Se connecterBELLE“You can't have it all, Zalden. I'll give you a chance to be in our children's lives, but that is it. Don't expect too much from me.”Disappointment settled in his face, but he didn't argue with me. I called my secretary to cancel my plans for the rest of the day, while Zalden drove me home.We were going to tell the kids the truth. My heart skipped a beat as he pulled up in my driveway, and for a split second, I wanted to change my mind.Jamie and Jordan are all I have. If Zalden were to come into their lives now, everything would change. I wasn't sure if that was what I wanted, but I had been selfish for far too long, I needed to make things right.I pushed the door open, and my body froze. Jamie choked on her sob as she sighted me, and the maids rushed down the stairs in panic.“Jamie?” I rushed to her side in panic. “What is going on? Where is your brother”Tears streamed down her cheeks and Zalden bent to her level, patting her back to help her relax. “Take a deep breath,”
BELLEZalden drove us to a restaurant down the road, and I honestly didn’t know why he was doing this. He has Valarie now. Whether a fake relationship or not, she was perfect for him. I just hoped he’d stop showing up whenever he wanted and make things harder for me.I kept my gaze on the road, watching the city blur past as the silence lingered in the air. The car came to a halt, and I didn’t wait for him to open my door before stepping out of his car. I made my way into the restaurant, pulled out my own seat and glared at Zalden.“We both know your ten minutes have passed, so how about you make this quick?” For a restaurant you have to make a reservation weeks before coming, it was awfully quiet today. Not a single person was in sight aside from their staff, which left me wondering if this had anything to do with Zalden.“Did you book the entire place?” I raised my eyes in suspicion, looking at the empty seats, and he shrugged.“I thought we’d need privacy.”“There is no ‘we’ Zalde
BELLE “There’s a man here to see you, ma’am,” my assistant said nervously. I didn’t bother to look up from the documents on my desk. We were in the middle of a meeting, and even without saying a word, she ought to know what to do. “Tell him to make an appointment if it's important,” I said dismissively.The man presenting continued with his presentation, but my assistant lingered.“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I have already told him that. He just won’t listen.”I lifted my head slowly, irritation prickling beneath my skin.“Do you want me to do your job now?” I asked coldly. “If he's being a nuisance, get the security to deal with him. Why are you even reporting this to me?” She fiddled with her hands, shifting her weight from one leg to another. “We would have done that if he were an ordinary man,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.I tossed the file in my hands onto the desk, and the room fell silent. “Is this you telling me you’re incompetent?” I arched my brows.Her f
ZALDEN “Belle!” I called, almost chasing after her when Valerie grabbed my hands. Her frown deepened.“What are you doing alone with her?”She gave me that accusing look. If anyone were watching, they'd think I was cheating on her.Again, Belle was right. The world wouldn't care if what we had was true or not. They'd haunt her down if I didn't end things properly with Valerie and now is the best time.If I want to pursue Belle properly, the least I could do is give her stability, and that begins with clearing unnecessary rumors.“You are not cheating on me, are you?” I raised an eyebrow, letting a smirk creep onto my face. “Cheating on you?”“Cheating is a strong word, don't you think?” I continued smoothly. “For me to cheat, we have to be a thing. And none of this is true. I think you're enjoying this little charade so much that you forgot your place.”Her face flushed, but she didn't back down.“Is this because of her?’“No,” I said firmly. “It’s about finally choosing what I shou
BELLE “It’s you I like.” His words beat in my head like music on replay. My heart did that stupid thing again— tightening, fluttering, like it hadn't learned its lesson.How ridiculous. How could something so simple unravel years of anger? Years of humiliation. Of silence. Of pretending I didn't care. And yet… they were slipping through my fingers as they had never mattered at all. I hated that.I took a step back, shaking my head, trying to ground myself.“What?” He asked quietly. “You don’t believe me?” His eyes searched mine for an answer, and all I could do was laugh.“If you were me, would you?” My voice came out colder than I intended. “One minute you're parading around with your fiancée. A woman who made it very clear she despised me, might I add. And the next minute I'm the one you like?”I folded my arms, needing something to hold onto.“You don't expect me to feel honored, do you?” I continued. “Because that doesn't feel flattering, Zalden. It feels like a slap in the fac
BELLE Zalden stepped in with Valerie next to him, and my stomach churned instantly. Watching them together, even for a second felt like a punch straight to my gut.I turned away before either of them could notice me and headed for the kitchen, my heels clicking a little too fast against the floor. I needed a drink. Anything to drown the sudden tightness in my chest.I was reaching for a bottle when Kara walked in behind me.“I should have informed you about him,” she said softly, guilt flickering in her eyes. “Andrew invited everyone and I…”“It's fine,” I cut in quickly, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. “You didn't do anything wrong. It's your night, don't let me ruin it.”Kara's eyes searched mine like she didn't believe a word I said. “Belle—”“Seriously,” I said, twisting the bottle open. “I'm okay.”“If you need anything, I'll be right here.”“The celebrant can't go missing,” I pushed her playfully with a forced smile,She gave me a worried look before finally r
AUTHOR'S POV Andrew waited a couple of minutes for Belle to come out of Zalden's office but when the minutes stretched into what seemed like forever, he became worried.Knowing Zalden's temper, he feared he might make things worse and decided to intervene.He pushed the door open without knocking,
BELLE The moment his lips crashed against mine, it felt like the world froze in place and the only sound I could hear was the frantic pounding of my heart.I stood still, a thousand thoughts scattering through my mind, but all I could focus on was the scent of him. Rich. Intoxicating.My hands wen
ZALDEN For a second, I thought I had misheard him, but the smug gleam in his eyes told me I hadn't. Give Belle to him? As what? My stomach churned at how ridiculous that sounded, and I couldn't believe I was having this conversation.“Belle is not for sale. And that applies to the rest of my emplo
ZALDEN An hour has passed since I told Belle to go get changed. If she was going to hide somewhere and cry every single time she was scolded, why did she bother coming back?I paced around my office, a part of me wondering if I had gone too far. I knew she couldn't afford to live like the rest. Sh







