MasukThey found a nearby bench, surrounded by hanging plants and soft sunlight streaming through the glass roof, and settled down. Annabelle felt her tension begin to ease. It wasn’t as if she was unaware of the dangerous position she was in—she couldn’t forget for a second that Andre had the power to crush her family with the flick of his wrist. But for now, in this quiet space, she allowed herself to pretend she lived a much more normal life. She forgot about her father’s frantic desperation and
He pushed back his chair and stood. “Dad,” he said, reaching for David’s arm, his voice tight. “That’s enough. Calm down.”David wrenched his arm free with force, shoving James backward a step. His eyes were wild, his expression twisted with anger. “Don’t touch me,” he snapped. “If you had just kept it in your pants, would we even be in this mess?”James froze, his jaw tightening as the accusation hung between them.“You just had to ruin everything,” David continued, his voice cutting, each word laced with contempt. “You couldn’t keep your vows, couldn’t keep your focus, and now look at us. Look at what you’ve done.”Margaret let out a broken sob again, but David did not stop.“At least when I had my indiscretions,” he went on, his tone shifting into something almost self-righteous, “I had the sense not to replace the lady of my house with a mistress.”Margaret’s head jerked up, her face crumpling as fresh tears spilled over. Whatever composure she had been clinging to shattered compl
There were sympathetic murmurs at that but she did not linger on it. “It felt,” she went on, a faint smile returning, “like being handed the keys to a car and told to drive when I had never even taken a lesson before.” There was soft laughter from the audience. “But I have been fortunate.” She turned her head slightly, glancing toward Andre, who stood just a step behind her. “Because I have had someone beside me who knows exactly how to steer.”Andre inclined his head faintly, his expression unreadable.“Whatever differences we may have had in the past,” Lila continued, “Andre has proven himself to be someone of remarkable skill and dedication. And with his guidance, his experience, and his… patience,” she added lightly, drawing another small ripple of amusement from the crowd, “I am confident that Winters Corp. will not only remain a leader in this industry, but continue to grow in ways my father would have been proud of.” She paused, letting her words settle before finishing, “I may
Andre Winters was dressed in an Italian suit cut to perfection, the fabric a deep shade of green so dark it was almost indistinguishable from black under the chandelier’s warm light. He projected that kind of confidence that came from years of command. When he reached the microphone, he offered the audience a restrained smile, one that did not quite reach his eyes. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his voice carrying easily across the hall. “Welcome to the Winters Corporation gala.”The room settled, the last murmurs fading into attentive silence.Andre’s gaze swept across the audience. “We are gathered here tonight for a rather significant occasion,” he continued. “An announcement that has been a long time coming.” He paused briefly. “Tonight, you will witness the introduction of the new chairwoman of the Winters conglomerate: my sister, Delilah Winters.”There was a ripple through the audience at that. Andre inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the reaction. “When
James stood rooted to the spot for a moment longer than he should have, his gaze fixed on Lila’s retreating figure as she walked away with that man, her hand tucked so naturally into his arm that it made something inside him twist unpleasantly. He barely registered the hum of conversation around him. All of it seemed distant and muffled, as though he were hearing it from underwater.Then his father’s hand clamped down on his arm. The grip was hard and biting, yanking him back to the present with a force that made him flinch. David’s fingers dug into his sleeve, his expression thunderous as he leaned in close. “Have you completely lost your mind?” he demanded under his breath. The sharpness of his tone cut through the surrounding noise all the same. “What are you doing standing there staring after her like a fool?”James jerked his arm, trying to free himself, but David’s hold tightened for a second before releasing him with a shove. His father’s eyes burned with irritation as he conti
Lila glanced at her briefly, her expression softening for the barest second before it smoothed out again. She checked the time on her watch, then stepped back. “Don’t worry,” she said lightly. “I was leaving anyway.” She turned without another word and began to walk away, her spine straight.James felt something tighten in his chest as he watched her retreat. The conversation had barely begun, and already she was slipping out of reach again. Irritation flared within him, quick and sharp, directed as much at his father as at the situation itself. He muttered a curse under his breath before moving after her, his strides longer and more urgent, weaving through the small clusters of guests until he caught up.He caught up to her within a few steps, his hand shooting out to grasp her wrist. The contact was brief, but Lila reacted almost instinctively. She yanked her hand free with a sharp motion, taking a step back as she turned on him, her eyes flashing with unmistakable anger.“If you do
For a moment, James did not comply. His fingers remained wrapped around her arm, not painfully tight, but possessive enough to draw attention. There was a restless energy in him now, something unsettled and insistent, as if seeing her again had stirred too many things at once.“Where have you been?” he demanded, his voice dropping as he leaned closer. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you?” His eyes searched her face accusingly. “And now you just show up here like nothing happened? At this event of all places?”The irritation in her eyes deepened. With a sharp motion, she pulled her arm free from his grip and took a step back immediately, putting space between them, her posture straight and composed even as annoyance laced her tone. “What I’m doing here,” she said coolly, “is none of your business.”James’s jaw tightened at her response, the muscle ticking faintly as his temper stirred. His eyes narrowed, and he took a step toward her again, unwilling to let the dis
“I won’t go back to being some filthy mistress, James!” Rachel screamed, her voice rising in pitch with each word. “I won’t be the one people look at with disgust every time I walk into a room. And now you’re going to leave me too? After everything I’ve done for you?”James finally turned t
When they returned, Dominic had just finished setting their plates on the coffee table. The slight tension in his face eased when he noticed Lila carrying Winnie, and when the little girl sleepily murmured, "Daddy," he seemed to visibly relax, his lips curving into a quick, grateful smile aimed a
Annabelle’s mind was a storm as she drove home, the quiet hum of the car’s engine doing little to settle the chaos raging inside her. She couldn’t stop replaying the kiss with Andre. Her body still remembered the heat of it, the sharp edge of his hands on her skin, the firm press of his lips against
Just as Annabelle was about to take a deep breath and relax, Andre reappeared with two mocktails in hand, his expression one of feigned innocence."Here we go," he said, setting the drinks down in front of her. "I thought you might need a little something after that... torturou







