Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 271 - Chapitre 280

ELARA’S POV The walls in this house weren’t thin, but Marcus’s voice carried like thunder. I wasn’t snooping. Not exactly. But when someone barges in, furious enough to shake the walls, it’s impossible not to listen. “…not letting someone go… a meeting… a break…” The words slipped through the crack of the study door, sharp enough to catch, blurred enough to leave me piecing them together. Nate’s deeper tone rolled back, muffled and controlled, and then Marcus’s voice cut through again, higher, sharper, refusing to be drowned out. I pressed closer. Were they talking about the company? Was something wrong with it? The thought made my pulse stutter. Nate had been glued to me since we got here, protective to the point of routine, that it’s almost easy to forget he had a company to run. A company that once owned every second of his life. Shit! Is he risking that because of me? I haven’t kept count of the days but I could tell it’s too much for a CEO to be away from his c

ELARA’S POV Once the kitchen settled back to a fragile calm, I risked it. “So… why were you so angry earlier?” My eyes stayed on the pan, but the question shot at him like a dart. “I wasn’t angry. I—” “I saw you when you walked in. You didn’t even notice me sitting on the couch.” His gaze cut sharp, lingering longer than comfort allowed. “Nate and I had some things to clear up.” “Clear up?” My brow arched. “Sounded more like a fight.” “Brothers fight,” he said lightly, but the ease cracked in his eyes. A flicker. Quick, almost buried, but I caught it. People could lie with their mouths, but the eyes tends to betray them. “Okay.” I folded my arms. “You mentioned a meeting. What was that about then?” He stilled head snapped toward me. “You were eavesdropping?” Heat burned up my neck, but I forced my voice flat. “No. I just happened to be in the hall.” His lips twitched, “How’d you move from the couch to the hall?” “The study’s a few doors from my room—” “You’re a bad liar

ELARA’S POV His jaw flexed, hair shifting just enough to reveal another faint mark along his temple. My stomach dropped. “It’s nothing.” His tone was clipped, careful, like each word was placed on glass. “Don’t lie to me.” I flipped his wrist, my thumb brushing over another faint swell, darker this time. “These weren’t there this morning. So either you went ten rounds with a wall or…” My chest tightened. “This is Nico, isn’t it?” The muscle in his cheek jumped. That was all the answer I needed. “Later,” he said, voice low. “When Marcus isn’t around.” “No. Now.” My pulse kicked hard against my throat. “I’m not going to sit here pretending I don’t see you bleeding under the surface.” “Elara.” He leaned in, whispering like he was trying to press the word into my skin. “Please. Not here. After Marcus leaves, I’ll tell you everything. I swear.” I wanted to push, to shake him until the truth fell out, but then footsteps pounded the hall. Marcus. Nate’s eyes locked on mine, pl

NATE’S POVSaying things are messed up is a fucking understatement.Just when I thought the only thing I had to worry about was keeping everyone safe from the maniac who almost got me killed today, my brother waltzed in with his usual brand of petty nonsense.For years he’d been roaming, partying, fucking around, doing whatever he wanted without a care for the company. Now that I’d quit no, not “want to,” I’d quit — he shows up with his righteous face and his empty promises.“I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure you stay,” he’d snarled before storming out of the office. Classic Marcus: march in, declare, leave me to clean up the mess.I tugged my shirt off and peered at the purple and red web crawling down my ribs. That bastard almost killed us. If I hadn’t seen that device in time, there’d be a hospital bed, or worse, staring back at me.Nicolas is uglier than I thought. He’s getting bolder and more frustrated. That means more attacks, or worse, he goes silent and waits for th

NATE’S POV “Elara…” “Nathan, I don’t want you to stay here and suffer with me.” Her voice shook, sharp and trembling. “I can’t let you wither away when you could be doing so much better. You’re a businessman, in your fucking prime. You should be in New York signing deals, working all those hours like you’ve always enjoyed. Then you go home to a wife who—” “I have a wife,” I cut in, I don’t like where this is going “I have you.” “Not like this.” Her voice cracked anger, hands clenched into fists at her aside, as if struggling to regain composure before speaking again. “You deserve a woman that would fit you perfectly, someone who brings you peace, happiness. Not someone carrying baggage as heavy as mine.” Her breath hitched. “Those bruises… I know how you got them. I don’t need the details to know that he could’ve—” “I don’t want a perfect woman,” I groaned, unable to take the pain in her words any more. “I don’t want any other woman. I want you. You are my perfect woman. Y