Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

The library smelled of old wood, leather, and power. Calla sat curled in one of the velvet chairs, legs tucked under her, flipping through a heavy file labeled La Famma Holdings – Internal Ops. The words might as well have been in Greek. Finance reports, mergers, shell companies… it all looked too clean for someone like Killian. “You’re reading that upside down,” came his voice from the doorway. She didn’t look up. “hoping to find some secrets." “That makes one of us,” Killian said, strolling in and tossing his phone on the side table. She glanced at him. “Don’t you have a company to run?” “Turns out, you’re part of that company.” “Oh, good. Are you making me CFO or just your latest tax write-off?” Killian chuckled, moving closer. “You’ve got claws this morning.” Calla closed the file. “I’ve been reading about you. Not the headlines , the real business.” “Oh?” He raised an eyebrow. “There's La Famma’s listed under a thousand subsidiaries. Three law firms on retai

"Darling, if you don't wear the earrings, I will genuinely pass out," Pierre said, dramatically clutching his chest. Calla gave him a look through the mirror. "You said that about the necklace too." "And I meant it! But this? This is the final flourish. The cherry on the cake. The diamond on the crown!" She sighed, trying not to smile as she sat still in front of the mirror. The room had been transformed,.jewelry boxes, designer heels, perfumes she couldn’t pronounce, and more clothes than a red carpet wardrobe. It looked like a fashion hurricane had exploded in her room. And Pierre was at the center of it. He adjusted the last pin in her hair and stepped back with a flourish. "You are ready. The kingdom may now weep." "Overdramatic much?" "Always," he said with a wink. Then he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Slay, bitch." Calla laughed softly as Pierre gathered his tools and accessories. A maid hovered in the doorway. "Ma'am, Mr. Black is on his way." Pierr

Calla tilted her head. “Names are for contracts. I’m not a product you can purchase.” A waiter passed by with a tray of wine. Calla shifted her foot ever so slightly. The waiter stumbled. Wine splashed all over Selene’s silver dress. She gasped and shrieked. “You idiot! Are you blind?!” Her hand flew up—ready to slap. But Calla caught her wrist mid-air. “Don’t.” Her voice was calm. Deadly calm. “You don’t get to hit anyone here.” The waiter stammered out apologies, shaking with panic. “Control yourself,” Damien hissed into Selene’s ear. “People are watching.” Indeed, murmurs and flashes rippled through the room. The cameras were eating it up. Selene looked around, flustered, face red with wine and fury. Calla leaned in just a little. “You might want to freshen up. This shade of wine? Doesn’t flatter.” Killian didn’t say a word. Just gave Selene a look that made her step back instinctively. He offered Calla his arm again. She took it with a smirk. As th

He stood up, slowly. “I didn’t say that.” “So what? You’re embarrassed?” “I’m just so busy." he said, voice low. She folded her arms. “oh really.” “Yes, really.” Calla froze. Killian walked around the desk and stopped just inches from her. “You think I can afford to be soft around you?” he asked. She swallowed hard. “No one asked you to be soft.” “Good,” he said. Then added, “Because I’m not.” She stared at him. “I get... the kiss was obviously a mistake?” He leaned in suddenly, caging her between the desk and his body. His mouth was near her neck, his voice a whisper. “I don’t make mistakes like that, Calla.” Her breath hitched. “You sure?” she whispered, shaken. Killian’s lips brushed the side of her cheek, not quite a kiss. A threat. A promise. A warning. “I’m very sure.” Then, as quickly as he’d leaned in, he pulled away. “Go to your room,” he said. “Before I do something I won’t apologize for, remember you're only meant to be my escort, you

The drive back from La Fiamma was quiet, too quiet.Killian sat in the backseat of the blacked-out car, his jaw clenched as Mateo drove hrough the dimly lit streets. The silence between them wasn’t tense, it was deliberate. normal. Just the way Killian wanted it.The deal he had, had gone through, but the taste in his mouth was bitter. The moment his brother betrayed him, the moment he dared to put a price on Killian's head, that was the moment Killian sliced off the last thread tying him to family. Blood didn’t mean loyalty, not in his world. And family didn’t mean safety. That lesson had come with bloodshed and fire.Now, his focus was clear. Calla.And that was exactly the problem.She was starting to feel like his weakness. A soft spot in a heart that had been steel-caged for too long. And he didn’t like that. Didn’t like the way her laugh echoed in his head even when he was negotiating million-dollar arms deals. Didn’t like the way her scent haunted him when he lay in bed alone