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Chapter 15: The Word that Broke Her

Penulis: empatheticvirgo
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-16 22:37:24

The charity gala glittered with cruelty.

Everything about it screamed opulence—crystal chandeliers dripping light, silk gowns whispering across marble floors, laughter sharp with calculation. Celeste had worn rooms like this her entire life. She knew how to survive them.

Tonight, she felt exposed.

Arrow’s hand rested at the small of her back as they entered, a familiar public gesture that had become instinctive. Cameras flashed immediately. Celeste smiled on cue, her body moving through the routine as if on autopilot.

She didn’t feel real.

“You okay?” Arrow murmured as they posed.

“Yes,” she lied.

Inside, conversations overlapped in polished chaos. Investors discussed markets. Socialites dissected scandals. Philanthropy was traded like currency.

Celeste excused herself halfway through the night, slipping toward the balcony under the pretense of fresh air. The doors closed softly behind her, muffling the noise.

She leaned against the railing and inhaled deeply.

Just a moment, she told
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  • Slaving the Lady Billionaire   Chapter 24: The Bed Clause

    The amendment arrived just after midnight.Celeste saw the notification glow on her phone while the penthouse slept around her, the city lights below Monaco flickering like restless thoughts she couldn’t quiet. She was still dressed in a silk robe, hair loose over her shoulders, posture rigid as she sat at the edge of the couch, rereading the message as if repetition might change its meaning.It didn’t.Addendum to Clause Twelve: Shared sleeping arrangements are required during all joint travel to reinforce marital optics and mitigate speculative narratives.Celeste let out a short, humorless laugh.“They’re forcing us into the same bed now,” she murmured to the empty room.As if summoned, Arrow emerged from the bedroom, tie loosened, sleeves rolled, his expression already dark. “I just read it.”She looked up at him. “So this is what control looks like now?”“It’s pressure,” he replied. “Calculated.”“Psychological,” she corrected.They stared at each other, the weight of the amendme

  • Slaving the Lady Billionaire   Chapter 23: The Mother

    Arrow De La Vega’s mother did not announce her arrival.She never had.The penthouse knew before Celeste did—the subtle shift in atmosphere, the tightening of space, the quiet sense that something sharp had entered the room. Celeste felt it as she reviewed documents at the dining table, the words blurring slightly on the screen as unease crept up her spine.Then came the sound of heels.Measured. Unhurried. Certain.Celeste looked up just as Margaret De La Vega stepped inside, her presence commanding without effort. She wore a navy suit tailored to precision, pearls resting at her throat like armor. Her silver hair was swept into a flawless chignon, her expression cool and unreadable.No assistant. No warning.“Celeste,” Margaret said, voice smooth as polished steel.Celeste rose slowly, setting her tablet aside. “Mrs. De La Vega.”Margaret’s gaze swept over her with clinical efficiency, as though assessing a potential acquisition rather than a daughter-in-law. “You look tired.”“It’s

  • Slaving the Lady Billionaire   Chapter 22: The Socialite

    Celeste noticed Isabella Croix because Isabella wanted to be noticed.She arrived at the Monaco charity gala precisely twelve minutes after Celeste and Arrow—late enough to make an entrance, early enough to dominate the room. The orchestra had just softened its tempo, glasses were freshly refilled, and the attention of the crowd was beginning to wander.Isabella gave it something to focus on.She wore silver like a challenge, the fabric clinging to her tall, willowy frame as if it had been poured rather than sewn. Diamonds traced her throat and wrists, catching the light with calculated brilliance. Her dark hair was pulled back into a severe, elegant twist that emphasized her sharp cheekbones and even sharper gaze.But it wasn’t her beauty that made Celeste’s stomach tighten.It was Arrow’s reaction.Not obvious. Not crude. But unmistakable.The moment Isabella crossed the marble floor, Arrow’s posture shifted—only slightly, just enough for Celeste to feel it through the arm she had l

  • Slaving the Lady Billionaire   Chapter 21: Turbulence

    The private jet cut through the night sky like a blade honed to perfection, its engines humming with a low, unrelenting authority. Inside the cabin, everything was controlled luxury—cream leather seats, polished wood panels, muted gold lighting designed to soothe nerves that refused to be soothed.Celeste Montaire sat by the window, her posture immaculate, her expression carefully neutral. The city lights below had long disappeared, replaced by endless clouds illuminated faintly by the moon. She watched them drift by, untouchable and distant, and thought bitterly that they mirrored her own life perfectly.Across from her sat Arrow De La Vega.Not beside her. Across.The distance between them was deliberate, engineered like every other aspect of their marriage. Space could be calculated. Boundaries could be enforced. At least, that was the lie they both told themselves.Arrow had removed his suit jacket, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing the sharp lines of muscle beneath pri

  • Slaving the Lady Billionaire   Chapter 20: Private Battles

    By the end of the week, the world was convinced.Articles praised their “quiet devotion.” Analysts pointed to their seamless appearances as proof that Clause Five had stabilized, not strained, their marriage. Fans posted compilations set to soft music, romanticizing restraint as depth.They called it love.Celeste called it survival.She stood before the mirror in the Paris suite, adjusting her earrings with meticulous care. Her reflection stared back—composed, flawless, distant. The woman she saw looked capable.She didn’t feel capable.Her confidence had fractured in pieces so small she didn’t know how to gather them. Every smile felt borrowed. Every step beside Arrow felt heavier than the last.“You’re ready,” Arrow said from behind her.She flinched slightly before recovering. “So are you.”They had learned not to startle each other.Appearances had trained them well.The final charity event of the trip unfolded without incident. No leaks. No confrontations. No storms.That was al

  • Slaving the Lady Billionaire   Chapter 19: Almost

    The storm arrived without warning.One moment Paris glowed beyond the windows—wet streets reflecting gold and white—and the next, thunder cracked so violently the glass rattled in its frame. The lights flickered once.Then went out.Darkness swallowed the suite.Celeste froze, breath catching sharply in her throat.“It’s just the power,” Arrow said, his voice calm but closer than it had been seconds ago.“I know,” she whispered. “I just—”The thunder rolled again, closer this time. The sound vibrated through her chest, through the floor beneath her feet.“I’m here,” Arrow said quietly.She felt him before she saw him—heat, presence, the familiar tension she’d learned too well.“That’s the problem,” she replied softly.The darkness made everything sharper. Sound. Breath. Awareness.She could hear him inhale.Slow. Controlled.Too controlled.“Celeste,” he said, her name heavy with meaning.She swallowed. “We should keep distance.”“Yes,” he agreed.Neither moved.Rain hammered against

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