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The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 123
Dennis kept his eyes on the road, both hands gripping the wheel, but the tension in his jaw said enough. I sat curled in the passenger seat, my legs pulled up, one hand resting on Leo’s thigh. He hadn’t let go of my other hand since we got in the car.I leaned my head back, turned toward Dennis. "Did you know about this?"Dennis didn’t answer right away. His voice was calm when he finally spoke. "No. I didn’t. I got the call the same time you did. I’m still catching up."Leo glanced sideways at me, squeezing my hand."You should have told me you were alive," I said, quietly, mostly to him."I know," he murmured. "I wanted to."My fingers slid over his, tracing the lines of his knuckles. I couldn’t stop touching him. I needed the physical reminder. His thumb rubbed circles on the back of my hand.When we finally pulled up in front of the house, I didn’t move right away. Leo got out first and came around to open my door. I stepped out, looking at the front door."All my stuff is still a
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 122
The boardroom was still, no one said a word.Leo didn’t look at them. He didn’t care, he was looking only at me.And then his hands were on my face, warm and real. My breath caught as he stepped in, close, too close, and before I could even say a word, he kissed me.I melted into it.It was hungry, messy, not soft or gentle, not after everything. My fingers clutched at his jacket, needing to hold on to something, needing to prove he was solid and not a dream I would wake up from again. He kissed me like he was afraid to stop. I didn’t stop him.We were both still shaking. I could feel it in the way his hands cupped my cheeks, in the way I couldn’t keep still. I didn’t care who was watching.Around us, the room shifted. Papers rustled. Footsteps echoed. Chairs scraped the floor as people got up, unsure of what to say or how to respond. I didn’t look at them. I kept kissing him. I didn’t care that this was supposed to be a professional space, didn’t care about the meeting, the betrayal,
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 121
The room exploded.I couldn't even hear my own heartbeat over the chaos. People stood up, voices layered over one another, gasps turning into shouts, chairs scraping across the floor. Shareholders whispered frantically to each other, some of them backing away from the table, phones already out, recording. Someone dropped a pen, and it rolled along the glossy wood without anyone bothering to catch it.Leo didn’t flinch.He kept walking, one measured step after another. His face was unreadable, calm in a way that almost scared me more than if he'd been angry or broken. He walked like he hadn't just returned from the dead. Like he hadn't been missing for weeks while everyone speculated and grieved and planned behind his back.I stood there frozen, watching him come closer. My legs were locked in place, my mouth slightly open, but no sound came out. I blinked once, then again, trying to confirm he was real.He looked directly at Carla first.She stepped back instinctively. Her eyes were w
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 120
The morning came faster than I wanted.I barely slept the night before. I kept checking my phone for any updates from Dennis, nothing and no sign of Leo, there was no lead on Julie, just silence, I sat at the edge of the bed long before the sun came up, staring at the floor, holding my phone in both hands. Eventually, I stood and went to the bathroom. I turned on the light, squinting at the mirror, my face looked tired, my eyes were dull, and the dark circles under them didn’t go away even after splashing water on my face.I brushed my hair out slowly, piece by piece, then pulled it back into a sleek, low bun. I wanted to look sharp, focused. I reached for the navy blazer I’d picked out last night and slid it on over a white blouse. I buttoned the front and adjusted the collar. I stepped back and stared at my reflection.“I wish you were here,” I whispered. “I wish you were walking in with me.”The silence in the mirror didn’t answer.I grabbed my small leather case and walked downs
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 119
I spent the next several hours calling every name Derek had flagged in the shareholder list. Each call started the same. I would introduce myself, explain that I wanted to speak briefly about Leo, and ask for a meeting, just ten minutes, face to face. I wasn’t asking for much. I wasn’t making threats. I kept it professional, calm and clear.Most of them didn’t answer at all.The ones who did gave short responses. Some polite, some cold. One assistant told me to submit a request through a corporate scheduling portal. Another said her boss was out of the country for the next two weeks. Another said, “The board already has a path forward,” before hanging up.I sat in a quiet booth in a corner café, my phone resting on the table next to an untouched glass of iced tea. I’d circled the same five streets all morning trying to make this work. Ryan had offered to come with me, but I told him I needed to do this alone.By noon, I had three confirmed responses. All rejections.One shareholder’s
The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride 118
I sat at the kitchen table, one hand curled around my coffee mug, the other hovering over my phone. I stared at the contact screen for a good thirty seconds before finally pressing the call button. My heart beat a little faster than it needed to. I hadn’t spoken to Derek Parrish in years.The phone rang three times, then picked up.“Hello?”“Derek? It’s Bella.”There was a pause on the line.“Wait—Bella?” He sounded stunned. “From senior year contracts class? Are you serious right now?”I smiled just slightly. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure if you’d even still have the same number.”“Oh my God. I haven’t heard from you in forever.” His voice had that same fast, enthusiastic rhythm I remembered from college. “Wow, this is crazy.”“It’s been a while.”“No kidding.” He chuckled, then suddenly hesitated. “Okay, so, I’m just going to say it, I used to have the biggest crush on you back then. Like embarrassing levels of obvious. I’m pretty sure even the janitor knew. Wow. I can’t believe I just admit
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