Page 131 of The Temporary Bride

His expression tightens, but he stays silent. I can almost hear the gears turning in his head, calculating how to respond, how to salvage something from this confrontation. Fuck that. There’s nothing he can say that will change my mind now.

Without another word, I turn and walk toward the door.

He starts to protest, his voice rising in frustration. “You don’t understand what you’re doing. You’ll regret this. Chloe, come back here this instant⁠—”

But I don’t stop. I can’t. I refuse to listen to any more of his justifications or excuses. My heart is pounding, and every step I take away from him feels like a victory even though my body protests with a slight limp from the accident.

I manage to hold myself together as I take the elevator back down to the lobby, my breath coming in shallow, controlled bursts.

The lobby’s polished floors reflect the waning light from the tall windows, and I walk with a firm stride, despite the occasional sharp reminder from my injuries. I manage to make it to my car before the tears come.

I sit in the driver’s seat for a long moment, gripping the steering wheel tightly as my vision blurs. The tension of the day, the betrayal from my own family, and the finality of my decision all come crashing down on me, and I can’t hold in my emotions any longer.

And, finally, I don’t have to anymore.

I pull out my phone, tears streaking down my cheeks. My hands are shaking, and I can barely see the screen as I dial Tristan’s number.

The call connects almost instantly, and his voice comes through low, edged with hope. “Dimples? Are you okay? What’s⁠—”

I can barely hold it together, my voice cracking as I speak. “I—I need you to know that you can do whatever you need to do to protect yourself. If there’s anything you need to do with my family, to make sure you’re safe, to secure your company… just do it.”

There’s a moment of stunned silence on the other end, and I can almost hear him processing my words.

“What are you talking about?”

“I know you were holding back because you didn’t want to hurt me,” I tell him. “But you don’t need to do that anymore. Do whatever you have to do. What you would’ve done if… if I wasn’t in the picture at all.”

“Chloe, are you⁠—”

Before he can finish, I hang up, my heart aching at the finality of it all. The phone drops into my lap as I drag in a shaky breath and release it slowly.

It’s over.

Chapter 49

Tristan

The phone goes silent, and I pull it away from my ear, staring at the screen. I can still hear the strain in her voice, the way she fought to stay composed despite the tears.

I wish I could reach through the phone and pull her into my arms, tell her everything will be alright, but I’m left with nothing but the cold emptiness of her words.

I sit back in my office chair and turn to face the windows, with their view of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains.

I’ve been keeping tabs on Chloe as much as I can, although it’s been a challenge. Ivy, ever the guardian, is harder to bully than the hospital staff were. She only gives me small updates, just enough to keep me from going entirely crazy with worry. She tells me Chloe is healing, at least physically. But that’s all the information I get.

And I understand it. Ivy is protective of Chloe, who has become a friend to her in these difficult times. I can’t fault her for that. Chloe’s been through so much, and I know she’s leaned on Ivy for support. It’s just another layer of complication in an already tangled situation.

I tap a button on my desk phone, paging my receptionist. She answers quickly. “Mr. Thorne, what can I do for you?”

“I need to see my brothers in my office.”

“Beckett and Gabriel are both in meetings, sir.”

“This is important.” My mouth feels dry. “Tell them it’s urgent and I need them here as soon as possible.”

There’s a brief pause on the line, then she replies, “Understood, Mr. Thorne. I’ll make sure they come to you right away.”

I end the call and sit back in my chair, running a hand through my hair. The room feels suddenly too small, and the responsibility on my shoulders feels almost physical. I know this conversation will be hard, but it has to happen. My brothers need to know the full story. Not just the surface of it, but everything that’s gone down.