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2025-12-30 15:28:56
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Built from Ruins Chapter 36
The Mechanics of BetrayalLucas’s POVThe silence in the room was heavier than the storm outside.Jennifer stood by the edge of the bed, her knuckles white where she gripped the dark silk of her robe. Her eyes were wide, luminous with a mixture of residual adrenaline and a deep, fracturing rage. She was waiting for me to lie. She was waiting for me to offer some smooth, corporate mitigation so she could tear it to pieces with that razor-sharp mind of hers.I didn't give her a lie. I didn't even give her an excuse."It's true," I said, my voice level, cold, and entirely stripped of emotion.I walked over to the low timber dresser, poured two fingers of amber whiskey into a crystal glass, and turned to face her. "Three years ago, the Romano family attempted to seize the northern port lines. Lin Tan was my lead marketing strategist for the Jakarta pilot program. She was brilliant, she was ambitious, and she was entirely naive to the nature of the people she was doing business w
Built from Ruins Chapter 35
The Ghost of JakartaJennifer’s POVThe silk of my robe felt impossibly thin against the cool mountain breeze, but I refused to let my shoulders tense. I descended the stone steps slowly, each bare footfall deliberate on the slick volcanic tile. I kept my gaze locked on the woman in the white trench coat.Isabella Romano looked exactly like the kind of woman who belonged in Lucas’s world—sleek, dangerous, and completely unbothered by the blood on the floor. Her dark eyes tracked my descent with a slow, patronizing assessment that made my skin crawl, but I didn't give her the satisfaction of looking away."Ah," Isabella purred, tilting her head as I reached the bottom of the steps, standing a few feet away from Lucas. "The new Mrs. Lombardi. You look... remarkably rested for someone whose life's work was liquidated last Tuesday.""It was restructured, Ms. Romano," I corrected, my voice smooth, adopting the precise, corporate pitch I used to handle hostile takeovers back in Londo
Built from Ruins Chapter 34
The Friction of ClosuresJennifer’s POVThe rain didn’t stop. By three in the morning, the tropical downpour had settled into a low, rhythmic drumming against the thatched roof, turning the air inside the pavilion into a thick, heavy soup of humidity and static.I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the blue light of the laptop, the hard curve of Lucas’s jaw, and the terrifyingly dark look in his eyes right before he stepped away from me. My skin felt too tight for my body. I had changed into a thin, sleeveless black silk camisole and shorts to survive the heat, but the fabric felt like sandpaper against my overwrought nerves.I rolled over, my movements sharp and agitated, only to find myself staring directly across the vast expanse of the mattress.Lucas wasn’t sleeping either.He was lying on his side, propped up on one elbow, his dark eyes fixed on me through the sheer haze of the mosquito netting. In the shadow of the room, stripped of his armor, his bare ch
Built from Ruins Chapter 33
The Afterglow of MaliceJennifer’s POVThe storm broke the moment we crossed the threshold of the villa.The tropical sky had turned the color of a bruised plum while we were on the mountain, and by the time the heavy timber doors of our pavilion shut behind us, the sky unburdened itself. Rain sheeted down in solid, deafening walls, obliterating the view of the canyon and turning the open-air edges of the suite into a gray, misty blur. The roar of the water outside matched the chaotic, frantic rhythm of the blood roaring in my ears.I didn't even wait for Lucas to take off his jacket. The second Elena closed the corridor doors, leaving us completely isolated in the master pavilion, I spun around."Don't you ever lay a hand on me like that again," I hissed, my voice vibrating with a day's worth of suppressed fury. I pointed a shaking finger at him. "In the car. Touching my face to prove you can. I am your business partner by force, Lucas. I am your legal shield because you hol
Built from Ruins Chapter 32
The Weight of the Crown pt:2Lucas’s POV The little Conti had completely hijacked the room. I sat back in my chair, watching Jennifer smoothly field questions from Triatmodjo’s most cynical legal advisers.Her eyes were bright,.... the hollow, defeated look she’d carried from London entirely gone, replaced by the lethal, razor-sharp competence that had made her a legend in the public relations circuit. The emerald silk shifted as she gestured toward the contract, her long fingers tracing a clause with absolute authority. She hadn't just defended her brand....she had weaponized it against my own narrative. (One of the sexiest things shes done this week) She had told an eighty-two-year-old billionaire that my standard commercial model was outdated, and she had done it with so much poise that the old man had practically smiled while she did it. Fascinating.... I thought, my eyes tracking the tight, furious line of her jaw even as she smiled at Widjaja. She hated me...
Built from Ruins Chapter 31
The Weight of the Crown Jennifer’s POV The luncheon was held in a massive, open...air pavillion...a traditional Javanese pavilion supported by towering, intricately carved teak pillars that had probably stood for centuries and centuries. The roof vaulted high into the humid air, but underneath, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of roasted spices, expensive tobacco, and old, immovable power. Setyo Triatmodjo sat at the head of a long, solid mahogany table that could easily seat thirty people. He was a frail-looking man in his early eighties draped in a flawlessly tailored silk shirt, but his eyes were sharp as flint. Surrounding him were six of his top board executives—all older men, all holding themselves with the rigid, unyielding posture of traditionalists who viewed the corporate world as a blood sport. Lucas sat to Setyo’s right, and I was placed directly next to Lucas. The weight of his hand had left my lower back the moment we sat...but the ghost of that heat
Built from Ruins Chapter 6
I looked up at him, with my heart hammering against my ribs ."Do`nt tell me you already falling for me?" he says chuckling to my face.That chuckle set my stomach on fire. As I stare at the Natalie I see her blushing towards the flooring. To save myself from total embaressment I say whatever come
Built from Ruins chapter 5
Romano slowed his pace as we approached the massive mahogany front doors, waiting for me to catch up. I knew the drill: the moment those doors opened, we were no longer a fractured father and daughter; we were the Conti dynasty—united, powerful, and perfectly composed.We were greeted at the entran
Built from Ruins chapter 4
I stare at the satin black dress that had been hugging my curves .I felt amazing looking in the mirror ,but only one thing had been missing..." Dammmmn you look fineeeee ,girl!"Alex screams via Skype .She whistles ,eyeing me like a teenage boyLaughing I roll my eyes. We'll I do know I look good
Built from Ruins Chapter 3
Jennifer's PovI slowly enter the mansion with my purse hanging loose .I remove my heels and hold them in my hand ,ready to climb the enormous staircase .Having my eyes wonder everywhere ,I spot Romano sitted on the stool at the bar ,having one of his finest whiskeys.I chose to ignore the old man
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