Semua Bab Secret affair with the billionaire : Bab 11 - Bab 20

Helen’s POVLisa began preparing dinner—it was already 4:30. I helped her wash and dice vegetables while she stirred pots and adjusted the flame. Zara was buried in her garden work again, spending nearly two hours outside as though the flowers whispered secrets only she could hear.From the ingredients we had, Lisa whipped up an arugula salad for starters, buttered noodles with asparagus for the main course, and chocolate cream pie for dessert. The aroma danced through the air, warm and comforting.Dinner was just ready when Mrs. Hartley returned—with Storm trailing behind her and a trail of shopping bags carried by Usher, her personal bodyguard.“Welcome, ma’am,” I said politely.“Thank you, Helen,” Mrs. Hartley replied with a kind smile. Storm didn’t even glance at me. Her mouth was already moving a mile a minute—like always. I wasn’t expecting much from her anyway.I quickly counted the bags with my eyes, already dreading how many trips I’d have to make upstairs.Sixteen bags?You’

~Sebastian's POV~The sight of Mena striking Helen ignited a wildfire in my chest.What the hell is wrong with my sister?One moment, she’s nagging me for not having a woman in my life, and the next—she slaps the very woman I intend to make mine. That tiny, chipmunk hand of hers hit so hard it left a glaring red handprint on Helen’s cheek.I couldn’t hold back my rage. My voice thundered through the room as I snapped at Mena, but then I caught sight of her bleeding foot, and everything in me stilled.Damn it.No matter how much of a pain in the ass she is, I can’t stand seeing her hurt. She’s my sister—a royal pain sometimes, but still blood.And Helen…Helen makes me lose every ounce of common sense I’ve ever had.I want her.All of her.But not at the cost of hurting my own sister.I crouched beside Mena and dressed her wound, stealing glances at Helen as she quietly cleaned the shattered vase.Why the hell am I this drawn to her?She’s just a maid.A fucking maid.Yet, here I am—ca

~Helen's POV~I knocked gently on the study door and waited until a faint "come in" filtered through. Slowly, I stepped inside.Lisa stood before Mr. Hartley, her face unreadable—neither pleased nor upset. The neutrality in her expression only stirred my curiosity.What’s going on?I tried not to let my questions race too far ahead as I moved closer.“You called for me, sir?” I asked, bowing my head slightly in respect.As I straightened, my eyes drifted to the far end of the study—and there he was. Sebastian. Seated on the couch, arms folded, legs casually crossed. His gaze lifted to meet mine, and in that instant, something fluttered violently in my chest.Butterflies.God, the way his eyes lingered, like he was reading right through me—my spine tingled. I couldn't help remembering how he stood up for me earlier. How his voice silenced Mena like a switch had been flipped.Maybe he hadn’t meant to ignore me earlier in the hallway. Maybe he was lost in thought after changing his suit.

~Helen’s POV~Just as I was about to finish my sentence, Mrs. Hartley called out to me.Her tune calm and soothing-not like yesterday.I turned to her swiftly, standing in front of Lisa, who was just right behind me.“Good morning ma’am.” Me and Lisa greeted in unison.“Morning!” She answered. “I’ll love to have a wheat cake for breakfast.” She said to Lisa.Lisa nodded and got to work, while I stood still waiting to hear why she called out to me.“A happy birthday to you ma’am.” Lisa said, turning her gaze from the counter to Mrs. Hartley once more.Why did she wish her?I thought wishing her was prohibited till the surprise party?“Thank you!” Mrs. Hartley appreciated with a warm smile.I shot Lisa a stare, questioning why she wished her in my head. She’s Lisa after all; definitely she must have her reasons for doing so.“Come with me, Helen.” Mrs. Hartley ordered and I obeyed without hesitation.As we walked out of the kitchen, I turned my head slightly back to the kitchen, with my

~ Helen’s POV ~Time moved like sand slipping through my fingers—minutes folding into hours before I even realized. Mr. Hartley had taken Mrs. Hartley out for a surprise lunch, giving us the perfect window to prepare for her celebration.The event planning team arrived in full swing—arms full of purple and pink decorations, their energy buzzing through the quiet mansion. The catering crew followed with trays of warm, fragrant dishes, their scents teasing the air.One of the decorators, a woman with kind eyes and a welcoming smile, walked up to me. “Have you set up any events before?”“Not officially,” I admitted, brushing my hair behind my ear. “But I’ve watched a ton of videos online. I have an idea of how it goes.”She chuckled. “Then let’s see you in action.”And so it began.As the furniture was cleared out and the grand hall emptied, I felt a tingle of excitement in my chest. I’d seen decorations like these on screens before, but seeing them in person—touching them, placing them