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CHAPTER TWENTY: A Dream I Don't Deserve

Penulis: Norah Black
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-07 22:14:06

Adele hadn’t expected to find candlelight waiting for her, let alone Julian standing at the center of it all, nervously adjusting his sleeves like a man about to ruin everything with sincerity.

He had asked her to wear something comfortable for a dinner date, but she wasn't expecting this.

She paused, her eyes catching the soft glow of the table, the little vase of wildflowers he'd picked from the garden she never noticed. And then her gaze locked with his.

Julian stilled.

“Adele.”

He cleared his throat. “You look…”

His throat dried.

Beautiful felt like an insult. Breathtaking felt inadequate.

“You look like a dream I don’t deserve to have,” he finally muttered.

Adele’s lips curved, but only faintly.

She wore a champagne colored satin slip dress, soft as a sigh and cruelly simple. The fabric clung to her lightly, as if chosen by the breeze, dipping just enough at the back, and parting high at one thigh where the slit fell.

Her shawl, a pale translucent wrap, drifted from one shoulder
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Daniel Agbugba
...They love each other but are still hiding from the truth... Classic!!!
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Norah Black
... If you smiled even once while reading this chapter, don’t forget to Add to Library ... More twists are coming… and trust me, you won’t see them coming. Chapter 21 drops soon. Let’s break hearts together ...... #TeamAdele #JulianInTrouble
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  • A Deal With Desire   CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN: Deadlier Than Desire

    CELESTE'S POV The cell is cold. Not just physically, but spiritually, too. I sit on the hard bench, arms crossed over my chest, trying to keep myself from unraveling.Outside, my lawyer is working on bail, but inside? Inside is survival.Julian sure pulled a fast one on me. And Alex is MIA, making me the fall guy. Classic.I have to find a way out of this. Julian can't keep me locked up here forever. I'm the mother of his son. He won't do that to me.The putrid smell of urine and sweaty armpits gags me. I shift uncomfortably, aware of the beady pair of eyes on my back. Movement. Footsteps. I steel myself as the huge woman lowers herself in front of me. My eyes meet hers.She smiles with all her brown teeth.“Hi honey. You don't look like you belong here.” Yeah, no shit.I say nothing, wishing she'll just go away.She stays. “What's your name, cupcake?”I don't respond. That pisses her off.“You think you're better than me, with your fancy clothes?” Of course I'm better than her

  • A Deal With Desire   CHAPTER THIRTY SIX: The Breaking Point

    Julian adjusts the cuff of his shirt, uneasy.He stands at the head of the conference table, Adele by his side in a crimson suit and pants. Julian's voice rings out, calm and commanding. "Our quarterly projections show a potential increase in stakeholder trust, provided we maintain our momentum in Southeast Asia. The Madrid deal is still being reviewed—"At the end of the table, Alex’s phone buzzes.At first, he ignores it. Then it buzzes again. And again. Julian nods and waves him off.Alex smiles and unlocks it. He frowns, glances at the screen, then goes still.His fingers begin to move swiftly. A second later, he looks up. His face is pale."Check Tiff’s blog," he says quietly. Loud enough for those around the table to hear.A ripple passes through the room.Phones light up. Screens open. Jaws drop.Julian's brow furrows. He glances at Alex, then slowly picks up his own phone.Silence settles like a fog.Then come the murmurs. Staggered gasps. A chair scrapes against the marble

  • A Deal With Desire   CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE: The Summons and the Snare.

    Celeste's house looks just as vain as she is. Beautiful , but haunting.Julian walks the pathway and rings the doorbell. Silence echoes through the walls.He rings again. Deja vu crawls up his spine. Celeste had rented this place right after their legal separation. The last time he rang this doorbell, she threatened to file a restraining order. He only wanted to talk to her…find out why she betrayed him.She didn't just break their marriage. She broke him. Left him empty and gasping for air.Nothing has changed around here but him. He's not here to beg.He rings the doorbell again. Hears the frantic click of heels on the marble floor. The front door swings open—Their eyes meet. She gasps. Doubles back. Julian doesn't move. She recovers quickly and blinks at him.“You could have called or something. But I suppose you like drama.” A pause. Silence hangs between them. “Wanna come in?” She mimics a sultry voice, stepping aside. He stares at her, gritting his teeth. She’s all dressed

  • A Deal With Desire   CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR: Whiskey, War Plans, and a Kiss.

    ADELE'S POV Fox wants me to model for him.I stare at the text and chew my lips. We've been texting back and forth for days. He runs a modeling agency and clothing brand. I'm gonna be a star! That is, if I agree.I don't know…I lock my screen. Roll over on my side and stare at the ceiling.Ever since mom died, the future has been bleak. I just soldier through the days and avoid Julian.Julian.I try not to think about him—what we could have been, but it's hard.I keep a straight face when I see him, but my arms ache to wrap around his solid form.I still love him. But why? He's not given me reasons to. At least not lately.He killed Shirley. I didn't get the chance to talk to her. Find out why she killed my mother. That wasn't his call. And digging up my files? He crossed a line. I still remember the judgement in his eyes…He saw a monster in me. I couldn't defend myself. I hate him for making me feel that. My nightmares are more vivid now. I always find myself in a burning roo

  • A Deal With Desire   CHAPTER THIRTY THREE: The Hawthorne Scam

    Celeste sat rigid at the table.Sweat poured down her forehead. Alex towered over her. “...You had one job. Keep an eye on Julian. Be our ears. But you just had to screw it up. You and your sick need for attention.” He spat.Celeste tuned him out. She had bigger things to worry about.Julian was coming for blood. Leo's future hung in the balance. Soon, Alex and the others won't need her anymore. She was an appendage. A loose end. It's only a matter of time before they spill her secret.Celeste chewed her lip. Alex paced the room, gesticulating wildly. Her mind raced. She needed to do something. To prove her worth. She heard footsteps. The distinct slap of cane against marble.The double doors swung open. Cologne—sharp, commanding, pierced the air.The man stepped in. Salt and pepper hair, dark brooding eyes. He took deliberate steps towards them. His eyes fixed on Celeste.She held her breath. Shut her eyes. Swallowed a tight knot in her throat.Alex shoved his hands in his p

  • A Deal With Desire   CHAPTER THIRTY TWO: Dead Women Don't Speak

    ADELE'S POV“My nightmares are back”I sit cross-legged on the plush sofa. My therapist nods softly and scribbles on a pad. “And how long has this been going on?” Where do I start?After the thing with Julian, my life fell apart. Celeste was gone, but that was the least of my problems. She can have Julian if she wants.It's nurse Shirley I want. My white whale. Despite my best efforts, she eludes me. It's like she disappeared.If I don't find her, my mother won't rest. I should ask Julian about this. I don't. So I dream instead.I see her—My mother. In the hospital room. In my dreams.I'm kissing her goodbye. As I turn to leave, Shirley enters. I try to save her…every time. But the door always clicks shut behind me.I always wake up tangled in the sheets, sweating. Ronnie advised me to get help. And that's what I'm doing.Therapy is horrible, by the way. What do you mean I should bare my dirty secrets and hold them up to the light? But it keeps me talking, and boy, do I have th

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