本棚
検索
ホーム / Romance / The Billionaire's Bargain / Chapter 22: Eyes Beyond the Gate

共有

Chapter 22: Eyes Beyond the Gate

作者: Solo Daniels
last update 公開日: 2026-07-25 03:50:55

~SHARON

The afternoon passed more quietly than I expected. After the visitors left, Joe insisted that I finish my tea before worrying about anything else. I tried to do as he suggested, but my thoughts kept returning to the footsteps outside the dining room and the tense expressions on the faces of the men who had come looking for Xavier.

Something was happening. I could feel it. The frustrating part was knowing everyone around me was trying to protect me while carefully avoiding the truth.

I c
この本を無料で読み続ける
コードをスキャンしてアプリをダウンロード
前のチャプター 次のチャプター
ロックされたチャプター

最新チャプター

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 26: A Promise Without Words

    ~SHARONI didn't sleep well that night.It wasn't because of the letter.Surprisingly, it wasn't even because someone had been watching the mansion.It was because of Xavier.I lay awake staring at the ceiling long after midnight, replaying every conversation we had shared over the past few days. Every time fear had threatened to pull me under, he had somehow managed to steady me without making me feel weak.It confused me.I had spent so many years believing kindness always came with conditions that I no longer knew how to accept it when someone offered it freely.James had never comforted me.He solved problems by creating new ones.If I cried, he called me dramatic.If I defended myself, he called me disrespectful.If I stayed silent, he accused me of hiding something.No matter what I did, I was always wrong.Xavier was different.He never raised his voice.He never demanded explanations.Even when he clearly knew more than he was telling me, he somehow managed to make me feel saf

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 25: The Letter He Was Never Meant to Send

    ~XAVIERBy the time I reached the garden, the security officer had already positioned himself between Sharon and the gate.She was standing perfectly still, a white envelope clutched tightly in her hands.For one terrifying second, I thought she had opened it.She hadn't.Our eyes met across the pathway.Relief flickered across her face the moment she saw me, but it disappeared almost as quickly, replaced by confusion."Xavier..."I crossed the remaining distance without taking my eyes off the envelope."Are you hurt?"She looked surprised by the question."No.""Did anyone speak to you?"She shook her head."I only found this."She held it out carefully."It was on the ground."I accepted it without opening it.The paper was ordinary.Cheap.The kind that could be bought anywhere.Only one thing about it mattered.Her name.James had written it himself.I recognised the handwriting immediately.So did she."You know who wrote it," she whispered."I have a good idea."Her fingers tight

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 24: The Enemy at the Gate

    ~SHARONI remained at the dining table for several minutes after Xavier left the room.The silence no longer felt as comforting as it had a few moments earlier. His smile, his laughter, and the easy conversation we had shared were still fresh in my mind, yet the expression on his face after reading that message refused to leave me.It wasn't fear.It was determination.The kind of expression a person wore after making a difficult decision.I reached for my teacup, only to discover it had already gone cold.Without thinking, I stood and carried it toward the kitchen.Halfway there, I heard voices.They were low, careful, almost impossible to make out.I wasn't trying to eavesdrop.I simply froze when I recognized Xavier's voice."...increase the patrols tonight."A brief pause followed before another man answered."We've already doubled them, sir.""It's not enough."There was another silence."They're getting closer."I frowned.Getting closer?To whom?The conversation continued, but

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 23: The Dinner Neither of Them Expected

    ~SHARONThe library clock chimed seven times before I realized how late it had become.I closed the novel on my lap and stretched my arms carefully. Hours had slipped away without me noticing, and for once, I didn't mind losing track of time. Reading had always been my escape long before music entered my life. Somewhere between the pages of that old novel, I had managed to forget everything waiting outside the mansion walls.Almost everything.The black car returned to my thoughts.It had probably belonged to someone else.That was the sensible explanation.Still, the uneasy feeling refused to leave completely.A soft knock sounded against the open library door."Ma'am?"I looked up to find Joe standing there with his usual composed expression."Mr. Combs has just arrived."Something inside me reacted before my mind had the chance to.Relief.It surprised me enough that I quickly looked away."I'll come downstairs."Joe inclined his head."Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes."As

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 22: Eyes Beyond the Gate

    ~SHARONThe afternoon passed more quietly than I expected. After the visitors left, Joe insisted that I finish my tea before worrying about anything else. I tried to do as he suggested, but my thoughts kept returning to the footsteps outside the dining room and the tense expressions on the faces of the men who had come looking for Xavier.Something was happening. I could feel it. The frustrating part was knowing everyone around me was trying to protect me while carefully avoiding the truth.I couldn't decide whether to be grateful or annoyed. Perhaps I was both.Unable to settle my thoughts, I wandered into the library. It was one of the few rooms I hadn't explored properly. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, interrupted only by tall windows that overlooked the gardens. The room smelled faintly of polished wood and old paper, and for the first time since arriving at the mansion, I felt drawn toward something other than fear.I ran my fingers along the shelves until a worn n

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 21: The Truth Inside the Ledger

    ~XAVIERThe conference room remained silent long after everyone had taken their seats.A thick brown ledger lay at the center of the polished table, its worn leather cover giving nothing away. It looked ordinary enough that anyone else would have dismissed it as another old financial record.I knew better.The two investigators sitting across from me had spent the last forty-eight hours tracing shell companies, forged invoices, and accounts that had been opened only to disappear weeks later. They weren't the type of men to interrupt my schedule unless they had something worth hearing."What do we have?" I asked.The older investigator pushed the ledger toward me."We found it yesterday evening.""Where?""In one of James Holloway's abandoned storage units."I rested my hand on the cover without opening it."I thought the police searched every property connected to him.""They did."He paused before continuing."This unit wasn't registered under his name."I looked up."Whose was it?"

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 4: She’ll Never Be A Wife

    ~SHARONI pushed back a bit, and he grinned like a devil. “Is this how you want to get married? You’ll never be a wife,” he spat, grabbing my arm hard.I looked up at him, stumbling, wondering what he was going to do. He dragged me to my room and threw me to the floor, took out all the keys that co

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 3: Was He A Fan?

    ~SHARONGoosebumps ran all over me. How could I give my body to the person who hurt me? “I’m not in the mood,” I mumbled, and he punched me right on the head.I fell on the bed, my skull filled with aches. I tried to get my strength back, but he was still trying to force himself on me. Suddenly, I

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 2: This is Sia 

    ~SHARON “Good! A pathetic soul like you should just do as they’re told.” He spat, and the second he let go, I fell to the floor, gasping for air.He turned to leave, and that’s when I blurted it out. “I can’t do this anymore. I want out. Give me what you owe me, and you’ll never see me again.”He

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   Chapter 1: Pathetic As You

    ~SHARONIt feels like ages since I skipped out of my family’s house, just so I could make my own rules and chase my dreams. It was good for a bit, you know? I didn’t just find my own strength in music and acting, but I also thought I’d found the real deal when it came to love. Sat in the living roo

続きを読む

あなたも気に入るかもしれません

無料で面白い小説を探して読んでみましょう
GoodNovel アプリで人気小説に無料で！お好きな本をダウンロードして、いつでもどこでも読みましょう！
アプリで無料で本を読む
コードをスキャンしてアプリで読む
DMCA.com Protection Status