[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322E1C3D0-228":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},228,14,"Chapter 14: The Roses Were Never From Him","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The following morning, the moment Evangeline Montgomery stepped into the lobby of Montgomery Enterprises, the receptionist pressed a sprawling bouquet of roses into her arms, grinning from ear to ear. \"Ms. Montgomery, an anonymous admirer sent these for you!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline glanced at the bouquet. The petals were velvety, deep red, and perfectly formed. She inhaled their fragrance, eyes closing in a brief, blissful moment of indulgence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She assumed they were from Marcellus. Still cradling the flowers, she walked toward her office, rearranging the stems with a lingering, affectionate touch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edward Montgomery caught sight of her as she passed his office. \"Evangeline, who sent those?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"An anonymous admirer,\" she replied with a cryptic, playful smile.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You and your secrets.\" Edward shook his head and let it go. He trusted his daughter; she had a sharp, analytical mind and wasn't the type to be easily seduced by cheap gestures. Her recent handling of Jonah Harrison—cutting ties with the efficiency of a guillotine—had proven that while she could play the part of a soft-spoken socialite, she had a streak of iron hidden beneath the surface.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Inside the Planning Department, Cassidy Montgomery was in the middle of a meeting when a wave of nausea hit her so hard she gagged into her hand.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her assistant was at her side in an instant, patting her back with a worried frown. \"Ms. Montgomery, you’ve been unwell for days. Are you sure you’re alright?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Cassidy took a shaky breath and straightened her blazer. \"I’m fine. The doctor says it’s just gastritis. I’ve already started the medication.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"But it’s been nearly a week and you haven't improved. Maybe you should try a different clinic for a second opinion?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Enough. We’re adjourning for the day.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once the room cleared, Cassidy slumped into her chair and rested a protective hand over her stomach. Her expression soured. The morning sickness was worsening, and she couldn't afford to wait any longer. She made a choice. She tapped her screen, sent a single photo to Jonah Harrison, and leaned back, eyes closed, trying to mask the physical misery clawing at her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Outside in the hallway, the rumors were already festering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"That’s classic morning sickness, isn't it?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Exactly. But she doesn't even have a boyfriend, does she?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Evangeline has been putting in a lot of time at the office lately. If Cassidy is pregnant now, she’s going to lose whatever ground she has left.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hush, keep your voice down. The drama in this family is a minefield.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The gossip died down as they scattered back to their desks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Buzz.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Cassidy’s phone vibrated. A text from Jonah: \"If it’s mine, get rid of it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The words cut into her like a serrated blade. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the phone, her chest heaving with rage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Damn you!\" She slammed the phone into the floor. The screen shattered, spiderwebbing into a mosaic of black glass.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jonah Harrison had zero respect for her attempts to trap him. After sending the text, he tossed his phone aside, indifferent to her turmoil. He was still sporting a bruised jaw and a swollen eye from a mystery beatdown a few days ago. Whoever had done it had been a ghost—no warnings, no demands, just a brutal lesson he couldn't trace.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He couldn't show his face to Evangeline looking like this. So, he’d started sending flowers daily, hoping that by the time his face healed, she’d see his devotion and find it in her heart to soften toward him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Sir, Ms. Montgomery received the roses again today,\" Preston Wright reported.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus froze. \"She accepted them?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Yes… she did.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus’s face darkened instantly, his expression turning into a thunderhead. He sat in silence for a long moment, the air in the office growing heavy and suffocating.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Understood. Get out.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He wanted to send her a garden’s worth of white lilies, something ten times more expensive, just to make that amateur display look pathetic. But he knew she was currently playing a delicate game in the office, and a grand, public gesture would only draw unwanted attention to her. He clenched his jaw, restraining the impulse.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Just wait,* he vowed. *Once she’s finished clearing her path, I’ll make sure the whole city knows exactly who she belongs to.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But the reports continued for days, and with each one, Marcellus felt like he was grinding his teeth to dust.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Then, it happened. Evangeline walked into the lobby, and there was Jonah Harrison, looking disheveled, standing by the entrance with a fresh bouquet.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline stopped dead. The realization hit her like a bucket of ice water. *The flowers weren't from Marcellus.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The sweet, lingering joy she’d felt opening those boxes evaporated, replaced by a deep, visceral sense of disgust.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jonah saw her and offered a weak, gentle smile. In the past, she might have found him charming; now, he just looked greasy and manipulative.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Evangeline,\" he called out, stepping forward to hand her the roses. He’d checked with the front desk and knew she’d been accepting the bouquets. He was convinced she was enjoying them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Outside. Now,\" she snapped, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him toward a secluded corner of the building. She wasn't about to give the staff a show.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Jonah, can we please just make this a clean break?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Evangeline, I’m not asking for your forgiveness today. I just want a chance to show you my heart. I’ll prove it to you,\" he pleaded, his voice dripping with forced sincerity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I don't like you anymore, and I don't have time to waste on your games. Back off, or I’ll make sure you regret it,\" she spat, her voice cold enough to freeze. She didn't spare him another glance as she turned on her heel and strode away.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jonah stood there, head hanging, drowning in his own misery.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Ha! So, I’ve been trying to find you for days, but you’ve been dodging me to play the part of a pathetic simp for my sister?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jonah spun around. Cassidy stood there, back rigid, wearing a look of desperate defiance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m pursuing the woman I love. What’s it to you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"The woman you love? Can you even tell the difference anymore? You treat everyone the same, and if you can't tell the difference, do you really think she can?\" Cassidy’s voice rose, bordering on hysteria. She hated herself for knowing exactly what he was—a hollow man—and still being unable to tear herself away from his orbit.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I love her!\" Jonah shouted at her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Cassidy let out a sharp, mocking laugh. \"Love without favoritism isn't love, Jonah. It's just boredom.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Shut your mouth!\" Jonah growled.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Cassidy closed her eyes, forcing herself to pivot. She stepped closer, her tone shifting into a honeyed, manipulative whisper. \"Jonah, I’m all in on you. And we have a baby now. Why can't you just let the past go and be with me?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jonah looked at her with pure, unadulterated loathing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You desperate little climber,\" he hissed. \"Who even knows whose kid that is? Even if it is mine, the Harrison family will never recognize it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He slammed the flowers against the floor and stormed off.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Cassidy stood alone in the hallway, her face twisting in a mask of silent rage. She was trapped now. Regardless of her feelings, she had a child to think about. She would force her way into the Harrison family, one way or another.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Word had spread through Montgomery Enterprises like wildfire: Jonah Harrison was begging for the eldest daughter's hand, delivering roses every single day. The younger staff members were even writing fan-fiction about the \"romance.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Preston Wright dutifully reported every word of the gossip back to Marcellus.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"A romantic suitor?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Marcellus let out a low, dangerous chuckle. She was pushing her luck, and he couldn't even call her out on it without admitting he had eyes on her every move. He pressed a hand to his temple, a dull throb of frustration echoing in his skull.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272911064]