Semua Bab Engaged To The Ruthless Billionaire : Bab 21 - Bab 28

Eliana’s POV After lunch, Sylvia and Robert suggested we “take a little walk” along the stretch of private beach behind the restaurant while they went off for “an hour of grounding meditation.” Which, judging by the wine they’d had, was probably code for a nap. The sand was hot beneath my sandals, the tide curling lazily toward the shore. “Your parents seem… spirited,” I said once we’d put a decent distance between ourselves and the restaurant. “As people, maybe. As parents? Not so much.” The bluntness in Alexander’s voice made me glance at him. His linen shirt sleeves were rolled to the elbow, his forearms tanned and strong, his jaw a sharp, unyielding line against the glare of the sun. I’d never imagined him as anything other than untouchable—polished, powerful, cold. But standing there, barefoot in the sand, there was something quieter about him. Still guarded, but the walls didn’t feel as impenetrable. “They left you and Damien with your grandfather, didn’t they?

Eliana’s POV The phone rang past midnight.I almost ignored it. Alexander had been on edge all week—calls at ungodly hours, meetings that stretched until dawn, tension in his jaw so tight it looked carved from stone. I figured it was business again, another crisis only a Grayson could solve. But when I picked up and heard Christian’s voice instead of his, my blood ran cold.“Eliana,” he said, clipped, urgent. “Don’t panic. There’s been a small accident. Alexander’s at St. Luke’s Hospital. He’s stable, but you should come.”Stable. Small accident. Words meant to calm, but my chest constricted until it was impossible to breathe. My mind filled in the blanks he didn’t give me—twisted metal, flashing sirens, Alexander’s body sprawled and broken on asphalt.I didn’t remember throwing on a coat or shoving my feet into shoes. Didn’t remember locking the penthouse door. The only thing I remembered was the cab ride, knuckles white on my phone, whispering his name like a prayer I didn’t even b

Eliana's POVAfter the holidays, the year seemed to sprint forward without asking me if I was ready. One minute it was Thanksgiving, and the next I was knee-deep in wedding planning, family obligations, and a constant stream of questions I didn’t have the energy to answer.January was supposed to feel like a fresh start. Instead, it felt like standing at the base of a mountain with no way around it, only up.“You sound exhausted,” Katherine’s voice crackled through the speakerphone. She was the only person I could complain to without restraint. “You need a break, Eliana. A proper one. Spa trip, weekend away, something.”I flopped back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. “You hate spas. You called them overpriced naps the last time I suggested one.”“That’s because I hate them. You, on the other hand, need it. Take Alexander with you. It’ll count as bonding. Isn’t that what couples do?”A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “Bonding? Katherine, this isn’t a normal relationship.

Eliana’s POV Of course, I couldn’t stand him right now. The audacity of Alexander Grayson was unmatched—brooding in his pressed suits, scowling like the world owed him something, and looking at me like I’d committed a personal crime by existing.And now, I had to be trapped in the same boutique with him.Dress testing. My wedding dress testing. Which, thanks to our arrangement, meant he had to sit there and judge every lace, every seam, every illusion neckline the poor stylist pinned to my body.I muttered under my breath as I followed the assistant into the fitting room. “Great. Nothing screams romance like playing dress-up for the man I can barely breathe around without wanting to either strangle him or…”I cut myself off before my thoughts turned inappropriate.The first dress was beautiful. Flowing satin, delicate beadwork. Too much like something out of a princess fantasy. I stepped out, smoothing my hands down the skirt.Alexander’s head lifted slowly from where he sat, legs sp