All Chapters of The heart Beneath the Thorn : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

88 Chapters

A New Reign Begins

The morning after the boardroom coup, the energy at Carter Industries was charged with rumors, hopes, and an unmistakable buzz of change. Whispers flew through the cubicles and glass offices like wildfire: Max Carter was back, for real this time. Not just in name or title. In presence.And then came the message.“All staff meeting at 10:30 AM. Mandatory attendance. Conference Hall A.”By the time the clock ticked close, the hall was full. Every seat taken. Employees from every floor, every department—even those who had once felt invisible to the corporate machine—sat waiting, skeptical but curious. From marketing associates to janitorial staff, to junior programmers and receptionists, all eyes were on the stage.When Max Carter stepped out under the soft lights, it was the first time many of them had ever truly seen him.He didn’t come in a flashy suit or flanked by executives. He wore a clean, open-collared shirt, dark slacks, and a somber, sincere expression. His hands weren’t in hi

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

Humility

Max Carter stood at the edge of the skyline, the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse office framing the city like a living canvas. It was dusk—the kind that draped the world in gold and violet, softening its sharp edges, even his own. The boardroom victory earlier had sent waves through the company. Stockholders were thrilled. Executives were stunned. But instead of celebrating, Max found himself caught in quiet stillness, his fingers brushing the corner of a velvet box resting on the edge of his desk.He hadn’t opened it in hours. Not since the courier brought it in.A chrysanthemum bracelet, with a matching necklace and earring set, custom designed. White gold, soft rose enamel, and a center diamond that caught the light without screaming for attention. It wasn’t flashy—not like the women Max used to surround himself with or the life he used to live. It was timeless. Just like her.Emilia Grace.His nurse. His anchor. The woman who held his hand through nights he couldn’t reme

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

A New Page

The sun was beginning to melt into the horizon, casting long golden shadows through the tall windows of Max Carter’s mansion. The quiet hum of the estate outside was a sharp contrast to the still energy pulsing through the main hallway as Max approached Emilia Grace’s room.She was seated by the bay window, a book open on her lap and her hair pulled into a soft, unintentional bun that seemed to have formed naturally in the day’s rhythm. She looked up at him, one eyebrow raised, sensing something different in his expression.“You look like a man with a secret,” she said.Max grinned, and for a moment, he looked nothing like the calculating CEO the world knew. “Maybe I do.”She tilted her head. “Should I be concerned?”“That depends,” he said, stepping forward and holding up a silk blindfold. “Do you trust me?”She blinked. “Is this a kidnapping scenario or are we still playing the ‘recovering patient with impulse control’ game?”“Neither,” Max said. “I have a surprise for you. But I wa

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

Tale As Old As Time

The morning sun broke gently through the long curtains of Emilia Grace’s bedroom. A soft floral breeze drifted in through the open window, but it wasn’t what woke her.It was the scent—floral, delicate, and familiar.She blinked, then sat up slowly, her breath catching in her throat.Chrysanthemums.Hundreds of them.Delicate blooms in ivory, blush, and soft lavender filled the entire room. They lined the window sills, spilled across the vanity, nestled in vases on every surface. The air was soaked with their quiet, noble fragrance.Her bare feet touched the rug, and as she stood, her eyes were drawn to the center of the room.A dress.It stood like a sentinel on a pale gold mannequin. Soft champagne silk, layered with organza and shimmered tulle, catching the morning light like starlight. The bodice was detailed with embroidery so fine it looked like spun lace. The skirt flowed like a dream—weightless, floating.A note was pinned to the bodice with a gold clasp.Next to the dress, a

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

Stormy Night Terrors

It had been the kind of month people wrote poetry about.A stretch of days sewn together with sunlight, laughter, and moments so tender they belonged in a diary only hearts could write. Max and Emilia fell into a rhythm—organic, quiet, unmistakably intimate. The world outside the estate blurred while theirs sharpened.They had picnics under the willow tree by the south lawn, where Emilia’s laughter often rang louder than the birds. He watched her read with her legs folded beneath her, a daisy tucked behind one ear. She watched him stretch in therapy, sweat lining his brow as he took slow, painful steps—and smiled when he stumbled but refused to fall.They painted on the terrace—her messy, colorful; him deliberate, focused. They cooked together, burned things, laughed about it. She taught him how to make lavender tea. He introduced her to Cuban cigars, though she only held one long enough to take a picture and fake a tough face.Sometimes, they danced. No music, just silence, her hand

