Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 24

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Between crushing an eyesore of a pest and hurrying home to feed his Rosebud, Sterling chose the latter without hesitation.

He’d never dated, but he’d heard the saying–sometimes a dead crush could wound worse than a living rival.

Not that he intended to “date” Claudia.

But he couldn’t abide the thought of his pet secretly yearning for someone else.

Far better than killing him outright would be to peel back his polished mask layer by layer, revealing the rotten, fickle core beneath–until just the memory of him made Claudia recoil in disgust.

Sterling entertained himself with a hundred and eight different scenarios for driving them apart.

Down by the hedge, Jasper suddenly shivered. A cold prickle ran up his neck, an inexplicable sense of danger.

When he looked up, he saw only a car whipping past, far too close.

Probably just a resident, but the speed was reckless. Nearly clipping him, no apology–utterly uncivilized.

Jasper frowned.

Once he and Claudia made up, he’d get her out of this neighborhood. He couldn’t rest easy with such people around.

Still… he thought back to the face he’d glimpsed behind the wheel. He shook his head.

Impossible. That man couldn’t be here. Wasn’t he supposed to be missing?

This wasn’t the kind of place the golden boy would stoop to.

Even if it had been him, what connection could he possibly have to Claudia?

Jasper lifted his head again, staring longingly up at her window–never noticing how more and more residents were casting him suspicious looks.

Sterling parked in the garage and strode home, plastic bags from the supermarket weighing

9:43 Tue, Oct 7

Chapter 24 The Perfect Smear

down his hands.

Claudia had already threatened to order takeout if he didn’t show.

In the elevator, he ran into an elderly couple from downstairs.

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With his recovery nearly complete, Sterling no longer needed to hide so carefully. On nights when Claudia overate, she sometimes dragged him out for a walk.

The pair looked too well matched, too close. Neighbors had naturally assumed they were newlyweds.

The community had even dubbed them the complex’s “model couple.”

The man’s air was forbidding, but the kindly grandmother offered a warning anyway.

“Young man, did you see that Mercedes downstairs? Do you know the owner? You should keep an eye on your wife. We’ve all seen him knocking at your door again and again. Once, when your wife went to take out the trash, he cornered her until someone called security. He’s still lurking around every day.”

They said “your wife” without hesitation. Sterling not only let the misunderstanding stand—he savored it.

After listening, he smiled wickedly and piled on.

“I know him. That man’s a shameless homewrecker, obsessed with Claudia’s looks. Even after I told him we were married, he swore he’d steal her away. Not even the police could chase him off. And he’s already married–his wife’s lying in the hospital.”

The couple gasped. “He looked so decent, but to be that rotten!”

They quickly reassured Sterling. “Don’t worry, young man. We’ll all keep watch. We’ll help you drive him out.”

Sterling’s smile turned gentle. “Thank you. Living here among you is our good fortune.”

Tall, handsome, and polite–the couple instantly felt guilty for ever thinking he was unapproachable. Their resolve to defend the “young couple” only deepened.

The grandmother wasted no time. She typed into the community group chat:

“Confirmed–the man downstairs is a shameless homewrecker. His wife’s in the hospital, yet he still tries to steal our Claudia. They’ve already rejected him, but he keeps lurking. We need to keep an eye out.”

“What? He looked so polished, who knew he was rotten to the core? He must be deranged.”

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Chapter 24 The Perfect Smear

“People like that are the best at pretending. His poor wife–maybe he’s the reason she’s hospitalized.”

“What? So he’s a wife–beater too?”

“What? There’s a stalker in our complex? A killer, maybe?”

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