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Chapter 19
Last Updated:
2025-12-14 01:44:12
Latest chapter
The CEO's Contracted Heart Chapter 20
Choices and ConsequencesI found the sabotage by accident.That was the part that frightened me most.It was late afternoon, the kind of hour where the mansion held its breath—staff shifting quietly, sunlight slanting through tall windows like something fragile and breakable. Chloe was in the playroom with Mrs. Ender, laughter floating down the corridor in soft, uneven bursts.Safe.I kept repeating that word in my head as I walked toward the east wing office, carrying a tablet Victor had asked me to return. My footsteps slowed when I noticed the door was ajar.That office was never left open.Something in my chest tightened.I pushed the door gently, peering inside.Nothing looked disturbed at first glance. Desk pristine. Chairs aligned. Screens dark. But the air felt… wrong. Too still. Like a room that had just exhaled after holding a secret.I stepped inside.The tablet slipped from my fingers when I saw the open drawer.Cade’s private file cabinet.Unlocked.My pulse roared in my
The CEO's Contracted Heart Chapter 19
Conflicted HeartsThe mansion didn’t feel like a battleground that night.That was what made it dangerous.Soft light spilled from the chandeliers, casting warm gold across polished floors. A string quartet played somewhere in the west wing—low, elegant, meant to soothe donors and board members who had arrived for the charity planning dinner Cade couldn’t cancel, no matter how much he wanted to.Normalcy as camouflage.I stood near the edge of the room, smoothing my palms down the fabric of my dress, hyperaware of every breath I took. Chloe was safe upstairs with Victor and two guards stationed outside her door. I had checked three times already.Cade caught me watching the staircase.“She’s secure,” he said quietly, appearing beside me without warning.I nodded. “I know. I just… need to see it in my head.”His gaze softened—not indulgent, not dismissive. Understanding.“You’re doing fine,” he said.I looked up at him then. Really looked.He wasn’t in a suit tonight. Not exactly. The
The CEO's Contracted Heart Chapter 18
The Mansion Under SiegeThe sound shattered the night.Glass exploding—sharp, violent, unmistakable.Chloe screamed.I was out of bed before my mind caught up, heart slamming against my ribs as another crash echoed through the mansion. The alarm followed half a second later—low, howling, relentless.“Lila!” Chloe cried.I ran barefoot into her room just as she bolted upright in bed, eyes wild, hands shaking. Another loud crack thundered from somewhere below.I scooped her up instantly, pressing her head into my shoulder.“It’s okay,” I said, though my voice trembled. “I’ve got you.”The lights flickered.That was when real fear set in.This wasn’t a mistake.This wasn’t coincidence.This was intentional.“Stay with me,” I whispered, grabbing the emergency phone from her nightstand with one hand. “We’re going to the safe room.”She nodded, clinging to me as I moved into the hall. Doors were opening, staff voices rising, radios crackling with clipped commands. Somewhere below, glass cr
The CEO's Contracted Heart Chapter 17
The Threat IntensifiesSomething was wrong the moment Chloe didn’t come running.She was usually up before me—soft footsteps padding down the hall, a shy smile when she saw me, her rabbit tucked under one arm. Even on her quiet days, she sought me out.This morning, the corridor outside her room was silent.A thin unease slid under my skin as I knocked lightly on her door.“Chloe? Sweetheart?”No answer.I pushed the door open.Her bed was empty.The blankets were thrown back like she’d climbed out in a hurry, rabbit missing, curtains wide open. My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.“Chloe?” I called, louder now.Nothing.I spun, scanning the room, the adjoining bathroom, the closet. Panic clawed at my throat, sharp and fast. I forced myself to breathe.Think, Lila. Don’t panic. Act.I stepped into the hall just as Mrs. Ender emerged from the stairwell, her face tight.“Have you seen Chloe?” I asked.Her brows knit. “I was just coming to ask you. She wasn’t at breakfast.”That w
The CEO's Contracted Heart Chapter 16
Late Night ConfessionsThe mansion never truly slept.It only softened after midnight—lights dimmed, footsteps faded, and the echoing halls seemed to breathe more slowly, like a giant holding its breath. I learned this during my third week here, pacing quietly between Chloe’s room and the sitting area, listening for nightmares or whispered cries.Tonight, Chloe slept peacefully.Her chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, one small hand clutching the corner of her blanket like it was an anchor. I lingered longer than necessary, smoothing her hair back, memorizing the soft curve of her cheek. Moments like this reminded me why I stayed. Why I endured the tension, the scrutiny, the whispers.Why I tried not to think too hard about Cade Ashford.I closed her door gently and turned——and nearly collided with him.I gasped, hand flying to my chest. “You scared me.”Cade stood just outside Chloe’s room, sleeves rolled up, tie gone, dark hair slightly rumpled like he’d dragged his fingers thro
The CEO's Contracted Heart Chapter 15
Secrets UnveiledI didn’t mean to find it.I wasn’t snooping, I wasn’t even thinking about Vanessa or her schemes—just carrying a stack of Chloe’s coloring pages to the small storage cabinet near the security office. But as soon as I opened the drawer, a thin folder slid forward as if pushed by an invisible hand.A red tab.A single word: Confidential.My heart stopped.I shouldn’t have touched it. I knew that even before my fingers closed around the file, but curiosity wrapped around my wrists and pulled.Inside were printed screenshots—emails leaked from inside the mansion. Some were small things: Cade’s schedule, kitchen supply lists, Chloe’s class timings. But one page made my pulse spike.Leaked custody hearing notes.Not public. Not harmless.And definitely not something anyone should have access to.The worst part wasn’t that the documents existed.It was the signature on the bottom corner of one of the pages, faint but visible.A sweeping letter. A curved flourish.Someone in
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