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Chapter 36: When Control Slips
publish date:
2026-05-13 15:36:42
Latest chapter
The Billionaire I Rejected Is My Boss Chapter 90: Will You Choose Me Forever?
There are moments in life you imagine countless times. Moments you secretly hope for. Moments you wonder about when you’re alone. And somehow— When they finally happen, they’re nothing like you expected. They’re better. Much better. I stood beside Ethan in the center of the room, my hand still resting in his. My heart was beating so hard I was convinced everyone could hear it. Across the table, Rachel looked one second away from crying. Lila already looked emotional. Adrian looked far too entertained. And both Nathan and Caroline were smiling like they knew exactly what was coming. Traitors. Every single one of them. Ethan glanced around the room. Then shook his head slightly. “I had a speech.” That earned a laugh from several people. Including me. His gaze returned to mine. “I spent three days working on it.” “Only three?” The corner of his mouth lifted. “I started over fourteen times.” That surprised me. Because Ethan Blackwood did not struggle with words.
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I never imagined a dining table could make me nervous. Not a boardroom. Not a crowded ballroom. Not even the media attention that had followed Ethan for months. A dining table. Yet as I stood beside Ethan outside the private room of one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants, my stomach felt suspiciously unstable. Beside me, Ethan looked calm. Infuriatingly calm. “You’re enjoying this.” His mouth twitched. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Liar.” “I prefer selectively truthful.” I rolled my eyes. Unfortunately, my nervousness eased slightly. That was Ethan’s gift. Somehow, he always knew exactly when to make me laugh. Even when I didn’t want to. Especially when I didn’t want to. His hand found mine. Warm. Steady. “You ready?” No. Absolutely not. But when I looked at him, I smiled anyway. “Yes.” And together, we walked inside. The room was already occupied. Rachel sat beside Dad. Lila sat beside Adrian. Nathan Blackwood stood near the window
The Billionaire I Rejected Is My Boss Chapter 88: A Father’s Blessing (Ethan’s POV)
I had negotiated billion-dollar acquisitions. Faced hostile investors. Handled corporate crises. Survived being shot. Yet somehow, standing in Ava’s father’s backyard made me more nervous than any of them. The realization was deeply irritating. The evening air was cool. Quiet. The sounds of conversation drifted faintly from inside the house. Rachel’s laughter. Ava’s voice. The familiar rhythm of family. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Her father stood beside the wooden fence, hands in his pockets, staring toward the garden. Waiting. Giving me the opportunity to begin. Unfortunately. I suddenly understood why people dreaded these conversations. Finally, he glanced toward me. “You seem nervous.” I exhaled. “No point pretending otherwise.” A smile touched his face. “Good.” That wasn’t the answer I expected. “Good?” He nodded. “If you weren’t nervous, I’d be concerned.” Fair. Honestly. Very fair. The silence returned. Comfortable this time. Not awkward.
The Billionaire I Rejected Is My Boss Chapter 87: Sunday Dinner
Three days after lunch with Caroline, Ethan was still pretending he wasn’t planning something. I knew because every time I asked what was going on, he gave me the same suspiciously innocent smile. The one that usually meant trouble. Unfortunately, nobody else was any better. Rachel had been acting strangely all week. And every time I walked into a room, conversations seemed to stop. Which was never a good sign. By six o’clock, I was regretting every decision that had led to this moment. Including agreeing to family dinner. Including answering Rachel’s calls. And possibly including falling in love with Ethan Blackwood. “You’re staring at the mirror again.” I looked over my shoulder. Ethan stood near the apartment door adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. Looking entirely too calm. Which was suspicious. “I’m mentally preparing.” “For dinner?” “For my family.” A faint smile appeared. “Should I be worried?” “Yes.” The answer came immediately. Without hesitation. His a
The Billionaire I Rejected Is My Boss Chapter 86: The Woman He Chose to Love
I spent entirely too much time deciding what to wear. Which was ridiculous. Because this wasn’t a job interview. It wasn’t a corporate event. It wasn’t even a family gathering. It was lunch. Just lunch. And yet I had changed outfits three times. Possibly four. I wasn’t counting. “You’re nervous.” Ethan’s voice came from the doorway. I glanced up from my closet. “You say that like it’s unusual.” A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “It isn’t.” Rude. Accurate. But rude. I folded my arms. “What if she doesn’t like me?” His eyebrows immediately lifted. “Ava.” “What?” “Have you met yourself?” I stared at him. “I don’t know what that means.” “It means you’re worrying about something impossible.” The confidence in his answer warmed something inside my chest. Unfortunately, it didn’t help my nerves. Because today wasn’t about me. It was about him. About Caroline. About a relationship that had spent thirty-three years waiting to begin. And somehow I desp
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The cemetery was quieter than I remembered. Maybe because I hadn’t visited in months. Maybe because silence felt different now. Heavier. More noticeable. Or maybe it was because I wasn’t coming here as the same person who had left. The gravel path crunched beneath my shoes as I walked. Slowly. Deliberately. Rain clouds drifted across the afternoon sky, turning everything soft and gray. The kind of weather my mother used to love. She always said sunny days were overrated. I never understood that. Until now. Eventually, I reached her grave. And stopped. The headstone looked exactly the same. Of course it did. Life had changed. I had changed. But this place remained untouched. Unmoving. The inscription stared back at me. Beloved Wife. Beloved Mother. Forever Loved. A familiar ache settled inside my chest. Not new. Not surprising. Just familiar. For a long moment, I simply stood there. Hands in my pockets. Looking at the woman who had raised me. The woman
The Billionaire I Rejected Is My Boss Chapter 84: The Woman Who Chose Me (Ethan’s POV)
I hated those words. There’s something else you need to know. Lately, every version of that sentence seemed determined to dismantle another piece of my life. Nathan remained seated across from me. The letters still spread across the conference table. Thirty-three years of misunderstandings red
The Billionaire I Rejected Is My Boss Chapter 83: The Man Who Never Knew (Ethan’s POV)
I didn’t remember driving home. At some point, I left the restaurant. At some point, I got into my car. At some point, I made it back to the city. The details were blurry. My mind was somewhere else entirely. Twenty letters. Twenty chances. Twenty opportunities stolen before I even knew the
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For several seconds after the call ended, I simply stared at my phone. The screen had gone dark. The conversation was over. Yet somehow the office felt different. Smaller. Heavier. As though the air itself had changed. Across from me, Ava remained silent. Not because she didn’t have questio
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I don’t remember leaving the café. I remember Rachel calling after me. I remember her asking if I was okay. I remember promising I’d call later. But everything after that felt distant. Muted. Like the world had been wrapped in glass. One thought repeated itself over and over during the drive
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