All Chapters of A Secretive Deal with My Billionaire Boss: Chapter 271 - Chapter 280

MadisonThe rest of the meal passed with a few more snippets of conversation, mostly about mundane things: the weather, a new movie Mom wanted to see, and the neighbor's dog that wouldn't stop barking. After dinner, I cleared the table and began washing the dishes. The warm, soapy water was a welcome distraction from my swirling thoughts, and the rhythmic motion of scrubbing the plates offered a semblance of peace. Mom, meanwhile, settled on the couch with one of her beloved mystery novels, her glasses perched at the tip of her nose as she lost herself in the pages. "I think I'm going to turn in early," I announced, drying the last plate. "It's been a long day." "Jet lag catching up with you?" Mom asked without looking up from her book. "Something like that." "Sleep well, sweetheart." I retreated to my bedroom, closing the door behind me with a soft click. After the luxury of Alexander's penthouse, the familiar space felt both comforting and confining. I changed into my pajamas

MadisonI shook my head with a smile as I closed the bathroom door behind me. The shower hissed to life, steam quickly filling the small space as I stepped under the hot spray. Water cascaded down my back, and I closed my eyes, letting it wash over me. Of course, my mind immediately drifted to Alexander. His words from last night echoed in my head, mixing with the steady drumbeat of water against the tile. What did he mean by "more"? More time? More control? More... us? I scrubbed shampoo into my hair with unnecessary force. The man was infuriating. One minute, it was all business; the next, looking at me with those intense eyes that made my knees weak. And now he wanted to make our arrangement public? Absolutely not. "Just a contract," I reminded myself, rinsing my hair. "Just business." But business deals didn't usually involve meeting mothers or late-night whiskey conversations or the way his hand felt at the small of my back. I groaned, turning my face directly into the spra

Madison"We'll keep it private for now." A small smile played on his lips. "You drive a hard bargain, Ms. Harper." Relief washed over me. "Thank you." "Don't thank me yet." He took another step closer, his voice dropping to that low register that always sent shivers down my spine. "I might want something in return." I raised an eyebrow, fighting to keep my expression neutral despite the heat blooming in my chest. "That's not how negotiations work, Mr. Knight." "No?" His smile turned wolfish. "I seem to recall several very successful negotiations in this very office that ended quite... satisfactorily for both parties." My cheeks warmed at the memories his words evoked. "That was different." "Was it?" He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered against my skin. "How so?" I stepped back, needing space to think clearly. "We're discussing the terms of our arrangement. It's business." "Maddie, nothing about us has ever been just business." The nickn

MadisonThe rain pounded relentlessly against the windows of Alexander's car as we navigated the dark, labyrinthine streets of New York. Each droplet seemed to hammer against the glass with a sense of urgency, mirroring the rapid, anxious beating of my heart. The city lights outside transformed into a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colors, diffused and distorted by the rain-streaked windows. This created an almost dreamlike atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the tension coiling inside the car. "You're quiet," Alexander observed, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Just wondering what we're going to find," I replied, watching his profile in the dim light. The sharp angles of his face looked even more severe in the shadows. "You haven't exactly been forthcoming about where we're going." "Vanessa Caldwell," he said simply. My head snapped toward him. "And we're just... what? Going to have a friendly chat with the woman who tried to drug you?" Alexander's mouth curved into a cold s

Madison"That's assault, Ms. Caldwell," Anthony said quietly. "Sexual assault." "It wasn't like that!" she protested. "I just wanted to remind you of what we had!" "We had nothing," Alexander repeated coldly. "And now you've committed a felony based on a delusion." "You can't prove anything," she said, suddenly defiant. "It's your word against mine." Alexander's smile was chilling. "Actually, we have quite a bit of proof. Selena Johnson gave us a full confession. We have the bartender's statement, the money trail from your account to hers, and now..." He gestured around the room. "We have this conversation on video." For the first time, real fear flickered across Vanessa's face. "You're bluffing," she whispered. Leo pulled out his phone and played a video of Selena Johnson's confession from London. The color drained from Vanessa's face as she watched. "That bitch," she hissed. "She promised she'd never tell anyone." "She was quite forthcoming once we explained the potential pr