now that your favorite sister is back, we\u2019ve gotta know. Who ranks higher, your girlfriend or Lynn?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stopped dead in the hallway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Holding my breath, I waited for his answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bainbridge took a sip of his drink and stayed silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelynn stomped her foot playfully, pouting up at him. \u201cBain!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only then did his lips curl into a shadow of a smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He set his crystal glass down with a soft clink against the marble table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was coo This book had been added on your bookshelf. replaced, but I only have one sister. You tell me who\u2019s more important.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOoh! Getting chills over here!\u201d the crowd jeered and cheered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelynn shot up triumphantly, pointing around the table. \u201cYou, you, and you-pay up!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bainbridge raised a brow. \u201cWhat\u2019s this about?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She grinned. \u201cThey bet me 30 grand each that you cared more about your girlfriend than me. Losers owe me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Groans filled the room as those persons transferred the money.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bainbridge watched them with a faint smirk. \u201cServes you right.\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that point, I lifted my hand and knocked on the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
71.71%\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0a88\u2026. \u0ab0\u0abe\u0aa4\u00a0<\/p>\n
18.52\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 2\u00a0<\/p>\n
288 iVouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
99.95%\u00a0<\/p>\n
1852\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph King is an editor and storyteller who ensures every chapter is clear, polished, and engaging for readers.<\/p>\n
Royal Furline Betrayed BY Mark Twain 2 \u00a0 Chapter 2\u00a0 288 Vouchers\u00a0 Chapter 2\u00a0 Or maybe I\u2019d have snuck up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-let-the-game-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22954\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}