All Chapters of BENEATH THE COLD CONTRACT : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Chapter 11:Caroline POVHe finally looked at me and I could see his eyes were darker than usual. “Things you wish you could have changed. People you wish you never lost.”A lump formed in my throat I swallowed. “Yeah, sometimes.”Kane nodded slightly. “Kelly’s hosting a celebration. He's successful now. He's a real artist.” His tone was flat, but I could hear the edge in it. “And?”“And I wasn't invited.”The words hung in the air between us. He said it like it didn't matter but I wasn't stupid. I stayed quiet, giving him space to say more. He opened his mouth to say something but then I realized.“Who's Kelly?” Kane tensed up and then took a seat. “He's my brother.” his voice had a surprising heaviness to it.I blinked. Brother?Now that I thought of it, I knew nothing of Kane's personal life, I never would have guessed he had a brother. He never mentioned family.Hell he never mentioned anything at all.And yet, here he was, standing in my living room, telling me about someone

Chapter 13:A silence settled between us until Kane asked.“How did you deal with it?” I sighed, like he just asked me the dumbest question I heard.. “I had to start over again. Find new galleries willing to showcase my work. But you know the art world, it's about reputation. Once that's tainted, it's hard to get people to trust you again.”“Didn't the institution apologize?” “Of course they did, the school sent me a formal apology letter,” I said with a smirk then instantly shifted it to a scowl. “It was useless.”He shook his head, looking furious. Like he could have done something about it.“And what about her?” I raised an eyebrow. “The girl who framed me?” He nodded slightly. I gave out a low chuckle. “You know for a billionaire you ask a lot of questions.” He smirked, straightening up. “Call it the curiosity of an artist.” “Uhuh” I replied with a hint of sarcasm. I leaned back into the couch and crossed my hands. “Well, she tried to reach out later. Apologized..blah… bla

Chapter 15:Caroline POV I needed air.The moment Diane walked away, I released a breath I didn't even realize I was holding.Just when I thought my life couldn't get any worse. I turned on my heel and headed for the nearest hallway, away from the crowded gallery. My chest felt tight, my fingers trembled as I pressed a hand against the cold wall, steadying myself.Why was she here?Why now? I had worked so hard to move past what happened back at Muse Art College. The scandal, the shame and disgrace. And now just when my art career was finally gaining momentum, just when I was beginning to feel like I had a future. Diane Ross just decided to walk back into my life. And the worst part?She knew Kane.The fact disturbed me, more than I cared to admit. What was she to him? A business associate? A friend?Or….I pushed the thought away, there was no way that witch dated Kane. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to drown out the whirlwind of emotions.The last thing I needed was for Kan

Chapter 17Caroline's POVHaving dinner with Kane is like having a sit-in with the devil. I know firsthand what it can be like—especially considering how frustrating and overbearing he can be, always asking questions I don’t want to answer. Gina had tried to doll me up, and I can’t say she didn’t succeed. She really did, because now I look like a frigging ballerina—except with an above-the-knee-length gown and flowing hair. Even though I had opted for ponytails.Now, sitting on our parlor sofa, I’m beginning to rethink my decision. Maybe I really am ready to lose my job rather than have an actual sit-down with the overbearing bastard. Or maybe I’m just being too hard on him because I don’t want to fall for him. The problem? That battle is already proving to be a losing one. Things are happening too fast. I don’t know how much longer I can keep denying that there’s something between us—and that irritates me even more.I’m deep in thought when Gina walks in. With zero warning, she jumps

Chapter 19:Caroline's POVI could barely sleep that night.Everytime I close my eyes, I relive the kiss. The way his lips moved against mine, the way his warm hands. The way I didn't want him to stop…. Until he did.Then he had the audacity to apologize like it was a mistake.Like I was a mistake. I groaned, burying my face in the pillow.This is why I shouldn't have gone to that dinner. At least he didn't find out about the pregnancy.But everything feels different.And I didn't know if I liked it.I arrived at the gallery early, hoping to distract myself with work. I needed to avoid Kane and let things cool down. Maybe if I acted like nothing happened, we can go back to our usual banter… before things get too real. But Gina had other plans.She took one look at me, sips of her coffee and smirked. “Didn’t sleep, did you?” I glared at her. “Shut up,” Kane had hired her to work with me and now she'd disturb any moment she had.Her smirk widened. “I didn't expect this Caro. First