Chapter 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
DYLAN\u00a0<\/p>\n
94\u00a0<\/p>\n
The ride was quiet, except for the loud thumping in my chest. Beckett\u2019s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched like he was holding back a thousand words. I sat still beside him, barely breathing, unsure if I was more angry, scared, or heartbroken.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When we pulled into the driveway of the house we once called home, the memories hit me all at once like a cold wind brushing against my face. The many nights I waited for him to come home. The ache in my heart deepened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beckett jumped out and rushed to open my door. I didn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDylan,\u201d he said softly, reaching for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I flinched before I could stop myself. The pain in his eyes when I did that was almost enough to make me cry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease just come inside.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was no longer cold or forceful. It was broken. Desperate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked down at the hand he held out to me, unsure. But curiosity got the better of me, and I slowly reached for it. The moment our skin touched, a strange jolt ran through me\u2013familiar, yet distant. It didn\u2019t feel like it used to. Almost like holding a stranger\u2019s hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The front door swung open just as we reached the steps. Sarah stood there, wide\u2013eyed with confusion. Her gaze went from Beckett to me and lingered on our hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBeckett? What\u2019s going on? Why is she-?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot now, Sarah,\u201d he muttered, brushing past her like she was nothing but a shadow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sarah crossed her arms, but the disbelief in her voice made my stomach turn. \u201cCan somebody please tell me what\u2019s going on here? What is she doing here?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI said not now,\u201d Beckett snapped again, shutting the door behind us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I yanked my hand free and stepped away from him. He stared at me, and I couldn\u2019t read him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019m happy to see you here, Dylan. This is your home after all. I\u2019m feeling guilty that I drove a wedge over your marriage,\u201d Sarah said, which I know was all fake. She\u2019s really such a good actress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t help but roll my eyes in annoyance. All I wanted was to get out of here as soon as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2013I\u2019m just worried about our son,\u201d she said, which made me raise my eyebrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where is she going with this?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sarah\u2019s lips trembled slightly, her fingers knotting together like she was summoning just enough frailty to\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:30 Thu, Dec 25 M\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
play the victim\u2013again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cY\u2013You know\u2026 because of what happened last time?\u201d She said with a fragile voice, casting a nervous glance toward Beckett, as if she hoped he\u2019d jump to her defense like he always did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ah. So she was bringing that up again. The incident where they accused me of hurting their precious love child.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1 let out a bitter scoff, arms folding tightly across my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBelieve me, I hate being here just as much as you hate seeing me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Beckett could say anything, Sarah took a shaky step forward, her tone soft, innocent\u2013fake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t hate you being here, Dylan. This is your house too. Why would I feel that way?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tilted my head, letting out a humorless laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
94\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYour act doesn\u2019t impress me, Sarah. We both know you wanted me gone the moment you stepped into this house, and you did everything in your power to make sure that happened.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes widened, just for a split second. A flicker of truth behind the mask. But then she turned to Beckett, her expression wounded, as though I was the one causing trouble again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beckett stepped between us, his voice sharp. \u201cDylan, that\u2019s enough! Can\u2019t you see? Sarah\u2019s trying to make this work. Why can\u2019t you cooperate? Why can\u2019t you just try to get along with her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him in disbelief, my heart hammering in my chest. How could he still not see it?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I won\u2019t,\u201d I snapped, shaking my head. \u201cWhy can\u2019t you just leave me alone? We\u2019re divorced, Beckett! You signed the papers, remember? So why can\u2019t you get it through your thick skull that I don\u2019t belong here anymore?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My voice cracked at the end, not because I was scared\u2013but because I was tired. Tired of constantly being the one who had to justify her pain. Tired of being surrounded by people who refused to appreciate the love and care I offered them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The silence that followed was thick and uncomfortable. Beckett\u2019s jaw worked as if he wanted to say something, but no words came. Sarah just looked away, her mouth pressed into a tight, thin line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had enough. My heart thundered in my chest as I turned on my heel and stormed toward the front door. My fingers trembled with frustration as I grabbed the knob and yanked it open-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only to come face\u2013to\u2013face with two large, stone\u2013faced men in black suits.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me,\u201d I said, trying to keep my voice even. \u201cI\u2019m leaving.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the taller one stepped forward, blocking the doorway with a quiet firmness that sent chills racing down my spine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, ma\u2019am. Mr. Sinclair has instructed us not to let you leave the premises.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:30 Thu, Dec 25 M\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f5f\u00a0<\/p>\n
94\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you serious right now?\u201d I turned my head and glared at Beckett, who was now slowly making his way down the hall, hands in his pockets like this was just another casual afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re just here to make sure you\u2019re safe,\u201d he said calmly, as if his words weren\u2019t infuriating. \u201cI was afraid you\u2019d try to leave before we could talk properly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cProperly?\u201d I laughed, the sound dry and bitter. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing left to say. We\u2019re done. We\u2019re done, Beckett.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stepped closer. \u201cWe\u2019re not done. You might think you\u2019ve moved on, but I know you. You don\u2019t let go that easily.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head, eyes stinging.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2026are out of your mind!\u201d I exclaimed in annoyance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said nothing. He just looked at me with those infuriatingly calm eyes, like he had all the time in the world to fix what he broke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My fists clenched at my sides. We are only going in circles, and with those bodyguards outside, there\u2019s no way I\u2019d be able to leave this place right now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I decided to leave and went upstairs to the guest room. I locked the door to make sure Beckett was not able to follow me here. I couldn\u2019t stand to be with him. The old me would probably jump in glee if she saw how Beckett was struggling so hard to keep me. But I\u2019m not that girl anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was pacing around the room, thinking of all the possible ways I could escape this prison. I had barely settled into the guest room when the sudden roar of engines shattered the silence outside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Curious, I rushed to the window, parting the curtains just enough to peek out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath caught in my throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There, in the driveway, were at least ten sleek, high\u2013end cars, their engines rumbling like thunder. The kind of cars that screamed power and danger. But it wasn\u2019t the cars that made my knees go weak; it was the men who stepped out of them. All armed. All terrifying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And at the center of it all, walking like he owned the world, was a man I would recognize anywhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter Gage De Marco.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What is he doing here?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 25 Chapter 25\u00a0 Chapter 25\u00a0 DYLAN\u00a0 94\u00a0 The ride was quiet, […]<\/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":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24376","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=24376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24376\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}