Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 228

Lawrence stared down at her.

Willow's greatest weapon was her absolute refusal to play the complete victim.

She would always concede a fraction of the blame first.

Admitting she was greedy, admitting she was ambitious, admitting she wasn't a saint.

She confessed to just enough flaws to make it impossible to stay angry at her.

Her fingers rested lightly against his collar, her eyes glassy and incredibly tender.

A dark surge of frustration clawed at Lawrence's chest.

Ever since Wren had moved back, he had been met with nothing but walls.

The locked door of The East Wing Guest Suite.

The hesitation in his son's eyes.

His mother terrified by a court-mandated log.

Even a school teacher had lectured him on what it meant to be a father.

Only here, with Willow, did he still feel needed.

She looked at him like he was a god who could dictate the terms of reality.

It was an addictive sensation.

Lawrence grabbed her wrist.

The grip wasn't bruising, but it was enough to tell Willow his walls were crumbling.

She didn't pull away.

Instead, she leaned in closer.

The city lights sprawled outside the window, casting an artificial glow across the dark room. The tie slung over the sofa, his phone tossed face-down on the table.

As Willow closed her eyes, her mind remained terrifyingly clear.

She didn't love him.

At least, not with the blind, sacrificial devotion Wren used to have.

She simply knew that when a man was spiraling out of control, his absolute first instinct was to find someone who still worshipped him.

And she could play that role flawlessly.

Later, Lawrence went to shower.

Wrapped in his oversized dress shirt, Willow sat on the sofa and picked up her phone from the rug.

There was a message from Jude sent half an hour ago.

"I revised the speech again. Make sure you get some rest."

Willow stared at it for a few seconds before typing back: "Thank you, Jude. I'm so lucky to have you."

After hitting send, she pressed the phone against her palm and let out a soft laugh.

My Family.

She tapped her finger against the screen, a wicked smile curving her lips.

Lawrence had forbidden her from going to the school.

But what if she wasn't the one inviting herself?

What if Eleanor Langford decided that Wren was entirely unfit to represent the family? What if she decided that the 'aunt' was far more elegant, attentive, and suited to stand beside the boy?

Willow slowly slipped her phone away.

The bathroom door opened, and Lawrence stepped out, a cloud of steam trailing behind him.

When she looked up, the calculated malice in her eyes vanished, instantly replaced by a soft, loving smile.

"Lawrence," she whispered gently. "I won't go to the school. Please don't be mad at me."

Lawrence gave her a look, neither confirming nor denying if he believed her.

Willow walked over and wrapped her arms around him.

Pressing her face against his chest, her eyes were devoid of a single ounce of warmth.

When you couldn't kick a door down yourself, you just had to find someone else to unlock it for you.

And the easiest lock to pick in the Langford Estate had never been Lawrence.

It was Eleanor.