Lahat ng Kabanata ng Off-Limits Puck: Daddy's Best Friend is my Ruin: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

MELANIEAh, I can’t believe I had that classic, pathetic delusion of progress. I actually spent the whole morning with Eva, not obsessing over Gavin and my heartbreak, and genuinely thought, Look at me, I’m cured. I’m finally moving on!And just like that… puff, back to square one, all my progress went up in smoke, the second I collided with a solid chest and caught that familiar scent of oud wood and saffron.I slowly met his gaze, aiming to look like I don't give a shit, but my heart had other plans and decided to sabotage me by hammering against my chest.He looked exhausted as I noticed the small bags under his hazel eyes, rough stubble on his jaw, lips slightly parted, his Adam's apple moving fast as he swallowed hard, staring down at me like the rest of the world had disappeared.For a few long seconds, everything else faded: the chatter of the coffee shop, the smell of fresh pastries, Eva standing right behind me. It was just us.“Gavin…” I murmured, my voice barely above a wh

MELANIEEva’s head snapped from Derek to me, then back to Derek, like she was watching a very confusing tennis match.“What red dress are you talking about?” she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.Gosh. How could Derek be so cute but so damn clueless?My eyes widened. I tried to shoot him a frantic shut the hell up look, but the words were already spilling out of his mouth.“I meant, the—”“Thank you so much for shopping with us today!” the saleswoman interrupted cheerfully, holding up two shopping bags with a bright smile. “Please come back and see us again.”Phew! Thank God!.I practically snatched the bags, grabbing the handles like they were a lifeline. “Thank you!” I said quickly, already turning toward the exit. “We really should get going,” I called over my shoulder, my voice louder than usual. “Busy day ahead. Right, Derek?”I didn’t wait for an answer. I marched toward the automatic doors, feeling Eva’s suspicious gaze burning holes into the back of my head the entire way

MELANIEWhat the hell was Derek doing here?I blinked several times, staring at him. "Derek?”He looked past Reynold, his eyes widening as they landed on me, before a faint blush appeared on his cheeks, like he was embarrassed. “Why the fuck are you so clumsy, Derek?” Reynold spat, his voice dripping with hate. “How hard is it to serve a damn drink?”Derek’s face hardened, but he didn’t say anything. He simply bent down and started picking up the broken glass. I immediately shrugged Reynold’s hand off my arm and bent down to help.I heard a loud gasp behind me, probably from my father, but I didn’t give a shit, let him have a heart attack. I guess he would call this ‘inappropriate behavior.’ I wasn’t about to stand there like a princess, leaving Derek to clean up alone when it was obviously Reynold's fault for bumping into him.Derek quickly caught my wrist before I could touch a shard. “Don’t, Mel. I’ve got it,” he said softly, offering me a small, sad smile that tugged at somethi

MELANIEI scrambled up from the pavement like there was fire on my ass, my heart racing as I wet my swollen lips with my tongue. Derek rose beside me, breathing hard, one hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck like he didn’t know what to do with himself.“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?” Dalton growled through gritted teeth, glaring from me to Derek and back again. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Melanie, and I found you out here… doing this?”“Dad,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady even though my pulse was racing, “Meet my friend, Derek.”Derek stepped forward politely. “Good evening, Mr. Wealth.”My father completely ignored the greeting. His eyes narrowed on his face in recognition. “Isn’t this the clumsy server who caused that scene inside?”I rolled my eyes at him. “He's Eva's brother, and it wasn’t his fault. Reynold was the one who—”“Enough!” Dalton snapped, cutting me off. “Get back inside. Now!”I stared at him like he had suddenly gone

GAVINMy nails dug deep into my palms as I paced back and forth across my office. I could already feel the sting where my nails had injured the skin on my palm, but I didn’t care. I welcomed the pain because it was something I could focus on, compared to the anger I felt inside.I had never felt this powerless in my entire life.Six fucking years.Six years of my life poured into this case; all the sacrifices, lies, isolation, and now it has come down to this? Using her? Turning the one person who actually made me… feel something into a goddamn asset?I slammed my fist into my desk so hard the entire table shook with a loud crack that echoed around the room just as my office door opened.“Whoa… whoa, Gavin!” Joe rushed in, eyes wide. “What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to break your hand?”He hovered near me, obviously scared to touch me in case I swung at him next.I shut my eyes and tried to control my breathing, but it came out fast and harsh. My heart was pounding so hard