Loraine's POV
The two weeks leading up to the fashion show were a blur of fabric swatches, high-stress fittings, and the intoxicating adrenaline of building something that was entirely, undeniably mine.
This collaboration with the luxury brand was the biggest project of my career,
and the sheer labor of it served as the perfect anesthetic for the heartache I was still nursing.
I was in my office, buried in a pile of sketches, when my assistant buzzed through to tell me I had a visitor.
I actually have no time for visitors but I think I needed a little break from the chaos in front of me.
"Send them in," I said, not looking up.
I braced myself.
I figured it was another one of Drey's business associates, or perhaps a persistent reporter looking for a "divorce scoop."
The door opened, and I looked up, ready to go to war.
My breath hitched.
It was Samantha.
Well, that was a surprise..
She didn't look like the woman who had slapped me in my own living room.
She looked tired,
her shoulders slumped beneath a simple, understated blazer.
She wasn't wearing her usual look of haughty disdain; there was a quiet, almost bruised quality to her expression.
"I'm not here to start anything, Loraine," she said, her voice flat.
"Then why are you here, Samantha?" I stood up, keeping the desk between us like a shield.
"I'm here to apologize." She hesitated, then walked toward the desk, placing a thick manila envelope on the polished wood.
"Drey came to me. He laid it all out. Every lie, every manipulation, the way Angelica played him... and the way she played me."
I stared at the envelope but didn't touch it.
"And why should I care?"
"Because I was a fool," she said, her voice cracking.
"I let myself be blinded by the idea that Angelica was the 'right' girl for my brother. I didn't see that she was a parasite. She's been threatening to destroy herself every time he tried to distance himself from her for three years. She made him feel responsible for her life. And when she realized she'd finally lost him to you, she came back and weaponized his own guilt against him."
She pushed the envelope toward me.
"Those are the receipts. Texts, emails, timelines of every time she coerced him. I've cut her off, Loraine. I've wiped my hands of her."
I felt a strange, cold shiver. I hadn't expected this.
I opened the envelope, scanning the contents-the proof of Drey's struggle was all there, laid bare.
It didn't wash away the betrayal, but it certainly painted a different picture of the man who had been my husband.
"I don't expect forgiveness," Samantha continued, her eyes wet.
"I know I have a long way to go before you even trust me, let alone like me. But I wanted you to know the truth."
I looked at her,
searching for the lie.
I found none.
"I appreciate the truth, Samantha. But you're right-trust isn't a switch I can just flip. We can be civil, but don't expect us to be sisters."
She nodded, looking relieved even by that small concession, and left as quietly as she had arrived.
I sank into my chair, the weight of the envelope pressing down on me.
I was still reeling when the office door swung open again.
This time, it wasn't a Stranton. It was Logan.
He took one look at my face and his playful expression vanished.
He walked over, pulled up a chair, and sat down.
He didn't ask what was wrong; he just grabbed a handful of my candy jar and started throwing pieces into his mouth.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," he said, his voice dropping the usual sarcasm.
"Or a sister-in-law."
"Both," I sighed, leaning my head back.
Logan reached out and poked my forehead.
"Look at you. You're holding the world up again. Take a breath, Nash. Whatever she said, you're still the boss."
I looked at him, and for the first time in weeks, the tension in my chest loosened.
He was annoying,
he was reckless,
and he had made a massive mistake with that kiss-but he was him.
My best friend
And my constant.
"I missed you, you idiot," I said, a genuine smile finally touching my lips.
"I know," he grinned, that silly, infectious humor returning to his eyes.
"Hard not to miss the best-looking guy in the room."
I laughed, a real, light sound that felt like it had been trapped in my throat for months.
The battle wasn't over, and my resolve to maintain my distance from Drey was still intact, but as I sat there with Logan, I realized that for the first time in a long time, I wasn't fighting alone.
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A/N : Hi, did you guys like this Chapter? Should I even continue this Story to the end? Any opinions? Comments? I am looking forward to hearing from you guys. Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day.
See you on the next chapter!
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