Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 71 - Chapitre 80

JOSIEI'd had the diamond ring in my purse the entire time, but I hadn't thought I would actually wear it. So why was the blue diamond currently sparkling on my finger? A part of me called it calculated self-protection. With assholes like Ryder around, upgrading my status—even a fake status—granted me an additional level of safety. The rest of me had remained unconvinced for a long time… until I did something I hadn't done before. I watched one of Killian's recent interviews, one where he had been asked about our relationship.I played it on my phone while reapplying makeup. I saw him smile as the reporter asked about me, and I realized there was no lie in his words or expression. My heart began to flutter, and my eyes filled with a glossy layer of tears. He had feelings for me. He had to. Fine, it might not be love, but he did feel something—something that went beyond what had been written in our contract.‘I never lie when I say how amazing you are.’His words rang in my head, filli

KILLIANI stretched my lips into a well-practiced smile as I walked over to a group of women standing in the corner of the banquet hall. “Good evening, ladies.” I widened my smile, giving the women an elegant bow.Playful giggles sounded before they all replied, adding breathiness to their voices, as if it could possibly make them less repulsive. It was obvious why each of them had come here, and even if I ignored the fuck-me looks they were giving me, their more-revealing-than-covering clothes said all I needed to know.“Was it just my wild imagination, or were you looking at me from across the hall?” I asked, keeping a trained smile on my face.They all giggled again before one of them stepped forward. “It was impossible not to look at a man like you, Mr. Blair,” she said, twisting her lips into a smirk. She tossed her auburn hair to one side and traced her finger from her neck down to her cleavage.I locked my eyes on hers. “What's your name?”“Priscilla,” she breathed out before l

JOSIEFifteen Minutes EarlierI exited the banquet hall and walked through the long corridor, heading to the same café where Killian, Tony, and I had been sitting after Tony's lecture. I climbed the stairs, but the whole upper floor was dark, and the café closed.“Great,” I grumbled. “Now what?”I pulled out my phone and called Tony, slowly walking through the dark corridor. Had he meant some other café? Was there another café on this floor? All those thoughts swirled inside my head as I listened to the waiting signals until the call automatically disconnected. Just perfect. Had he switched his phone to silent mode?A few curses built at the tip of my tongue just as the text came. I sighed in relief, noticing it was from Tony.“The café is closed, but I found another place. Walk to the opposite side of the corridor. The last door on the left.”My brows knitted. Something felt off. Why would he make me walk through the entire floor when we could simply meet downstairs among people? Dra

Josie hadn't woken up for the next fifteen hours, and the anxiety within me rose. The doctors said that the problem might go beyond her physical injuries and be caused by trauma. That was understandable. That fucker had wanted to rape and kill her, and she'd defended herself, ending up killing him in self-defense.I hadn't talked to Ryder since we'd seen each other at the precinct. I knew that he was torn between the need to mourn his brother and the relief I'd seen on his face. At the precinct, he'd assured me he would testify in Josie's favor. She was the victim, and I would seriously damage anyone who dared claim otherwise.Tony's condition had improved. His head stopped spinning, and the throbbing pain decreased. He was still under observation, but he used that time to work on his laptop while lying in bed. He had also replaced me by Josie's side a few times, insisting I showered and slept for at least an hour or two. I reluctantly agreed, knowing that I needed to be focused and pr

KILLIANI hated to leave Josie like this, but I had no other choice. Right now, my father was probably convinced I had decided to follow his orders. I'd hired the best lawyer I could to handle Josie's case, and I was on the way to New York. But if he thought it was due to his cold command, he couldn't be more wrong. The reason I was currently on the plane had nothing to do with my father's wishes. Josie was not a liability or a flaw that needed to be cut off. I didn't know when, but she had become essential for everything I did and everything I planned—the center of my universe.I was fully aware of my selfishness. Hadn't I needed her so much, I would have agreed to Kaiden's proposal. Had she been any other girl, I would have agreed without a second of hesitation, but I couldn't let her go. A harsh laugh escaped me as I thought of all the things I was willing to give up on to keep her by my side. And yet, I was the one who had fuck-up her life in the first place. Even if I hadn't been