with him. She’s supposed to love me
Chapter 191
Jemma watched her brothers vacant expression with mixed emotions, While part of her felt vinilisted for Harper, he was still her henther. With a sigh, she handed him a folder containing everything she’d gathered.||
“Look, just… think about what you really want,” she said, her voice softening. If you’re actually serious about fixing things–which I’m not convinced you are–you might still have a shot.“]
Dylan disappeared into his apartment for two days straight, poring over text messages, security footage, and witness accounts, Only now did he fully grasp how catastrophically wrong he’d been–how much pain Harper had endured because of his Hind loyalty to Ruby
self loathing transformed into desperate determination. He grabbed his phone and called his head of security]
need Harper Coulson’s current location. Now.”
Meanwhile in Boston. Tyler received an encrypted aleat from his industry contact at Rodriguez Group |
“Heads up,” he said, showing Harper his phone during their takeout dinner. “My security team just flagged something interesting, bylan’s actively trying to track you down.
Tyler deliberately kept his tone casual, watching her reaction carefully
Harper’s face cycled from confusion to outright disgust
“Seriously? Why would he suddenly be looking for me? Isn’t he busy playing power couple with Ruby?” ||
“Apparently they had some kind of nuclear meltdown, Tyler replied, setting down his chopsticks. “Nobody at Rodriguez Group has details, but she hasn’t been in the office for days.]
M
Harper stabbed her pad thai. “So the second things implode with his dream girl, he thinks he can just circle back to me? What am I–his emotional backup genermor?
She couldn’t believe she’d apparently wasted seven years of her life on someone so transparendy self serving
Though Tyler tried to hide it, a flicker of worry crossed his face. What if seeing Dylan triggered her memory? What if her old feelings resurfaced?
Harper caught his expression and set down her fork. “Hey,” she said, taking his hand across the table, I know what you’re thinking, and you can stop. I’ve seen who he really is now. There’s nothing he could possibly say that would make me go back to that life.
Her certainty eased has anxiety considerably.
In that case.
case,” be suggested, “maybe its the perfect time for that trip to the Amalfi Coast. You know, the one we’ve been talking about? []
Tager to avoid any Dylan Rodriguez diamatics, Harper enthusiastically agreed.
When Dylan finally arrived at the Coulson residence three days later, he found himself hesitating on the doorstep. After rehearsing his speech one last time, he ring the bell.
Mrs. Coulson answered, her expression instantly morphing from polite inquiry to stone cold hostility.
“You,” she said flatly, already pushing the door closed
Dylan quickly wedged his foot in the doorway. “Mrs. Coulson, please–I just need five minutes with Harper-“||
-You have som
some nerve showing up here,” she cat him off, eyes flashing. “My daughter is finally happy with someone who actually deserves her. That Tyler boy treats her like gold, which is more than I can say for you.“]
As Dylan struggled to explain, Mrs. Coulson firmly prashed the door against his foot. “Stay away from my daughter. I mean it“||
Dylan stood frozen on the doorstep, utterly defeated. He considered knocking again, maybe offering some kind of bribe for information about Harper’s whereabouts, but knew it would only make things worse.
After striking out spectacularly at the Coulson haine, Dylan returned to New York looking like he’d aged five years
When jemana spotted her brother’s disheveled appearance at their usual Sunday brunch spot, she immediately knew. “Judging by the fact that you look like roadkill. I’m guessing the Coulsons weren’t exactly rolling out the red carpet?
Dylan just shook his head, staring into his untouched coffee.
Jenunk considered telling him about Harper’s European vacation plans but hesitated. After everything Harper had endured because of him, maybe Dylan
deserved the slow torture of uncertainty:||
And if he eventually did win her back–which Jemma seriously doubted the struggle would ensure he never took her for granted again
You know whats kind of poetic about this whole simation?” Jemma said instead. “Harper spent years running after you while you treated her like she was invisibir. Now that she’s finally living her best life without you, suddenly you understand what it feels like to want someone who doesn’t want you back-
Dylan offered no defense, silently accepting her cutting assessment
For nearly two weeks, he barely left his apartment except for essential meetings. Ruby attempted reconciliation visits several times, only to be tamed away by his doorman.
Tinally, seeing her brother’s genuine remorse–and frankly getting tired of his depressive spiral–Jemma threw him a lifetime.]]
“They’re back,” she said over dinner at his place, watching his head snap up instantly Harper a
and Tyler’s flight from Naples landed this morning-
Before she could add another word. Dylan was already grabbing his car keys, heading for Boston
Chapter 20
Dylan drove through the night to reach Boston, pulling into Harper’s condo comples just as dawn broke. After dozing in his car for a few hours, he spotted her walking out the front entrance
He was about to approach when Tyler appeared at her side:[]
The couple walked hand–in–hand down the sidewalk, completely wrapped up in each other. Tyler whispered something in her ear that made Harper throw her head back laughing–a full uninhibited sound that stopped Dylan cold. He remembered when she used to brighten like that around him, before he’d crushed that light repeatedly.
Dylan docked behind a landscaped median, masochistically watching their casual intimacy–the way Tyler’s hand rested protectively at the small of her back, how she leaned into him as they walked
