{"id":526,"date":"2026-01-21T15:40:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/?p=526"},"modified":"2026-01-21T15:40:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:40:15","slug":"paper-vows-novel-chapter-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/paper-vows-novel-chapter-26\/","title":{"rendered":"PAPER VOWS Novel Chapter 26"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PAPER VOWS<\/div>\n
CHAPTER 26<\/div>\n
ARIA WILLOW<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhat a bloody long day!\u201d I say to Zach when he gets into the driver\u2019s seat. After hours of fake smiling and laughing with Jade and her sister, I am finally free. I am now in my car, and Zach is driving me home. Had I known things were going to be this exhausting, I would have said no to the lunch. Don\u2019t get me started on how she was talking about Dante like he is the best thing that happened after sliced bread.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I am glad all that is finally over. I cannot wait to get home and take a nice, relaxing shower. As much as I don\u2019t like Jade, I am curious how Dante is going to react to the pictures I took with Jade. Is he going to tell her that I am his ex-girlfriend? On my side, if Jade were to ask, I would tell her that I didn\u2019t think it was a big deal. Paula is calling me\u2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Hey girl!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Paula: You said to call you so you can make an excuse to leave Jade and her sister.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Thanks, I am already in the car heading home. I\u2019m glad it\u2019s finally over.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Paula: Why would you put yourself through all that, Ari, knowing you don\u2019t like her?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I wanted to see what kind of person she is. I wanted to see what was so special that Dante would choose her. There is nothing even special about her. She is just a normal person like everyone else.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Paula: Maybe that\u2019s what Dante wanted, someone who is normal and not famous.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Dante doesn\u2019t know what he wants. Anyway, I only care about Dante\u2019s reaction when Jade posts the pictures we took together.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Paula: You guys even took photos; Dante is going to be pissed.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I wonder if he will reach out after he sees the pictures. Seeing his ex and current in one picture will surely make him faint.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Paula: You are messy, do you know that?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I didn\u2019t do anything. Jade and her sister are the ones who approached me first. I was shopping in peace, and they came to me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Paula: Let me go back to my man. Tell me how people react to your photo with Jade.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I will. Take care!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I hang up and go to my Facebook, search for Jade Marshal. I was hoping she had posted the photos of us, but she hasn\u2019t. The only photo she posted is the shoes her sister bought, the ones that look like mine. I go to the comments – people are talking about how they will be getting the same shoes. I\u2019m so throwing away these shoes. I cannot wear something that the whole of GoldenRock has. When I get home, Kelly is already waiting outside the house so she can get my shopping bags and put away my things.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Kelly gets the door for me and says, \u201cWelcome back, Miss Willow.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cBe careful with my clothes when you are putting them away. \u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI will, Miss Willow,\u201d she walks ahead of me, heading to my bedroom.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I go to the kitchen to get myself some water. I place my phone on the kitchen counter, open the fridge to get flavoured water. My favourite is litchi water. My phone vibrates a couple of times on the counter. It usually does that when I am getting multiple notifications.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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From the looks of it, Jade finally posted and tagged me. She posted two pictures of Giselle, herself and me with the caption \u2018Lunch with Aria Willow. It was lovely meeting you girl.\u2019 I am glad that she chose the pictures where we all looked good. I don\u2019t like it when people share pictures of only themselves looking good. The picture already had five thousand likes within five minutes. Don\u2019t these people work or something? I decide to go through the comments.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u2018Are you guys sure you are not sisters? You look alike.\u2019<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I scoff at that comment. I am way prettier than the two of them. I continue scrolling through the comments. She is getting way more engagement than I usually do.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u2018My favourite people in one photo. Lov u, Jade and Aria.\u2019<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u2018Pretty women xoxo.\u2019<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Most comments are directed to Jade, so I log off. The only reaction I want is Dante\u2019s. I want to know how he feels about all this. Is he going to tell his woman to stay away from me? Is he going to tell me to stay away from his woman? I cannot wait to see it all unfold.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI didn\u2019t know you were close with Jade,\u201d says Mom, walking into the kitchen. \u201cI just saw your pictures with her on her page.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cShouldn\u2019t you be focusing on newspapers and word puzzles? This is young people\u2019s business. You shouldn\u2019t even be following Jade; you should be following News Network.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe internet is for everyone; there is no age limit. How was it like meeting Jade?