All Chapters of 2 LUSTS CAN MAKE A RIGHT : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

MadelynI walked into the house already drained, my shoulders tight from the long day and my head heavy with thoughts I did not want to entertain. All I wanted was a hot bath and sleep. Nothing else. I did not want to have a conversation. I did not want explanations. I did not want to pretend.I took off my shoes by the door and started up the staircase slowly, one hand on the railing, my bag hanging loosely from my shoulder. The house smelled like food, the house I used to love coming back to, the peace had disappeared. Somewhere in the living room, the television was on low, the sound muted enough to be background noise. Dominic was still outside, I knew that much. I could hear his voice faintly, probably on a call, probably wrapping something up before coming in.I was halfway up the stairs when Leana appeared from above, descending with a tray in her hands. Plates. A glass. A bowl. She was not rushing. She was not distracted. Her eyes were on me. I saw it clearly, the way her gaze

MadelynI woke up so late wondering why I didn't hear the alarm. My hand searched for my phone on the nightstand where I had plugged before going to bed. I noticed it was dead.Not low battery, not hanging on with one percent, just completely off. I pressed the power button twice before I realized what was wrong. I reached for my charger on the bedside table out of habit, my fingers brushing empty wood.I frowned and looked properly this time. No charger. I bent down, checked the floor, checked the other side of the bed, even pulled the drawer open though I already knew I did not keep it there. I stood up slowly, irritation creeping in.I never misplaced my charger. Never.I walked into the bathroom, checked the counter, the shelf, even the socket near the mirror. Nothing. I went back into the guest room, scanned it again, then stood still, my chest tightening.My phone buzzed suddenly when it powered on again, just enough battery left to show missed calls. Three from the office. Two

MadelynI stayed in the hotel room longer than I planned, mostly because leaving the bed felt like an effort. The sheets were rumpled from too many restless turns, the curtains half drawn, letting in a dull city light that made everything look muted. My laptop sat open on the desk, screen still glowing from the last email I sent, and an empty room service tray was pushed to the side like an afterthought.I had been surviving on room service for days. Coffee delivered too early. Sandwiches I barely finished. Meals eaten while typing, while reading, while pretending I was somewhere else. The staff already recognized my face. One of them smiled when he knocked, like it was a familiar routine.I shifted my laptop closer and adjusted my position, answering messages, joining calls with my camera on just long enough to be polite before switching it off again. My voice sounded normal, professional, like nothing was wrong. I kept it that way on purpose.At some point, my phone vibrated beside

MadelynThe door to the hotel room flew open with a bang that made me jump so hard my laptop almost slid off my thighs. I had been sitting cross-legged on the bed in one of Dominic's old shirts that I had taken with me, scrolling through work emails I wasn't really reading, when the sound hit me. My heart slammed against my ribs and I looked up, and there he was.Dominic.He looked nothing like the man who had left for his business trip days ago. His hair was a mess, like he had been running his hands through it over and over, and his tie was loose and crooked. His suit jacket was gone, sleeves rolled up, and his eyes were wild, dark, almost scary. He stood there in the doorway breathing hard, staring at me like he couldn't believe I was real.I froze. My mouth opened but nothing came out at first. All the words I had practiced in my head for days, all the anger and hurt, just stuck in my throat."Madelyn," he said, his voice rough and low, like he had been shouting or maybe not sleep

MadelynI pulled my suitcase into the small cottage and let the door shut behind me with a soft click that sounded too final. The place was quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioner kicking on, and the late afternoon sun was coming through the windows in these warm golden strips across the wooden floor. I stood there for a minute just looking around, my bags still in my hands, feeling this mix of relief and something heavy in my chest that I couldn't quite name.The drive from the city had taken most of the day, and my body was tired from all the hours behind the wheel, but my mind wouldn't stop going over everything. I kept thinking about how I had slipped out of the penthouse that morning while Dominic was still sleeping. He had been on his back with one arm thrown over his eyes, breathing slow and even, looking so peaceful I almost couldn't do it. But I had made myself get up quietly, grab the bag I had packed the night before, and leave without waking him.Now here I w