Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48 A Door Slammed Shut

Work hard? At what?

Finished

So in his eyes, she was still something to weigh and bargain for? Was she supposed to fight for him, to become the hidden treasure he didn’t even dare to show off?

Claudia didn’t have that kind of confidence.

She couldn’t imagine anyone making a man like Sterling throw everything away.

Still, she went along with his words. “So, what should I work for?”

They were standing too close. When she spoke, her breath nearly touched his lips.

Fresh out of the shower, her skin carried the faint scent of body wash, the same as his.

Her face looked flawless, her pores invisible, her dark brows and red lips the only touches of color.

She thought she was teasing him. What she didn’t realize was that leaning in like this–no matter how sharp her words sounded–looked like pure temptation to a man.

And worse, she was asking how to please him.

Sterling’s eyes grew darker.

Too close.

Claudia tried to step back, but she could already hear his breathing growing heavier.

Just as their lips were about to meet, the doorbell rang loudly.

“Claudia! Open up!”

It was Jasper. After putting Lydia to sleep, the thought of Claudia–left alone in the rain at the cemetery–kept haunting him.

She had blocked his number, so he had to drive through the storm, hoping for a chance.

Luckily, the weather was awful, and no neighbors were outside watching. By some miracle, he slipped into the building.

Now he pounded on her door, restless. “Claudia, I know you’re in there! I just need to see if you’re okay. Please, come out.”

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He had checked–her curtains weren’t drawn, so someone had to be inside.

Before coming, he’d even called Whitney, though she yelled at him and hung up. At least now he knew Claudia wasn’t staying with her.

After a day of failed attempts, his need to see her burned stronger than ever.

The heavy rain couldn’t hide the noise of his fists slamming the door. It was unbearable.

Then, with a sharp click, the door opened.

Claudia stood there. She wore a pale green nightdress, but Sterling had forcibly thrown a jacket over her shoulders.

Jasper’s face lit up.

“Claudia!”

It hit him then–he hadn’t seen her in so long. The urge to hug her came almost by instinct.

But-

“Get out.”

Her eyes, once bright with joy whenever they saw him, now brimmed with nothing but irritation. Her familiar face carried only coldness.

“Keep this up and I’ll call the cops.”

The words hit like ice water. Jasper froze, stunned. “Claudia, I’m your boyfriend.”

At last, she looked him in the eye. “Jasper, do you not understand my words? Or have you just never taken my words seriously? We broke up. The moment you made your choice, it was over.”

Her voice was flat, merciless. “The way you keep clinging to me has become harassment. No matter what, we did spend years together, and I’ll remember that. But it ends here. I don’t want this turning into an ugly scene.”

If not for that, she would have blown up the night she found out about him and Lydia.

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