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I roll my eyes and answer, \u201cI don\u2019t care about her. She was the one who was happy to see me, even asked for photos and begged to tag me so people know we get along.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cPeople like Jade are people to keep close. Those are the kinds of friends to have.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cMom, she is a no one. The only reason she is famous is because she is with Dante,\u201d I tell my mother.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cAs I said, it\u2019s best to have people like her as a friend. One day, she will invite you to her home and introduce you to one of Dante\u2019s friends or brothers. You could score yourself a billionaire man too.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI can score any man I want. I\u2019m going to my room,\u201d I don\u2019t wait for her response, I leave the room. I had Dante way before Jade. I had that man and even dumped him. I can get any man I want.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u2018Just saw the pictures, I\u2019m sure Dante is boiling where he is.\u2019 A text message from Paula.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u2018He can boil all he wants. His woman loves me, and there is nothing he can do about it.\u2019<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u2018Tell me if he reaches out.\u2019 \u2013 Paula.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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ALARIC CLARK<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThat\u2019s too tight!\u2019 I groan in pain as Denzel bandages my leg. We are still in Dante\u2019s office. Denzel rushed to get bandages and some alcohol to numb the pain. My doctor advised me to stay away from alcohol for a while so that the medicine can work, and never pour alcohol on a wound, but I never listen.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhy do you keep provoking Dante?\u201d Denzel says. He is packing the things back into the first aid kit.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWho wouldn\u2019t want to mess with Dante Lyon?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Denzel says, \u201cThis is not a joke. You know he is only taking it easy on you because we are close.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYour brother should just chill. He already had me roughed up and stabbed me in the leg. I was just joking around, and he is taking things to heart.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d Denzel asks. \u201cMy brother would never just do all this unless you provoked him first.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI was just playing with his woman. Did you know that even Dante Lyon knows how to make a woman love him?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Denzel\u2019s face gets serious, and he says, \u201cYou know there are two things I don\u2019t play about, my family and my business. Don\u2019t mess with my family.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cBroe chill, she is just a chick your brother is f*cking.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cShe is family as long as she is with my brother, don\u2019t play with that. You and I have been very close for years, but don\u2019t mess with my family,\u201d he warns.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cGeez, you Lyons are so uptight.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI mean it, leave my brother\u2019s woman alone. In fact, leave Dante alone. I don\u2019t know why you feel the need to mess with him, but it won\u2019t end well for you,\u201d says Denzel.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cNoted.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI mean it, he is only sparing you because of me,\u201d he says, and pours himself a shot of whiskey.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHave you met Jade? She is fire.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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He eyes me and says, \u201cDante said he will introduce her to the family when the time is right.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhy does your brother have to be so mysterious? Ya\u2019ll make it seem like he is someone important.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHe is important to our family. He is my brother \u2013 he will always come first to me,\u201d he says, then tells me that he will drive me home. The Lyons love acting like they are important \u2013 his brother happens to be a billionaire, nothing more.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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And I don\u2019t care what they say. I can do whatever I want. If I want to mess with Dante, I will do that. If I want to mess with his woman, I will do that too. It\u2019s not like they are going to do anything to me. Dante can only send people after me, nothing else.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYou are quiet. What is going on in that head of yours?\u201d Denzel asks as he drives me to my house.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cMe? Nothing, just thinking about the pain in my leg.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t be having that pain if you didn\u2019t provoke my brother,\u201d he replies.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cDenzel leave me alone.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI mean it, Ric, leave Dante alone. He doesn\u2019t like being bothered,\u201d he says. That I cannot do.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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(100 shares)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PAPER VOWS CHAPTER 26 ARIA WILLOW \u201cWhat a bloody long day!\u201d I say to Zach when he gets into the […]<\/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":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","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":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-paper-vows-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526","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=526"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":529,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526\/revisions\/529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}