All Chapters of BOUND TO THE CRIPPLED CEO : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

IVANThe days went by in blurs of boardroom meetings, and today was one of them. Bottled table water lined the glossy mahogany table, condensation sliding down their sides and pooling onto the glass coasters beneath them. The hum of the central air conditioning was the only sound for a long moment, steady and cold, like the atmosphere itself.I should have been focused. And yet, my mind kept drifting to Danica.“Ivan,” Tom Clarkson—my father’s voice, broke through my wandering thoughts, deep and edged like a warning.I blinked, finding myself staring blankly at the label of the bottled water before me. The words were swimming, blurring. I straightened my tie, buying myself a second too long.“Yes,” I said evenly, though the weight of his glare pressed against me.Across the table, one of the investors, Mr. Hapton adjusted his cufflinks with slow precision before speaking. His accent carried the clipped sharpness of old money. “As I was saying, your competitors have already expressed s

DANICAMorning sunlight spilled through the thin white curtains, painting golden stripes across the modest bedroom. Greece had a way of softening even the harshest mornings. The cicadas outside hummed like nature’s alarm clock, and the salty breeze from the sea carried through the slightly cracked window. It was a far cry from the steel and glass of Chicago, but it had become home.“Valerie,” I called, tugging open her dresser drawer, “if you don’t get out of bed in the next five minutes, I’m personally going to march in there and tickle you until you can’t breathe.”A muffled groan came from under the covers.“Noooo. Five more minutes,” she whined, her voice still raspy with sleep.I smirked, pulling out the uniform shirt I had ironed the night before. “That’s what you said yesterday. And the day before. And let me remind you what happened when you overslept after having your bath. Your hair looked like it had been struck by lightning, and your teacher asked if you’d fought with a ra

DAVID“Seatbelts, soldiers.” I barely got the words out before Valerie rolled her eyes at me from the backseat. “Uncle Dave, we’re not babies.” She clicked her buckle into place with a snap, then folded her arms like she’d just signed a contract she didn’t agree with.Beside her, little Ivan wrestled with his seatbelt as though it were a monster out to devour him. His brows knit together, his lips pursed in stubborn determination. “It’s stuck,” he muttered, kicking the seat in front of him.I leaned back over the console, suppressing my grin. “You’re kicking the wrong enemy, champ. Pull the red part up, then push it in.”He tried again, tongue sticking out in concentration. After a moment, the buckle clicked. His little face lit up with triumph. “I did it!”Valerie snorted. “It only took you five minutes.”“I’ll tell mummy” He crossed his arms, pouting. “You’re mean.”“And you’re slow.”“Am not!”“Are too.”“Am not!”The argument was already spiraling, I tapped the steering wheel twi

DANICAThe women’s laughter still clung to the air, sharp as broken glass, when I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone. My hand didn’t tremble. Not one bit. If they wanted a show, I’d give them front-row seats.I swiped, pressed David’s name, and before he even picked up, I lifted the phone to my ear with a smile so radiant it could have lit up the entire restaurant.“David, love,” I said sweetly, my voice carrying across the quiet room. “Yes, of course I closed the deal. Oh, you should’ve seen their faces when they realized I’d won. They practically begged me to sign them in.”Across the room, the two women stiffened. Their laughter died mid-throat.On the other end of the line, David’s voice came, confused but steady. “Uh, Danica? What deal? Are you—”“Yes, darling,” I cut him off smoothly, my voice dripping with honey. “We’ll celebrate tonight. The children will be thrilled, don’t you think? Valerie’s been asking when the next family dinner will be. And Ivan…” I trailed off

DANICAThe door slammed shut behind us, and for a moment the silence inside my home pressed against my chest like a fist. “Do you think you’re untouchable?” His voice thundered, making me flinch despite myself. “Do you think you can just vanish, start over, and I won’t come for what’s mine?”Ivan’s shoes struck the wooden floor with the same storm that churned in his eyes. I had forgotten how much space his presence took up, how his anger could fill walls, ceilings, even the air itself until breathing became an act of defiance.But this wasn’t Chicago. This wasn’t his mansion or his office. This was my home. My sanctuary. And I refused to cower.I crossed my arms, pressing my nails into my skin for strength. “Ivan, keep your voice down. People are—”“Enough! You didn't care about people when you vanished l, did you?” he spat the word like venom, before throwing pictures of me, Valerie and little Ivan—his son on the floor. “Yes. Let’s talk about those children. One is mine. You though