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Chapter 20

Penulis: Gracie
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-12 06:02:51

Rick pulled into the parking lot of The Belimar restaurant at exactly noon. He checked his appearance in the rearview mirror - he'd chosen a dark blue button-down shirt and slacks for the occasion, thinking the gallery would likely demand something more polished than his usual jeans and work boots.

As he walked toward the restaurant entrance, he mentally rehearsed the story he'd tell Allison today. What parts of himself he would reveal, what parts he would hide. Was this charade even necessary? He asked himself the tenth time that day.

He pulled open the door to the restaurant and was surprised to see Allison already seated at a corner table, waving to him with a bright smile. She wore a simple white blouse and dark jeans, her dark hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders. He wouldn’t lie though, she looked pretty, even in casual attire.

"You're early," He said as he approached the table.

Allison's smile widened. "Actually, I'm right on time. You're just exceptionally punctual.
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  • The Duchess's Game of Seduction   Chapter 89

    The next day being Sunday, Valerie still couldn't stop thinking about Aaron's words. They replayed in her mind like a broken record - *"What kind of man tortures someone for weeks and then comes home to fuck you? He is a monster!"*She'd spent the entire night tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom, trying to reconcile the Rick she knew with the man Aaron had described. The Rick who held her tenderly, who made her breakfast, who looked at her fondly - could that same man really be capable of keeping someone chained in a basement for weeks?By noon, she couldn't stand it anymore. She needed answers.She grabbed her keys from the key tray, ready to drive herself to Rick's apartment, but then Aaron's desperate look flashed through her mind and she stilled. He was still out there somewhere, loose and clearly unstable. The last thing she needed was another confrontation.So she texted Steve instead to get the car ready. Minutes later, they were on their way to Rick's a

  • The Duchess's Game of Seduction   Chapter 88

    Valerie sat frozen in the back seat, her heart still racing from the confrontation with Rick. The last thing she needed right now was another crisis. But here was Aaron Calder, on his knees in the middle of the road like some deranged human.She waited, watching through the tinted windows as her security team mobilized. Steve's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes fixed on Aaron."Ma'am," Steve said quietly, "the team is in position."Valerie could see them now - eight men surrounding Aaron from different angles."Grab him," Valerie ordered through her earpiece which was now connected in call with the security men. "Get him away from the car."She watched as two guards moved in and grabbed Aaron's arms. But as they began dragging him away, Aaron started struggling against their hold."Valerie!" he screamed desperately. "Please! Just listen to me! I need to talk to you!""Keep moving," she instructed her men, but Aaron's pleas grew more frantic."I'm begging you! Five min

  • The Duchess's Game of Seduction   Chapter 87

    Valerie glared at him, her chest heaving with frustration. Did he have to be so cruel about it? So dismissive?"You don't have to sound so rude about something I already know, Rick," she snapped.He stared at her for a long moment, then sighed heavily, running a hand through his dark hair. "What do you want, Valerie? You said you were here to say something?"The cold facade was back in full force, and Valerie hated it with every fiber of her being. He was speaking to her like he had on that first night - regarding her like something that wasn't worth his time, like she was nothing more than an inconvenience. She didn't like this side of him at all.But what did she expect? She had started this. They were having something good, something beautiful, but Valerie - the ever-complicated Valerie - had decided to destroy it because she was scared. Scared of what they were becoming, scared of how vulnerable he made her feel.She cleared her throat, steeling herself for what she had to say. "

  • The Duchess's Game of Seduction   Chapter 86

    Rick felt the guys staring at him, their expression filled with suspicions. He needed to give them something, anything to throw them off the scent without completely lying."Look," he said carefully, leaning back in his chair and forcing his voice to sound casual, "there might be someone I see occasionally. But it's nothing serious. Just... casual.""Casual?" Nathan's eyebrows shot up with interest. "Is that what you do now?"Rick took a long swig of his beer to buy himself time. "Not everything has to be a relationship, you know."Dante's eyes sharpened with curiosity. "Anyone we know?""No," Rick said quickly. "Just someone I met recently. It's really nothing worth talking about.""Come on, give us something," Gabriel pressed. "What's she like? Hot? Smart? Crazy?"Rick felt his jaw clench. Why won't they just drop it already?"She's..." Rick paused, struggling to find words that wouldn't reveal too much. "She's complicated.""Complicated how?" Adrian asked."Just complicated," Rick

  • The Duchess's Game of Seduction   Chapter 85

    "Get dressed!" Dante said, clapping Rick on the back.Rick's eyes narrowed as he steadied himself. "Dressed for what?""We're going out, dude," Nathan chimed in, throwing himself on the couch."Out for what?" Rick asked again.They all looked at him first, before Adrian cleared his throat."Look, Rick," Adrian began, "You've been distant lately. You haven't been showing up to our hangouts, you barely respond to our texts, and frankly, we're just worried about you.""Worried?" Rick crossed his arms. "But I'm fine.""No, you're not," Dante interrupted, running a hand through his dark hair. "And I think... I think I'm the reason you haven't been coming around."The silence that followed was heavy and uncomfortable. Rick could feel Valerie's presence in the bedroom behind him, and every second these men stayed in his apartment was another second of risk."Dante..." Rick started, but his friend held up a hand."No, let me finish," Dante said, "What happened on the island... the way I lashe

  • The Duchess's Game of Seduction   Chapter 84

    A week laterValerie opened her eyes to Rick's warm breath against her neck, his arm wrapped around her waist. The morning light filtered through his bedroom curtains, casting a golden glow across their glued bodies.A week had passed since their arrangement had officially begun, and Rick had texted her three times. Each time, their sexual encounter keeps getting better. More intoxicating. More intense. And each morning she woke up next to him, her heart raced like a sports car. It was Saturday, and she'd planned to catch up on office work from home. But lying here in Rick's arms, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest against her back, work seemed like the last thing she wanted to think about."Good morning," Rick murmured against her shoulder, his voice husky with sleep.Valerie smiled, settling deeper into his embrace. "Morning."She started to sit up, reaching for her clothes scattered across the floor. "I should probably head home. I have some contracts to review..."Rick

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