Semua Bab The Duchess's Game of Seduction: Bab 51 - Bab 60

Valerie stared at them, her heart almost bursting out of her chest. The door wasn't even fully open and they were kissing like two hungry lions.Unable to take it anymore, she cleared her throat loudly.They both stopped in their tracks, freezing like a pillar of ice. Rick finally noticed her and immediately pushed the woman off him, like a man caught cheating.An uncomfortable silence settled over the room as everyone stared at each other.The woman - a tall blonde with too much makeup and a dress that barely covered her body - stared at Valerie with wide eyes. "Oh my God," she whispered, "You're... you're the Duchess! Valerie Calder!" She fumbled for her phone. "Can I get a picture? My friends will never believe..." "Leave," Rick said curtly, his eyes glued on Valerie. "Now.""But Rick, baby, this is...""Now, Jessica." His voice carried a warning that made the woman step back.Jessica looked between them, then sighed. "Fine, but call me later, okay?" She pressed a quick kiss to h

Hours after Rick left, Valerie paced his living room, her mind racing with confusion and frustration. The clock on the wall kept ticking until it was past midnight, then 1 AM, then 2 AM. Where the fuck was he? She felt hurt - even though she had no right to be. It was so clear that he wanted her, so fucking clear! But he keeps denying it and acting like he doesn't want her around. She needed to speak with him. Needed to know his reasons. That begging part was a stupid cover. There was a bigger hand at play here. He fucking hoards her panties for goodness sakes!She brought out her phone, searching for his contact, then realized she didn't have the man's number. She laughed. A man she'd been pinning after for weeks now, and she didn't even have his personal contact?She looked around his living room, his phone number should be somewhere around here.She started moving around, searching for something. Anything. A clue? Finally, she found an old phone bill tucked between some books.She

Valerie froze, pretending like she hadn't heard the voice while mentally searching for her phone. She sighted it across the table, but then she'll have to stand up to retrieve it.Slowly she stood up, acting casually and walking steadily to where her phone sat even though her legs wobbled, and every fibre of her being screamed at her to run."Valerie."The voice came again. She stopped. She knew that voice. Immediately, she turned around and found Karen standing in the middle of her living room, tears running down her eyes. "Karen!" Valerie immediately rushed to her friend, pulling her into a tight embrace. "What happened? You scared me! What's wrong?"Karen's body shook against hers as sobs wracked through her. "Val, I... I almost made the biggest mistake of my life. Noah... he's not who I thought he was.""Noah? how?"When Karen continued sobbing, unable to speak, Valerie held her trembling body and led her to the couch, "Tell me what happened. Take your time."Karen wiped her eyes

At 1:30 AM, Valerie looked at her exhausted friends and made a decision. Sophia had been frantically pacing for hours, her eyes weak, her hands trembling every time a doctor passed by. Karen, despite her own emotional turmoil from the Noah situation, had been a pillar of strength, but even she was beginning to show signs of fatigue."Girls," Valerie said softly, standing up from the now uncomfortable bench. "We need to go home and get some sleep.""No," Sophia said immediately, shaking her head. "I can't leave him. What if something happens during the night? What if he wakes up and I'm not here?""Soph, the surgery went well. The nurse said he's stable and will likely sleep through the night with the medication they've given him. You'll be no good to him if you collapse from exhaustion.""She's right," Karen added gently. "Besides, we can be back first thing in the morning. The hospital has your number if anything changes."Sophia looked torn, glancing toward the surgical wing doors a

Dante stared at Valerie's rejection note in his hands. But instead of crushing his spirits, a slow smile spread across his face.*Perfect.*This just gave him the perfect opportunity to see her face again. It was just the excuse he needed. And the more she distanced herself, the more he desired her. Hell. He might've already fallen in love with her. He just had to make her his woman. The mistake he did was not putting a baby in her when he had the opportunity. Next time, he'll make sure a baby enters.He folded the note carefully and slipped it into his breast pocket, then reached for his phone."Jon," he said when his driver answered. "Bring the car around. We need to get somewhere immediately."*********Three hours later, Valerie was sliding into the passenger seat of Karen's car. She'd texted Steve earlier to let him know she wouldn't need him today - Karen had offered to pick her up, which was actually more convenient than waiting for her driver to escape the evening traffic."Yo