เข้าสู่ระบบChloe’s POVThe dark shape leaning over me transformed into Nathan’s face the second my eyes adjusted. His breath smelled like the whiskey he always drank when he couldn’t sleep. One of his hands was already on my shoulder, the other sliding lower.“Chloe, baby, wake up,” he whispered, voice thick. “I’m so fucking horny. It’s been too long. Come on, just let me—”I shoved at his chest hard. “Get off me!”He didn’t move despite all my efforts to push him away. His fingers tugged at the hem of my shirt instead, trying to pull it up. “Don’t be like that. You’re my wife. I need you tonight!”Hate burned so hot in my throat I almost choked on it. Cheater! Liar!. This was the man who had been inside Naomi while I remained frozen on the cold floor. The same son of a butch who had fed me dangerous pills for years so I could never have a child. Every part of me wanted to scream those truths in his face, but the fight for my late mother's company stopped me. He still had control of it on paper
Chloe's POVNaomi sat across from me in that quiet and poised manner, she would not tell me who the father of the baby was.That was the part that made my skin crawl. Besides the big pregnancy reveal of course. But the way she just sat there, folding her hands in her lap, one ankle tucked behind the other like we were two friends having tea instead of what this actually was. The lamp light fell soft on her face and made her look gentle. Almost angelic."Before you ask, I'm not telling you who the father is," she said. "Not yet. You'll know when the time is right."When the time is right? Like she was doing me a favor. I managed to keep my face still even though it cost me everything."The right time," I repeated, and heard my own voice come out light. "Naomi, can you even hear yourself right now? You show up pregnant, you won't say who the man is, and you act like this is all normal and I should pay you in the back?"She laughed. A small, warm laugh, the one she used to give me when I
Chloe’s POVBianca was fine, that was the only thing that mattered.She had tripped on the garden steps earlier and fallen hard enough that Jane panicked, calling Nathan when my own phone hadn't gone through. By the time I arrived the doctor was already there, checking her pupils and asking the same questions twice to be sure there were no signs of concussion. Bianca kept insisting she was okay, even laughing a little when Jane fussed over the small scrape on her elbow.I hugged my sister longer than usual before I left. Jane squeezed my hand at the door and wished me to get home safely. I was nodding, mumbling a “thank you” to her, but my mind was already somewhere else.The way he had looked at the restaurant earlier kept replaying in my head. That brief flash of something almost sad beneath the cold expression when he stubbornly refused the deal. Derek wasn't…usually like that. He was playful, teasing when he wanted to. Especially the moment he started to call me his darling in tha
Chloe’s POVElla turned to him, surprised. “Derek—”“I said the deal is off,” he repeated, still watching me. “She’s not handling it. No one from that company is. Ella, you didn't tell me that's why you've brought me here.”My mouth opened, then closed. Heat rushed up my neck, part shock, part anger. He turned to me, snapping. “You heard me, Cara Mia. It's not happening.”He said Cara Mia in public! But that didn't even give me much concern compared to the fact that he said the deal was off!The table went quiet. Ryan stayed still beside me. Ella looked between her brother and me like she had missed an entire conversation.I forced myself to hold Derek’s gaze even though my heartbeat was rising too fast. I was still trying to process the words.The deal is off? Just like that, before it has even begun?“Um…” I brought myself to speak. “If this is about um, the last time, we take full responsibility!”Ryan flashed me a warning glare, looking disappointed in me. What had I said wrong? H
Chloe’s POV“Morning,” Ryan said. His voice was calm, almost quiet. “You look like you didn’t sleep much.”I raised an eyebrow, blinking twice. He was being nice two times a row?. “Is it that obvious?”He nodded, “a little.” Then took it to himself to quickly head out before I could even utter another word. When he came back, he was holding two paper cups. “I got coffee. Thought you might need one too.”He set one down in front of me. The smell hit first — strong and bitter with no milk? Clearly I was sure there was no sugar there too. For me? Clearly he didn't know about my secret obsession for sugary things. I forced a smile. “Thanks. That's…very nice of you.”He gave a tiny shrug and sat back down, already opening his laptop like it was no big deal.I waited until he looked away, then quietly poured half the coffee into the plant behind my desk when no one was watching. The rest went into the trash under a crumpled napkin. I wasn’t going to reject the only person in this office wh
Chloe’s POVI stood still, staring at him with possibly fire residing in my eyes. For a second I didn't care anymore if it would show on my face. “What nonsense are you saying?” I forced my jaw to losen. “Why won't I use my medicine?”Three years of hoping for a baby they made sure I would never have.I forced my breathing to slow, and for my shoulders to drop. The rage was slowly melting from my eyes. It was working…Then he mentioned her name, causing my insides to form a hard knot all over again. “Naomi told you that?” He raised an eyebrow like the question was strange. “Chloe, your best friend has been worried about you. It's so obvious you're stressing yourself lately, especially with you taking up this job right now. Just resign, let me handle the company, hmm?”My best friend. How fucked up was that! When I heard Ryan lived in the richest estate in town, I wanted to rush and call Naomi, sharing the news with her. When I fucked the richest man in town!...She was my best frien







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