Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride : Kabanata 121 - Kabanata 130

The camera lights flashed in rapid succession, each burst illuminating the stage where Alexander and I stood. The air in the grand hall buzzed with expectation, the hum of whispered speculation rippling through the crowd like a current of electricity. The media, investors, and industry leaders filled every seat, their gazes fixed on us, waiting for the moment we would either silence them or give them more fuel to doubt us.I inhaled deeply, straightening my shoulders. This was it. The moment where we either proved that Steele Industries was stronger than ever—or let the past haunt us forever.Alexander stepped forward first, his presence alone commanding silence. Dressed in a tailored dark suit that molded to his frame like armor, he looked every bit the ruthless businessman who had built an empire from the ashes of his father’s legacy. But I knew the man beneath that exterior. Knew the fire in his veins, the weight he carried on his shoulders, and the part of him that, despite everyt

I barely had a chance to settle into my chair before I felt it—Alexander’s stare burning into me like a brand.He wasn’t saying anything. Not yet. But the weight of his silence was louder than any argument we’d ever had.I exhaled slowly, knowing exactly what was coming. “You’re going to stand there glaring all day, or are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”Alexander crossed his arms, leaning against the doorway. “You signed the deal.”It wasn’t a question.I didn’t flinch. “Yes, I did.”He pushed off the doorframe, stepping inside with calculated precision. “And you didn’t think to consult me first?”I set my pen down, meeting his gaze head-on. “No, Alexander. I didn’t.”His jaw ticked, and for a moment, I could see the internal battle raging inside him—control vs. trust.“So that’s where we are now?” he murmured, voice low, controlled. Too controlled. “You make executive decisions without me?”I let out a humorless chuckle. “I didn’t realize I needed permission.”His expression dar

The boardroom was too quiet. Not the kind of quiet that signaled peace, but the kind that warned of an approaching storm.The long mahogany table stretched before me, lined with the most influential executives in Steele Industries. Men and women in custom suits, their gazes sharp, their expressions unreadable. The air was thick with unspoken tension, as if everyone was bracing for something explosive.Alexander sat at the head of the table, his posture regal, his jaw locked in calculated control. He was in his element.And me?I sat at his right, my hands steady on the portfolio in front of me. But inside, I was boiling.This was my first public test of power. Not behind closed doors, not in a private discussion with Alexander, but in front of men like Richard Calloway, who had spent the last year searching for cracks in Steele Industries.His smirk was slight, but I saw it.I took a slow breath. Not today, Calloway."Shall we begin?" Alexander’s voice was crisp, cutting through the t

"This isn't the win you think it is."Alexander’s voice cut through the hum of conversation, sending a ripple of unease through the small gathering. Champagne flutes hovered mid-air. Smiles faltered.I glanced at him from across the room, my fingers tightening around the chilled glass in my hand. The celebration had been his idea—a small moment to acknowledge that we had survived the latest storm. That Steele Industries still stood despite everything.But standing wasn’t the same as thriving.I placed my drink on the table, the bubbles fizzing against the crystal. "Let them have this," I murmured, stepping closer so only he could hear.His gaze flicked to mine, something sharp and restless in the depths of it. "One win doesn’t mean the war is over.""I know that.""Do you?" His fingers brushed against mine—so brief, so fleeting that no one else would notice. "Because the way they’re smiling, you’d think we conquered the world instead of barely making it through."I exhaled slowly, sca

"You don’t sleep much, do you?"Alexander’s voice carried across the dimly lit penthouse, cutting through the silence like a blade.I turned away from the window, where the city stretched endlessly below, a glowing reminder of everything we had built. He stood by the bar, sleeves rolled up, glass in hand, his expression unreadable as the amber liquid swirled against the crystal.I smirked. "Says the man drinking alone at two in the morning."His lips curved slightly. "Who said I was alone?"I pushed off the window, crossing the room with slow, deliberate steps. "Long day?""Long life," he murmured, setting the glass down with a quiet clink.I leaned against the couch, watching him. "That bad?"He exhaled, his gaze flickering toward me. "Not bad. Just relentless."For all his power, for all the ways Alexander Hawke commanded every room he stepped into, there were cracks in the armour. Ones he rarely let anyone see.But tonight, he wasn’t hiding them.And neither was I."Do you ever thi