تسجيل الدخولمشاركة
The locked box
تاريخ النشر:
2026-10-08 13:48:42
أحدث فصل
His Beautiful Deception The locked box
Arielle's POVMum was still awake when I came in.She sat on the sofa in her robe, a cup of tea going cold on the table in front of her and a magazine open on her lap that she clearly hadn't been reading. When I closed the door she looked up, and I saw her eyes travel from my face to my heels to my lipstick, which was still perfect."You said you'd be home by nine.""Work ran late.""On a restaurant table?"I froze with my coat half off. "How do you know I was at a restaurant?""Because you smell like garlic and a man's cologne." She gave me a look only mothers know how to give. "Sit.""Mum...""Arielle."I sat. She studied me for a long moment, and I forced my face into something calm and boring. I've had a lot of practice."It was a client dinner," I said. "The resort people. They wanted to go over the plans over food. That's all.""And the man's cologne?""He sat close to me.""Did he now.""Mum." I laughed. "I'm twenty-five, not fifteen.""You're my child. That's a worse age." She
His Beautiful Deception The woman in my car
Alexander's POVShe didn't stop talking for the first ten minutes of the drive.She talked about the restaurant, the chocolate, the terrible traffic, a pigeon she had once seen steal a sandwich from a businessman's hand. She talked with her whole body, her hands moving, her shoulder turning toward me in the passenger seat as though I were an audience she was determined to win.I kept my eyes on the road.It was a rule I had never broken. When something disturbed my concentration, I gave it nothing. No reaction, no comment, no eye contact. Silence starved most things until they went away.Arielle Sinclair did not go away."You're doing it again," she said."Doing what?""Pretending I'm not here.""I'm driving.""You're pretending.""You're very persistent.""So I've heard." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Is it working?""No."She laughed softly and turned to look out the window. For a moment the car was quiet and I found, to my irritation, that I missed the noise.Her phone lit
His Beautiful Deception Stay professional
Arielle's POVEthan was waiting outside my office with two cups of coffee and the expression of a man who had been rehearsing a speech."Don't," I said."I haven't said anything.""You're about to.""I'm about to hand you coffee." He held it out. "Black. Two sugars. And then I'm going to say something."I took the cup and sighed. "Say it.""You had dinner with Alexander Pierce."I stopped with the cup halfway to my mouth. "Who told you that?""His assistant called the office to confirm tomorrow's schedule, and casually mentioned that Mr. Pierce had been seen at the restaurant on Marlow Street with a woman in a red dress." He raised an eyebrow. "There aren't a lot of women in red dresses working on that project.""It was a working dinner.""Was it?""Ethan.""Arielle." He said it gently, but there was steel under it. "I told you one condition. Stay professional.""I was professional.""You flirted with him in front of the entire boardroom.""That was the first meeting. And I didn't fli
His Beautiful Deception The locked box
Arielle's POVMum was still awake when I came in.She sat on the sofa in her robe, a cup of tea going cold on the table in front of her and a magazine open on her lap that she clearly hadn't been reading. When I closed the door she looked up, and I saw her eyes travel from my face to my heels to my lipstick, which was still perfect."You said you'd be home by nine.""Work ran late.""On a restaurant table?"I froze with my coat half off. "How do you know I was at a restaurant?""Because you smell like garlic and a man's cologne." She gave me a look only mothers know how to give. "Sit.""Mum...""Arielle."I sat. She studied me for a long moment, and I forced my face into something calm and boring. I've had a lot of practice."It was a client dinner," I said. "The resort people. They wanted to go over the plans over food. That's all.""And the man's cologne?""He sat close to me.""Did he now.""Mum." I laughed. "I'm twenty-five, not fifteen.""You're my child. That's a worse age." She
His Beautiful Deception The woman in my car
Alexander's POVShe didn't stop talking for the first ten minutes of the drive.She talked about the restaurant, the chocolate, the terrible traffic, a pigeon she had once seen steal a sandwich from a businessman's hand. She talked with her whole body, her hands moving, her shoulder turning toward me in the passenger seat as though I were an audience she was determined to win.I kept my eyes on the road.It was a rule I had never broken. When something disturbed my concentration, I gave it nothing. No reaction, no comment, no eye contact. Silence starved most things until they went away.Arielle Sinclair did not go away."You're doing it again," she said."Doing what?""Pretending I'm not here.""I'm driving.""You're pretending.""You're very persistent.""So I've heard." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Is it working?""No."She laughed softly and turned to look out the window. For a moment the car was quiet and I found, to my irritation, that I missed the noise.Her phone lit
His Beautiful Deception It was working
Arielle’s POV"There's nothing to tell." He didn't even look up from the menu. "Everyone has something to tell." "Not everyone wants to." I rested my elbow on the table and my chin on my hand. "Okay. Then I'll guess. You're thirty, you don't sleep, you hate small talk, and you have never once, in your entire life, said sorry first." The corner of his mouth moved. It wasn't a smile. It was a muscle reminding itself that smiles existed. "Two of those are correct." "Which two?" "Order your food, Ms. Sinclair." "I knew you'd say that." The waiter arrived and Alexander ordered without opening the menu, something with steak and a sauce I couldn't pronounce. I ordered pasta because I was starving and because I wanted to see whether he would comment on it. He didn't. Disappointing. When the waiter left, I leaned back and studied him. The candle between us caught the edge of his jaw. He had the kind of face that looked carved rather than born, all sharp lines and careful stillness.
قد تعجبك أيضًا
Spoiled by Mr. Russell
Luminous Night1.0M وجهات النظرWhen His Eyes Opened
Simple Silence25.1M وجهات النظرThe CEO's Ex-Wife Is A Famous Doctor
LiLhyz4.1M وجهات النظرForbidden Love Stories
Avi22Nash1.2M وجهات النظرThe Ruthless Billionaire's Plus-Size Obsession
L.Oyizah21 وجهات النظرMy Brother’s Best Friend’s Hidden Son
Billie Patsy265 وجهات النظرUNMARRIED
Ifee140 وجهات النظرTHE WIFE HE CHOSE FOR REVENGE
Tosin Evermoon 152 وجهات النظر