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

In Comes the Lady with the Alligator Purse

The storm had passed, but the atmosphere inside the mansion was still strange—quiet in a way that didn’t feel like peace.Emilia stirred her tea slowly, watching the swirling cream dissolve into amber. Max sat across from her, reading the paper in his robe, one leg crossed, hair slightly mussed in a way that made him look more like a man than the myth the world knew.She hadn’t brought up the nightmare again. Not yet.He hadn’t either.But something hung between them—unspoken. Heavy.The morning had the fragile weight of porcelain—one wrong movement, and everything could shatter.Just as Max reached for his orange juice, a sharp knock echoed through the mansion, followed by the chime of the front bell. Loud. Demanding.Max lowered his glass.Emilia looked up. “Expecting someone?”He shook his head slowly. “No one.”Another knock—this time more aggressive, echoing like a crack of thunder across the marble halls.“I’ll get it,” Emilia said, standing and tightening her robe around her.B

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

Grace's Takeover

The mansion no longer felt like a sanctuary.It felt like a set.Curtains were replaced with sheer white panels that spilled artificial light through every room. Candles were swapped for crystal chandeliers. The kitchen had been rearranged by a chef Emilia didn’t recognize—though she’d never seen the man actually cook. Grace called it “optimizing the estate.” Emilia called it invasion.It had only been a week since Grace Montague arrived, crocodile purse in hand and poison behind every smile.And now, she ruled everything.The staff—what remained of them—were no longer the warm, familiar faces Emilia had shared quiet laughs and morning coffee with. Most had been “relieved of their duties.” The few who stayed avoided eye contact, walking silently through the halls like shadows.Max’s schedule, once grounded by his therapists, his nutritionist, and his carefully coordinated healing routine, was now written in gold cursive on a whiteboard outside his bedroom door—by Grace. His workouts h

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

Stirring the Pot

Emilia stood at the edge of the guest wing hallway, trembling.Her closet—empty. Her books, gone. Her record player, the one Max had repaired himself, missing from the table. Everything she owned was boxed and vanished. But the final blow didn’t come until she checked the sunroom where Leo, her rescue cat, usually lounged in the morning light.His bed was gone. His food dishes gone.Leo was gone.It took less than ten frantic calls to local shelters to confirm it: he had been surrendered “by the estate” that morning.The bile that rose in Emilia’s throat had nothing to do with nausea—it was fury. White-hot, uncontrollable fury.She stormed through the corridors of the mansion, ignoring the staff who turned their eyes away. Her bare feet slapped against polished tile as she reached Max’s study. No more waiting. No more silence. She burst through the double doors without knocking.Max sat at his desk, papers spread out before him. He looked up slowly, his face blank, cold. Robotic.“We

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

Marco's Exit

The scent of vanilla and sizzling batter curled through the air like a warm blanket, wrapping the kitchen in false comfort. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, painting everything in a golden glow. Grace stood at the stove, humming softly, flipping pancakes with practiced ease. She looked picture-perfect in her delicate robe, her golden hair pinned up loosely, like she belonged in a magazine ad for serene domesticity.Emilia sat at the kitchen island, momentarily lulled into the illusion. It was a rare morning when the house felt calm—no veiled barbs, no tension vibrating in the silence. Grace even smiled at her, offered her a plate, and for a fleeting second, Emilia considered this morning a gift.Then came the footsteps. Heavy. Sharp. Angry.Marco stormed into the kitchen like a hurricane trapped in human form. His boots slammed against the hardwood, shoulders braced like armor. The air changed—static and charged.Grace didn’t flinch. She turned a pancake, humming as though

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

Cruel Intentions

The day began like any other—which was to say, deceptively calm.Grace floated through the mansion like a perfumed wraith, her silk robe trailing behind her like gossamer wings. The morning sun made her look angelic, her golden hair loose and tousled like she had just stepped out of a dream. She was humming again. Always humming. Always pretending.Emilia noticed it right away: Leo, her usually energetic cat, was sluggish. He hadn’t greeted her at the stairs with his usual chirps and tail flicks. Instead, he lay curled on the windowsill, eyes glazed, chest rising and falling with labored effort.“Leo?” she murmured, kneeling beside him. “Hey, buddy… what’s wrong?”He didn’t lift his head.She called Max. Then the vet. The panic in her voice rose as Leo gave a low, pained meow. Grace stood by the kitchen island, delicately sipping tea, watching.When the vet arrived and rushed Leo away, Emilia stayed behind, breathless with worry.“He was fine yesterday,” she muttered, pacing. “He ate

Last Updated : 2025-06-27

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