Share

Chapter 7: His Rules

last update publish date: 2026-09-16 22:21:05

The first thing I noticed when I woke the next morning was that the sofa had done absolutely nothing to improve my sleep. My back ached, my neck felt stiff, and the narrow piece of furniture had somehow made eight hours feel like two. Across the room, Celine was still asleep on her side of the bed, her dark hair spread loosely across the pillow and one hand resting beneath her cheek. I should have looked away immediately, but I found myself watching her longer than I intended, until I reminded
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Latest chapter

  • The Billionaire's Wife For One Year   Chapter 24: The Man Beside Her

    Celine’s POVI spent most of the following morning thinking about Nathan's answer in the car the previous evening, even though I had tried several times to convince myself that there was nothing unusual about what he had said. A husband wanting his wife beside him at a company reception was hardly remarkable, especially when their marriage was public and their professional circles often overlapped. What made his answer difficult to dismiss was the fact that he had not blamed the invitation, the expectations of his company, or the terms of our arrangement when I asked him why he wanted me there. He had simply told me that he wanted to spend the evening with me, and I could not stop wondering whether I had begun wanting the same thing long before I was willing to admit it.At Bennett Industries, I tried to concentrate on the revised proposal from Carter Holdings, which had arrived early that morning with only a few outstanding points requiring my attention. Daniel had made the investmen

  • The Billionaire's Wife For One Year   Chapter 23: The Woman Beside Him

    Nathan’s POVI woke earlier than usual the following morning, partly because the light coming through the living room curtains had begun to brighten the room and partly because my back was beginning to protest against the sofa. Celine was still asleep beside me, her head resting against the cushion and the blanket I had placed over her shoulders sometime during the night. I remembered intending to return to my bedroom after making sure she was comfortable, but our conversation had continued until she fell asleep, and I had eventually settled back with the book I had been reading. Somewhere along the way, I had stopped thinking about going upstairs.When Celine finally stirred, she opened her eyes slowly before turning towards me with an expression of mild surprise."Good morning," I greeted her, keeping my voice low.She glanced at the blanket covering her before looking at me again. "You stayed here all night, Nathan?""I didn't want to wake you when you had finally fallen asleep," I

  • The Billionaire's Wife For One Year   Chapter 22: The Night He Stayed

    CelineBy the time I returned home that evening, I had read through the revised Carter Holdings proposal so many times that the figures had begun to blur together. Daniel's team had made the adjustments we requested, and the investment was now close to being finalized, but one important decision remained unresolved. The restructuring plan required Bennett Industries to close the division my father had established during the early years of the company, and although I understood why the decision made financial sense, accepting it felt like admitting that I could not preserve everything he had built.I placed my handbag on the living room table and loosened my jacket, hoping that a few minutes of quiet would help me organize my thoughts. Nathan was in his study, judging by the light beneath the door, and I considered going upstairs without disturbing him. However, when I passed the study a few minutes later, he opened the door and looked at me with the kind of attention that made it diff

  • The Billionaire's Wife For One Year   Chapter 21: The Denial

    NathanThe following morning, I found myself thinking about the piano room before I had even finished getting dressed. I could still remember the way Celine had looked at me while I played, not with the curiosity people usually showed when they discovered something unexpected about me, but with the quiet attention of someone who genuinely wanted to understand the person behind everything she already knew. I had spent years keeping that part of myself private, yet I had opened the door for her without questioning why I was doing it until much later.I reminded myself that there was nothing unusual about what had happened because Celine was my wife and she had asked about the person I had been before becoming CEO of Cross Enterprises. Showing her the music room had been a reasonable response to her questions, and allowing her to hear me play had not meant anything beyond that. The explanation was simple enough, although I found myself returning to it more often than seemed necessary.Wh

  • The Billionaire's Wife For One Year   Chapter 20: The Man Beneath the Billionaire

    CelineThe drive home from Nathan’s family estate was quieter than the journey there, although the silence between us no longer felt as uncomfortable as it had when we first arrived. I kept thinking about everything Nathan had told me during the evening, especially the parts of his past that seemed completely different from the controlled billionaire everyone else knew.When we finally reached home, Nathan loosened his tie as he walked through the entrance, and I followed him into the living room before asking, “You seemed uncomfortable at your grandfather’s house tonight. Was it because of the questions your family asked about our marriage?” I watched his expression carefully as I waited for his answer, because there had been several moments during dinner when he seemed less like the confident CEO I knew and more like someone trying to survive expectations he had never chosen for himself.Nathan placed his keys on the table and looked toward me before replying, “Partly, but the house

  • The Billionaire's Wife For One Year   Chapter 19: His World

    I had spent almost a year living beside Nathan without fully understanding the world that had shaped him. I knew about his company, his responsibilities, his grandfather's trust, and the expectations that seemed to follow him everywhere, but those things had always existed at a distance from our life together. Until the invitation arrived, I had never had a reason to step into that world and see what Nathan was like when he was surrounded by the people who had known him long before he became my husband.Nathan placed the envelope beside my breakfast plate on Saturday morning and explained, “My grandfather's trustees are holding their annual family dinner tonight, and they have asked me to attend with my wife.”I picked up the invitation and looked at him before asking, “Are you asking me to go with you?”“I am telling you that you do not have to go,” Nathan replied. “The dinner is connected to the trust, and I know the last thing you need is to spend an evening surrounded by people wh

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status