Library
Maghanap
Home / Romance / Guilty Pleasure #2 / 20. Out of the Shadows

Share

20. Out of the Shadows

Author: theshimmery_star
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-07-02 00:03:16

Elena was halfway through her second cup of coffee when the office lights above her flickered to life. The clock on the wall read 8:52 a.m, still eight minutes early. The walls were decorated with clean, minimalist prints and motivational slogans, but the only one Elena truly believed in right now was, don’t look flustered, and don’t check the cameras.

“Then I’ll have to punish you. And trust me, butterfly, you’ll like it.”

Her legs crossed instinctively under the desk, thighs pressing tight.

Yesterday had been a whirlwind of first impressions, nerves, and the raw electricity of seeing him in a completely different light. She had never felt like this. It was intoxicating and terrifying all at once. Ryan didn’t just crawl under her skin, he wrapped himself around her spine like a secret, pulsing in time with every heartbeat.

“Hey, morning,” came Aisha’s voice as she entered their shared intern pod, balancing a matcha smoothie in one hand and a folder in the other.

Elena blinked and fo
Patuloy na basahin ang aklat na ito nang libre
I-scan ang code upang i-download ang App
Locked Chapter
Nakaraang Kabanata Susunod na kabanata

Pinakabagong kabanata

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   27. The Wolf Beneath the Suit

    The morning after, Ryan stood in his private office, back turned to the wall of glass that framed the skyline like a portrait. But he didn’t see the city.Jade stood silently by the desk, arms crossed, watching the slow rise and fall of his boss’s shoulders."Tell me he's still alive," Ryan said quietly.Jade swallowed. “Barely. Security has him in the west wing holding chamber.”Ryan turned slowly. “Good. I want him to be conscious when I look him in the eye.”Jade followed a step behind, his usual smirk absent. "You sure you want to do this yourself?"Ryan didn’t answer. His jaw was set, his knuckles still faintly bruised from the other night.“Ryan…” Jade began, but Ryan was already moving.The west wing held a soundproof security room. The steel door groaned as Ryan pushed it open, the dim fluorescent lights flickering overhead. The scent of damp concrete and stale air filled his nostrils as he stepped inside with the slow, calculated pace of a predator.At the far end of the room

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   26. The Art of Us

    The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Ryan’s penthouse, painting the room in golden hues. Elena stirred, her body still heavy with sleep, her limbs tangled in silk sheets. She reached out, expecting to find the familiar warmth of Ryan beside her, but the bed was empty.She sat up, the sheet pooling around her waist. Her fingers brushed over the indentation his body had left behind. She slipped out of bed, pulling on one of Ryan’s discarded shirts. It swallowed her frame, the hem brushing mid-thigh, the scent of cedar and something distinctly him clinging to the fabric. She reached the kitchen while looking for Ryan.Ryan had already cleared his entire schedule, though he didn’t tell Elena that. He simply made her coffee the way she liked it, and sat beside her on the plush sectional of his penthouse, watching her stir it with trembling fingers. She hadn’t said much since waking up. But she also hadn’t let go of his hand once. None of them brought up the topi

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   25. No One Touches What’s Mine

    The hand over Elena’s mouth was suffocating, the taste of leather and sweat making her gag. Her back hit the wall, the impact knocking the air from her lungs. And then she saw him.Brandon, one of the senior interns loomed over her, his breath hot against her ear. His eyes glittered with something dark, something unhinged."Scream all you want, princess. No one’s coming."Elena thrashed, her nails digging into his wrist, but his grip only tightened. Tears burned her eyes as his free hand trailed down her side, fingers skimming the curve of her hip.“I’ve been waiting for this,” he hissed, breath fanning across her cheek. She struggled again, her heel slamming into his shin, but it barely made him flinch. “You’re wasting energy,” he whispered. “No one can hear you scream in here.”He removed his hand slowly. Elena tried to bolt. He shoved her back hard.“Don’t,” he snapped, pressing a hand over her shoulder. “Don’t ruin this for me. Have you ever looked at yourself, huh?” His eyes ro

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   24. Velvet Shadows

    The notification buzzed on Elena’s phone just as she was finishing up her notes for the day.From: Cynthia A.Subject: Party InvitationTo: ALL STAFF“As of this morning, Johnson Enterprises has officially closed the Vandrix Global deal. To celebrate this huge milestone, a company-wide party will be hosted tonight at The Glass Lounge. 7:30 PM. Dress code: Formal. Come raise a toast to our biggest win of the year.”Beneath the official message, Aisha had already replied with a string of champagne emojis.Caleb: We get free booze???Aisha: God help me if I have to stand next to Rick from Finance again.Tanveer: Time to show the execs how Gen Z parties.Elena’s fingers hovered above her phone. Her heart was racing. It would be her first official event since joining the company — and her first party with Ryan, not that they’d arrive together, not that they’d be seen together, not that she’d get to touch him, or even glance at him too long. But still she would be in the same room as him,

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   23. Collision Course

    The moment Elena walked into the executive floor, she felt the shift in atmosphere. People moved faster, quieter, like the air itself had become sharp with purpose. Her heels clicked across the polished floors with practiced grace, her clipboard tucked under one arm. She had just wrapped her second week at the company, and the rhythm of corporate life no longer felt foreign. “Miss. Carter,” Jade called from the corner. His expression was unreadable. “Mr. Johnson wants to see you. Now.” Her heart fluttered the way it always did when Ryan’s name was mentioned, but Jade’s tone wasn’t casual like always. She nodded and moved toward Ryan’s office, adjusting the hem of her skirt, running a finger through her hair. The door opened before she could knock. Ryan stood near the window, arms crossed, sharp in a gray three-piece suit that looked like it had been cut directly onto his body. His eyes landed on her and didn’t blink. “Close the door.” She obeyed. “I have something for you,” he s

  • Guilty Pleasure #2   22. Hard at Work

    “Ummmm…..” Elena moaned, trying to hold him closer. Ryan’s lips traced her exposed skin. Each bite, each press, each lick of his mouth was a claim of possession which was enough to make her breathless. His rough stubble trickled against her soft skin that increased the sensual tension. His strong and big hands cupped her face, nipping her skin. Through this all, his eyes were burning with desire, not leaving hers even for a second. It was not a gentle lover's caress, rather a raw, untamed ruthless igniting passion which was burning her from within. “Fuck! God! His smell!” Elena thought in mind as Ryan was too close to her. His natural cologne was driving her wild. His presence was overwhelming, a raging storm of desire consuming her. There was no space for her to breathe. She was drowning in his possessive and controlling touch. Ryan bit her lower lip in between the kiss and stretched it a little, then entered his tongue into her mouth. Their lips danced in a fierce and intense k

Higit pang Kabanata

Maaari mong magustuhan

Galugarin at basahin ang magagandang nobela
Libreng basahin ang magagandang nobela sa GoodNovel app. I-download ang mga librong gusto mo at basahin kahit saan at anumang oras.
Libreng basahin ang mga aklat sa app
I-scan ang code para mabasa sa App
DMCA.com Protection Status