Semua Bab The Billionaire's Bargain: Bab 101 - Bab 110

PENELOPEThe house was quiet, Jess and I were curled up in the living room, our legs covered in blankets like we were trying to anchor ourselves to something that wasn’t burning. I hadn’t said more than three words to Christian since he drove me home from the hospital. He’d gone to work this morning without waking me.Good.I didn’t have the strength to hold a conversation, not even a quiet one. I just need to fix the bakery for Jess then I’ll turn myself in.The TV was on, but muted. My face was everywhere. “Local baker caught in suspicious fire—links to Nylander poisoning resurfaced.” “Penelope Hilton: Businesswoman or Black Widow?”My fingers were still itching to hurl the remote through the screen.But Jess beat me to it. “Enough doom scrolling,” she muttered, turning the television off and tossing the remote aside. “If I see one more think-piece about you, I’m going to sue someone for defamation and bad grammar.”Just then, Alfred entered with a large bowl of ice cream balanced

CHRISTIANI hadn’t been home in two days.Not because I couldn’t, but because I didn’t want to.I couldn’t stomach the silence between us, I couldn’t bear seeing her curled up in the space where I’d walked out and left her. The memory of our fight that night still burned, like the fire she lost her bakery to. The rage I felt… It had its reasons, but the damage was done.So instead, I stayed in one of my penthouses, surrounding myself with nothing but work. I hadn’t touched a single drop of the whiskey sitting on the counter, I didn’t want to dull anything, I wanted to feel it all, the fury, the shame, and the ache in my chest that refused to go away.And now, I was sitting behind my desk at the office, pretending to be a functioning CEO, while all I could really do was stare blankly at the report on my screen. The fire report. It was still preliminary, inconclusive, and no answers.Alfred said she was still in shock. I wasn’t surprised. Her bakery—the place she started, all by herself

CHRISTIANThe meeting was dragging. I nodded when I needed to. I signed what they put in front of me. But my mind wasn’t in that boardroom. It hadn’t been in two days.Alfred had called that morning with updates.“Mrs. Hilton resumed at Castillo Inc,” he’d said. “She says just until she figures out what to do with the bakery. Miss Jess is house hunting again, and Miss Maria will be staying over for a few days.” I thanked him and hung up.I liked that she was trying to find rhythm again, trying to find her feet again, and still standing, even when her dream had turned to ashes. That woman had always been too strong for her own good.Going back to my office, Liam was resting on the couch, texting and smiling. My guess is Jess.I adjusted my sleeves, dropping the file on my desk. “Appreciate you showing up, you can handle the next meeting yeah?”He nodded. “You called. I figured it was serious, why do I have to meet with the stakeholders and not you?”“It is.” I paused, sighing “I’m goi

PENELOPE I barely slept. I tossed all night, my mind too loud, my body too tired to follow it. At some point, I remember curling into Christian’s side. I was sure I felt his arm brush my back and his lips pressed gently to my forehead. It had to be real—it felt real. But when I finally opened my eyes this morning, the other side of the bed was neatly made. Empty. I decided against going to work. I wasn’t in the mood for heels, or makeup, or pretending I didn’t feel like I was quietly crashing out. Working from home would do. I got up, tied my hair up into a loose bun, dragging myself down the stairs, taking a seat at the table, silently scrolling through emails I didn’t plan to answer yet. Alfred was in the kitchen, already making breakfast with his usual quiet rhythm. I could hear the distant whrrr of Maria’s blender, that annoying high-pitched hum always meant her so-called “cleansing juice” was back on the menu.How she had the nerve to make that every morning in this house was

CHRISTIANShe thought I wasn’t there that morning. She thought she was dreaming when she heard me say, “I miss you too, princess.”But she wasn’t dreaming.I stood in the doorway of my bedroom, watching her curled up on my side of the bed. Bolt sat just outside, tail thudding against the floor when he saw me. I ruffled his head and whispered a quiet “good boy” before walking out.There was something strange about the way she looked that night, even in her sleep as I cuddled her. Tired in a way that had nothing to do with physical exhaustion. Restless, almost like she was hiding from something.She had said she couldn’t sleep with that thing in her room, and I couldn’t ask because she didn’t know I was there and I didn’t want to scare her. But now? Watching her sleep, I was starting to wonder.Alfred nodded at me quietly as I made my way downstairs, not saying a word, as the driver opened the door, and I got in, determined to drown myself in work for the rest of the day.But of course,