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Chapter 23

Autor: Nia Kas
last update Última atualização: 2025-11-14 02:38:41

Killian

I scrambled onto the dock, my muscles screaming from the cold. I didn't even think about it; I just reached back, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out of the freezing water. She slammed right against my chest, shivering like crazy.

She was soaking wet and half dressed, and those huge, dark eyes were locked on mine. The wine was singing, the cold was a shock, and every rule I'd ever made for myself just shattered.

I wasn't thinking about the contract or the company. I grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in and crushed my mouth against hers again. This wasn't some stupid drunk mistake; this was a need that felt like I’d been starving my whole life. I was all in on the chaos.

Her mouth tasted like lake water and wine. She responded instantly, desperately. Her hands went right to my waist, holding on tight. Everything disappeared; it was just the pounding of my heart and the urgent press of her body against mine. I was about to forget where we were and fall right back onto
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  • Her Return : The Billionaire's Contract Wife   Chapter 53

    Then, before I could even process the loss of my only defense, my personal phone rang. It was the private number for my mother’s medical facility.I answered, my voice shaking. "Yes? Is everything alright?"The doctor's voice was soft, laced with profound sympathy. "Mrs. Ashford... I am so terribly sorry. We lost her ten minutes ago. It was very sudden. She had a cardiac event. We did everything we could, but... she's gone."My mother was dead.I dropped the phone. The world went silent. In the space of five minutes, I had lost the two most important protectors in my life. The powerful protector who shielded me from the Ashfords and the loving protector who gave my life purpose.I doubled over right there on the sidewalk from a sudden, blinding, searing pain in my lower abdomen. The physical pain was immediate and violent, a terrifying counterpoint to the emotional devastation.I tried to stand, tried to scream, but only a choked sob escaped. My vision swam. I knew, with a horrible, c

  • Her Return : The Billionaire's Contract Wife   Chapter 52

    He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. The weight of his corporate world seemed to crush his shoulders."And what am I supposed to believe, Nova?" He asked, his voice hollow, laced with exhaustion. "That the person who made the transfer, the one I trust completely with my career, who has been loyal to my family for years, who sacrificed her own standing for this alliance, is committing corporate fraud and framing you? Or that you, who desperately needed money for your mother, decided to secure your financial independence through a questionable channel, using your friend's address as a shield?" he asked.The cold, unforgiving logic of the CEO and the absolute, unwavering trust he had for his loyal friend, Tanya, made his argument terrifyingly convincing. He wasn't seeing the betrayed lover; he was seeing the financial risk."I don't know the answer, Killian," I whispered, tears of frustration stinging my eyes. "But I need you to trust me. The intimacy we shared and the commitment

  • Her Return : The Billionaire's Contract Wife   Chapter 51

    The taxi dropped me at the huge, iron gates of Killian's estate. But as I rushed toward the intercom, a massive security guard I didn't recognize stepped out of the booth."I'm Mrs. Ashford," I said, trying to sound firm despite the throbbing in my head. "I need to go inside."The guard looked at me, his face flat. "Apologies, ma'am. We received a direct order. You are not permitted entry to the grounds. Your pass has been deactivated. You need to leave the premises immediately."My breath caught in my throat. Amelia. Elara. They were so fast. They hadn't just attacked me; they had locked me out of my own home, leaving me completely stranded.I stumbled away from the gates, running blindly to the one place I knew I would be safe: Vera's cramped, messy apartment.I collapsed on Vera's couch, sobbing, telling her everything—the lie, the yelling, and the brutal attack at the party. I cried until there were no tears left. I went to get a glass of water, and that's when it hit me. A wave o

  • Her Return : The Billionaire's Contract Wife   Chapter 50

    I panicked. I threw Tanya in the car, I muttered some lie about a 'board meeting' or a 'site visit' to Nova later, and I immediately buried myself back in the documents. I didn't mean to lie; I just didn't have the time or the emotional bandwidth to deal with a confusing question about my whereabouts when I was facing a corporate disaster that could cost me my position, which meant failing my grandmother.That’s the thing Nova didn't get, and what I didn't think to explain: I trusted her. After the island, after that whole stupid slap mess, I thought we were a unified front. She knew the score. She knew that the reason she was here, the reason her mother was safe, was because I was securing my own position. I figured she knew, instinctively, that I wouldn't throw away my marriage, the cornerstone of the strategy, for Tanya. We both had too much to lose. We were playing a game for everyone, and I thought she knew I wouldn't ruin the game.The stress was killing me. I was getting cold s

  • Her Return : The Billionaire's Contract Wife   Chapter 49

    NovaOne Tuesday, I managed to ditch an Amelia-mandated lunch to actually meet up with Vera. We grabbed a quick coffee near the financial district, and I desperately needed the reality check."So, you're officially Mrs. I-Own-New-York now," Vera said, taking a sip of her latte and looking utterly unimpressed by the tall, intimidating glass buildings surrounding us. "Are the golden handcuffs comfortable?""They're mostly just cold," I admitted, looking down. "He's gone all the time, Vera. He’s buried under work, and honestly, the only person I think he talks to is his assistant. And Tanya."I told her about the two a.m. call, keeping my voice low. Her eyebrows shot up. "Girl, that's not a corporate crisis. That's a 'cover your tracks' call. Tanya is clearly still pulling strings.""I don't know," I sighed. "I want to trust him. We made a promise on the island.""Promises are cheap when you're wearing swimwear," Vera snorted. "But secrets? Secrets are a full-time commitment."We finishe

  • Her Return : The Billionaire's Contract Wife   Chapter 48

    "Isn't Tanya wonderful?" Elara chirped beside me, completely unaware of the damage she was doing. "She's been a rock for Killian during all this board craziness. She's his oldest friend. I keep telling Killian he needs a woman who understands him the way she does."Elara's words confirmed everything I was watching. Tanya was back in her spot, and Killian was letting her be there. My grand sacrifice and the island intimacy meant nothing against years of established, blind loyalty.I forced a tight smile. "She certainly is devoted."Two weeks passed, then three, then almost a full month, and it all blurred into a routine of intense isolation, even though we were technically married. Killian was completely consumed. I'm talking about a level of work addiction that would make most CEOs look like they were on extended vacation.He’d be gone before the city was even buzzing, sometimes not even there for coffee. I’d wake up to the cold side of the bed, the linens already pulled back, and the

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