공유

10

작가: Mira Lyra
last update 최신 업데이트: 2025-07-15 14:33:16

By the time the last pink balloon had drifted lazily into the trees and the gift table had been picked clean, Celeste had checked every polite box: she’d hugged her sister, praised the diaper cake, smiled through questions about her career, and sidestepped every attempt to talk about her future family plans with practiced grace.

Now, she was gone.

Settled into the plush curve of a first-class seat, she looked out the window as Georgia receded beneath her—wide fields and sleepy highways unraveling like ribbon. A place she knew too well. A life she’d left behind with intention.

The plane climbed into the clouds and the landscape disappeared into mist. She leaned back, stretching her legs, and gratefully accepted the glass of wine offered by the flight attendant. “Thank you,” she murmured with a tired smile, fingers curling around the stem.

She loved her mom. She loved Cierra. But home—this version of it—had always felt like soft velvet over a bruise. She visited out of love, not lo
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  • The Seduction Clause   19

    It turned out having her brains fucked out was exactly what Celeste needed. Nate was behind her, her hands braced on the floor-length glass window, the glittering city lights spread out before them like a voyeuristic audience. His arm was under one of her knees, propping her leg up, as he drove into her from behind.She'd texted him the moment Julian disappeared into the elevator, and Nate, always eager, was more than happy to oblige. They wasted no time. He'd fucked her on the bathroom counter, she'd ridden him on the chaise lounged in her suite, she'd sucked his dick in the shower, and now, he was driving it home as she smiled, coming down from yet another exquisite orgasm.Celeste climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. She watched Nate as he hesitated on the edge, a silent negotiation passing between them. Neither of them wanted to say the words, but the desire for him to stay hung heavy in the air. She couldn't bring herself to break the unspoken rule with words, so

  • The Seduction Clause   18

    Julian's words hung in the cool night air, shattering Celeste's carefully constructed assumptions. She stared at him, the cool breeze suddenly feeling icy against her skin. The New York skyline, moments ago a glittering escape, now seemed to press in, confining her. Elias? Vivienne's reason for distance? The words echoed in her mind, turning her entire mission on its head. Vivienne had hired her to confirm Julian's infidelity, to break his prenup. The narrative had been clear: Julian was the philanderer, Vivienne the wronged wife. But if Elias was involved in Vivienne's "distance," it meant Vivienne was the unfaithful one. And Julian knew. He had known for a while.A cold dread began to coil in Celeste's stomach. Her meticulously crafted plan, her carefully cultivated identity, all hinged on a premise that Julian had just shattered. Her contract with Vivienne was a lie. If Julian knew about Vivienne and Elias, then what did he know about her? And why was he telling her this? Was she s

  • The Seduction Clause   17

    Celeste’s heart hammered in her chest, her palms suddenly sweaty despite the slight breeze. Does he know? The thought screamed through her mind. Does he know my identity is a cover? Has he uncovered who I am and why I’m really here? But then, a sliver of logic cut through the panic. No, he'd said his intentions, not hers. The emphasis was on him. She forced her breathing to remain even, her expression calm, though every nerve ending buzzed with heightened awareness."Why are you here?" she asked, her voice steady, despite the tremor in her hands.He brushed a stray strand of hair that had escaped her low bun behind her ear. The feather-light touch sent an unexpected shiver through her. "I don't want to burden a stranger," he responded, his gaze intense.Celeste let out a small, ironic laugh. "Sometimes that's the best person to burden," she countered, her eyes challenging his.Julian let out a slow, heavy sigh, the sound carrying a surprising weight in the cool night air. "My home is

  • The Seduction Clause   16

    "Oh! Julian, I'm so sorry!" Celeste gasped, her hands instinctively splayed against his chest to brace herself. She could feel the rapid thrum of his heart beneath her palms, a beat as elevated as her own. The expensive fabric of his dress shirt, two buttons casually undone, offered a tantalizing glimpse of bare skin and dark, fine chest hair. The muscles beneath her fingers were taut, tense from the unexpected collision. Julian's grip remained firm, his eyes, dark and intense, holding hers. "No harm done, Sloane," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through her. A slow smile, a truly devastating one, spread across his face. "Though I can't say I mind the sudden embrace." Celeste’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly at his admission. She gingerly stepped back, creating a sliver of space between them, her hands dropping from his chest. "I was just going to get some air," she explained, her voice a touch cooler than before, though her pulse still raced. "Funny, I was doi

  • The Seduction Clause   15

    She moved through the lobby like muscle memory, heart pounding with questions that refused to settle. The scent of eucalyptus and faint sweat still clung to her collar as the city swallowed her again, neon and steel blurring past the cab window on the ride back. Vivienne hadn’t lied—Celeste could read people too well for that. Two years of trying. Appointments booked. Progress made. Life insurance policies updated not in preparation for disaster—but in hopeful anticipation of legacy. Julian wasn’t covering up betrayal. But he was covering something. No mention of Royce Tillman. Not even recognition of the name. And Vivienne? She was deeply in love, holding onto a dream that involved Julian in every chapter. That kind of hope couldn’t fake the tremble in her voice or the way her shoulders dropped when she answered. So if she wasn’t part of it... Then she was being kept in the dark. And that meant Julian’s secrets had sharper edges than Celeste had accounted for. She p

  • The Seduction Clause   14

    The door clicked shut behind her, muffling the soft hum of the hallway as Sloane March—Celeste—leaned momentarily against the wall. Her bag landed on the corner chair, jacket draped across the arm with intentional carelessness. She crossed to the bed, peeled off the crisp navy blouse from the panel, and stood quietly for a moment, letting her skin adjust to the cool air of the room. The city was painted across the window: dusk-shrouded towers, traffic threading its way down the grid like electric veins. Dinner was in an hour. Most attendees were locals, yes—but nearly everyone had booked rooms, including Julian, and she already knew his suite number from the hotel registrar Dom had nudged three days ago. The proximity wasn't accidental. It was chess. Quiet, slow, and deliberate. She changed with that same intention. Less professional. More powerful. A deep wine-toned dress—backless, fitted, tastefully cut to emphasize what she usually concealed. Not overt. Not obvious. But unm

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