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Chapter Ten

Author: Elira sloane
last update publish date: 2026-04-09 01:09:09

LATE NIGHTS AND LONGER SILENCE

NOELLE'S POV

The days blurred into a haze of careful distance and unspoken heat.

By the third week under Roman’s ownership, I had perfected the art of existing in the same building as him without falling apart. I timed my arrivals. I scheduled meetings when I knew he’d be on calls. I kept my office door closed more often than not.

It still wasn’t enough.

Thursday night found me at my desk, surrounded by fabric swatches, lighting mockups, and three different versio
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  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter one hundred and twenty

    THE CABINROMAN'S POVThe cabin was too quiet.The only sounds were the soft creak of old wood settling, the faint whistle of wind through the trees outside, and the uneven rhythm of my own breathing. I stood just inside the living room doorway, body tensed, every muscle locked and ready. Across from me, Liana held the kitchen knife loosely at her side, the blade catching the weak yellow light from the single bulb overhead. Between us, Noelle sat bound to the wooden chair, her wrists raw where the rope had bitten into her skin, her ankles secured tightly to the chair legs.Her eyes were fixed on me.I forced myself to look at her first.“Noelle,” I said, keeping my voice low and steady even though my throat felt scraped raw. “I’m here. You’re going to be okay.”She couldn’t speak through the gag, but she nodded once, a small, trembling movement. Tears streaked her cheeks. Dirt and dried tracks marked her face. The sight of her looking like this. Helpless, afraid, and entirely because

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter one hundred and nineteen

    THE RACEROMAN'S POVThe video ended.The screen went black.For three full seconds, I couldn’t move. My lungs locked. My vision tunneled. The only sound in the room was the frantic thudding of my own heart against my ribs.Then the sound came back all at once.A raw, broken noise tore out of my throat. I staggered backward until my shoulders hit the wall. The phone slipped from my fingers and clattered onto the marble floor. The glass cracked. I didn’t care.Noelle.Tied to a wooden chair. With rope cutting into her wrists, tears running down her face and her eyes wide with terror.And Liana’s voice, soft and shattered and completely insane: “Come find us, Roman. You know where I am. Our special place.”The cabin.The old wooden cabin in the woods outside the city. The one we used to escape to when the world got too loud. The place where she used to smile like she was free. The place I had once thought was ours.I was already moving before the thought fully formed.I snatched the cra

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter one hundred and eighteen

    SIX HOURS OF SILENCEROMAN'S POVSix hours.It had been six fucking hours since Noelle’s last message.I sat on the edge of my bed in the penthouse, staring at my phone screen like it held the answers to the universe. The message stared back at me, timestamped at six twelve in the evening.Noelle: Heading out now. See you soon.That was it. Nothing after that. No “I’m home.” No “Traffic is bad.” No heart emoji like she sometimes sent when she was thinking of me.I had called her twelve times already. Every single one went straight to voicemail. Her voice on the recording. The calm, professional, the one she used for work felt like a knife twisting in my chest.Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.“Noelle, it’s me again. Please call me back. I’m starting to get worried. Just let me know you’re okay.”I hung up and dropped the phone on the bed, dragging my hands through my hair. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since the fifth unanswered call. Something was wrong. Deeply, ho

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter one hundred and seventeen

    TAKENNOELLE'S POVThe elevator doors opened to the lobby with a soft ding. I stepped out, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder. The workday had been surprisingly manageable. There were fewer whispers and more actual work, and a quiet sense of accomplishment I hadn’t felt in weeks. Roman had texted me earlier, a simple “Thinking of you. Can’t wait to see you tonight.”It made me smile despite everything.I waved goodbye to the security guard at the front desk and pushed through the revolving doors into the cool evening air. The sun had already set, painting the sky in deep purples and oranges. Streetlights flickered on one by one as I started walking toward the usual pickup spot where Roman usually waited.My heels clicked against the pavement. I pulled out my phone to text him that I was on my way out.Noelle: Heading out now. See you soon.I slipped the phone back into my bag and kept walking. The street was relatively quiet for this time of evening. A few people heading ho

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter one hundred and sixteen

    CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN: PROOF IN ACTIONSROMAN'S POVI hadn’t slept properly in days, but for the first time in weeks, I felt like I was moving in the right direction.The morning after Noelle agreed to give me a chance, I woke up at five. and started making calls before the sun even rose. No more waiting. No more excuses. If I wanted her back, I had to show her through actions, not just words.First call: My lawyer.“Richard, file the emergency restraining order against Liana Voss today. I want it served by noon. Include Noelle Carter as a protected party. Spare no expense. I want police enforcement if she comes anywhere near her or me.”Next: The private security firm.“Double the detail around Noelle’s building and my penthouse. Add facial recognition for Liana. If she shows up, detain and call the authorities immediately. Send me hourly reports.”By nine a.m., I had attended my first therapy session, a virtual one with a highly recommended trauma specialist. I was honest

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter one hundred and fifteen

    CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN: ALMOSTNOELLE'S POVThe soft glow of my bedroom lamp cast warm shadows across the room as I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing down the soft navy blue and white dress I had chosen after trying out three other outfits. It was simple but elegant. It was knee-length, with a modest neckline and a slight flare at the hem. I had spent nearly an hour deciding on what to wear, changing outfits three times before settling on this one.Tonight was our first real date since everything fell apart.Roman had asked me out properly after work and after days of thinking, I had finally said yes.My heart was a nervous mess. Part of me was excited. The other part was terrified. And I felt a little bit guilty too.After everything we've been through, we needed this.Bria had helped me get ready earlier, sitting on my bed and offering encouragement while Milo watched from the windowsill.“You look really beautiful,” she had said, squeezing my hands. “Just enjoy your

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter fifty-nine

    FLOWERS AND HOURSNOELLE POV The flowers arrived at my desk at nine-fifteen on Friday morning.These were mot the kind of thing you ordered online at midnight with a generic message and a credit card. These were intentional. White peonies and something deep burgundy I didn't know the name of, wrap

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter fifty-seven

    BAD DAYSNOELLE POV Roman haven't reached out in hours. Which was strange.I spent a considerable amount of energy and time pretending I hadn't been bothered. Butt by two in the afternoon his office had been dark for six hours and I had walked past it three times with increasingly unconvincing rea

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter fifty-six

    ACQUISITIONSROMAN POV The meeting was called for nine.I knew before I walked in.Not because anyone told me. No one had the courtesy. But I had spent five years reading rooms before entering them, and this one had been rearranged. Different energy in the lobby. Assistants who wouldn't hold eye c

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE   Chapter fifty-five

    TOO BROKENNOELLE'S POVThe comment wouldn’t leave me alone.“Same hair color. Same nose. You and Roman could almost pass for siblings.”Margaret’s words replayed in my head like a broken record as I sat at my desk on Monday morning, staring at the same email for the tenth time without reading a si

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