Semua Bab Terms and Temptations: The CEO spoils me silly: Bab 121 - Bab 130

Emma's POV The day of the gala arrived like a storm cloud dressed in silk — beautiful, but heavy with electricity. By 9 a.m., I was pacing the length of my office while Danielle reviewed the final press brief. Xander had offered to handle everything, but I’d insisted on doing it myself. I needed to. After all that had happened — from the reveal of my past, to the pregnancy, to Belle & Hue’s offer — I needed to reclaim my own voice. Not through whispers, not through rumors, but through action. This gala wasn’t just a fashion event. It was a declaration. --- The venue was set in the heart of Manhattan — a renovated museum with cascading chandeliers and modern glass walls. Our guests list? Curated to perfection. Influential editors, celebrities, investors, influencers… and of course, Serena Alcott from Belle & Hue. She wasn’t just attending — she was co-sponsoring. "You don’t think it’s too much?" I asked Danielle as I turned in front of the mirror. My dress was emerald green, off

Emma’s POV The day started off deceptively normal. I woke up before Xander, lying there for a moment to watch the slow rise and fall of his chest. His arm was draped over me like a protective band, fingers lightly curled, like he still wasn’t ready to let go even in sleep. There was something comforting in the silence of the morning—no beeping phones, no emails, no camera shutters. Just breath, skin, heartbeat. But I knew better than to trust the quiet. --- By noon, everything was shifting. Danielle called first. Her tone was clipped, urgent. “They’re moving,” she said. “Diane’s been talking to someone new. A fixer type. Not in the regular circles.” My stomach twisted. “What does that mean?” “It means she’s ready to get dirty. Desperate. This isn’t just about press anymore. It’s sabotage. Maybe even legal entrapment. They’re playing rough.” I exhaled. “So we stop playing nice.” Danielle’s smile was audible. “I thought you’d say that.” --- Later that afternoon, we met in

Emma’s POV The morning after our vow to rise above it all, I woke up early. The city hadn't stirred yet, and Xander was still asleep beside me, one arm protectively draped across my waist. I stared at the ceiling, hand resting on my belly, thoughts racing like wind through an open field. So much had changed. Not just in the world outside—but in me. Once upon a time, I used to wake up dreading the day. Dreading who I’d have to pretend to be. But now? Now, there was a different fire in me. A softer one, maybe, but no less powerful. I quietly slid out of bed, padding to the window. Rain tapped gently on the glass, as if the sky itself was tiptoeing around our peace. I watched the gray skyline blur and remembered what it felt like to be invisible. And I vowed again—never again. Not for me. Not for my child. --- Xander found me an hour later, seated at the dining table with my laptop open and a steaming mug of peppermint tea. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, voice still rough with slee

Emma's POV The rain came suddenly. One moment, the sky was clear, the next it cracked open like a secret finally confessed. Thunder rolled through the city, low and ominous, and lightning streaked above the penthouse windows like warning signs etched in light. I stood by the glass, arms folded around my growing belly, watching the storm begin. The silence in the room was deceptive. Xander was in his study, Danielle was out on an errand, and I should’ve felt safe. But there was a pulse in the air—something heavy and unsettling. Like the story wasn’t over yet. Like we were standing at the edge of something neither of us could see clearly. My phone vibrated on the table behind me. I turned slowly. Unknown Number: "Tell him the truth before I do." That was all it said. I felt my heartbeat thunder in my chest. “Xander?” I called out, my voice uncertain. He appeared moments later, looking sharp in dark slacks and a white shirt, sleeves rolled up, the tension in his frame matching

Emma's POV There are moments in life when silence screams louder than words. Moments when the air between two people crackles, not with passion or warmth, but with the chill of betrayal and disbelief. That was the air I walked into when I entered the office the next morning. Whispers trailed me down the hallway like smoke. Eyes flickered away too fast. A few sympathetic, most curious. I kept walking. Head high. Spine straight. Xander’s words from the night before still rang in my ears. "We stand together. No matter what." But this? This wasn’t just about us anymore. It was about legacy. About lies. About power and the way people worshiped it until it was torn from their hands. --- Danielle met me at the elevator. “Don’t go into the boardroom yet. Xander’s trying to stall them.” “Why? What happened?” She hesitated. “Someone leaked your pregnancy.” I froze. My hand instinctively fell to my stomach. “Who?” “We’re tracing it. But Emma… the press is outside. And some shareho