Semua Bab BOUND TO THE CRIPPLED CEO : Bab 71 - Bab 80

DANICAIt seemed days magically moved faster in the mansion as a week flew past by. The kids had settled in just fine as if they never had a life in Greece.I was still working on their new school, checking out the most secured ones so something similar to what happened in the last school Valerie was, would likely not happen this time around.The morning sun spilled lazily through the tall curtains, painting long golden stripes across the floor. I sat curled on the chaise in my room, a steaming cup of tea balanced on the windowsill, trying to lose myself in the quiet. The mansion, vast as it was, carried its own kind of stillness, a silence that wasn’t peaceful but heavy, as though waiting for something to break it.Or someone.My mind drifted to Ivan and how he'd been avoiding me since I returned. And on the days he didn't avoid me, he completely ignored me, only focusing on the children. Especially his son. It wasn’t long before my phone buzzed on the table beside me.David.A sof

AMYPatience was something I’d taught myself over the years— how to wear silence like silk, how to sit still while the world shifted around me, and then move only when it was time to strike. But tonight, I wasn’t patient.I wanted Ivan cornered.The bar was nearly empty now, just a few drunk men at the far end muttering into their glasses. Nolan sat across from me, his massive frame hunched forward, elbows braced on the table, jaw locked. He was sulking, I could tell, and men who sulk are the easiest to maneuver.“I just hope we're not wasting time,” Nolan muttered, swirling his whiskey. “Ivan barely listens to anyone. He won’t even listen to me. He’s too wrapped up in himself.”I tilted my head, studying him as though he were a puzzle I’d already solved. “He’ll listen if you give him no choice.”Nolan snorted. “And how do you propose I do that?”“Simple,” I said smoothly. “You’re his brother. Call him. Set the meeting. Plant the seed of obligation. He won’t deny family, not outright.

AMYDays passed quickly and eventually it was Friday. Nolan and I drove in his car to Ivan's house after my informant had alerted me of Danica and the kids' absence.The mansion's walls were perfect, just as I remember and the air felt heavy with authority. And yet, as Nolan and I walked up the marble steps side by side, I wished it was my home as a wife to Ivan. Not Danica. The name tasted bitter every time it crossed my mind.I schooled my features into a smile. Not too bright, not too eager. Just polite enough to hide the bile in my throat. I had dressed up in a knee-length black gown, with my hair styled in a bridal bun, put on red heels and wore a very expensive perfume.“Remember,” I murmured to Nolan before Ivan’s home staff opened the door. “We keep things pleasant. Business first. Nothing rash.”Nolan grunted beside me. His jaw was tight, his dark eyes stormy. He had never been good at masking his emotions. His hatred for Ivan burned too openly, while mine simmered like wine

DANICA I had grown used to Valerie’s little coughs, but this time it was different.It started in the middle of the night, with her whimpering in her sleep, her tiny body curled against mine. Her forehead burned under my palm, too hot, and her breathing came in shallow gasps.“Mum, my tummy hurts,” my heart stopped when those words reached my ear.I didn’t waste a second. I also thought about going to wake Ivan up, but I shoved the thought aside and decided to send a message to his phone later.Shoes, jacket and one of my medium- sized tote bag, moved through the apartment like a storm. Gathering what I could, I scooped her fragile body into my arms. She was light, too light, and her head lolled against my shoulder as I rushed outside.My little son Ivan, would have to stay home with the nanny Ivan had provided two days after we came back, surprisingly. Going to her room to inform her about my movement to the hospital with Valerie, I rushed out of the mansion.The driver was startled

IVANThe conference room smelled faintly of leather and expensive cologne— an atmosphere carefully cultivated to impress visiting clients. My lawyers were already gathering their notes, sliding contracts back into sleek folders after an hour of negotiations with representatives from Norwell Enterprises. The meeting had been efficient, if mildly irritating, with their lawyers dragging over clauses that didn’t need the fuss.“Mr. Clarkson, we’ll review the amendments and forward our revisions by Monday,” one of them said, extending a firm handshake.“Do that,” I replied curtly, standing to signal the end of pleasantries. My time was too valuable to indulge in unnecessary small talk.They filed out, their shoes clicking across the marble floor until the glass doors shut behind them. Silence fell, broken only by the hum of the air-conditioning. My own team lingered, waiting for any further instructions.“That will be all for now,” I said, dismissing them with a flick of my hand.Within m