Owned by the Cold Ceo의 모든 챕터: 챕터 21 - 챕터 30

Damian’s POVThe morning started with my focus on one thing, the investigation.I had barely taken my first sip of coffee when my phone started buzzing on the desk.Jakes.That wasn’t unusual but the way his name flashed over and over meant it wasn’t a simple update.“Sir, we have a problem,” he said the moment I picked up. I set my coffee down. “What kind of problem?”“One of our main partners, Everest Holdings, has just sent an official withdrawal notice. They’re ending their partnership with Blackwell Group effective immediately.”For a second, I thought I’d misheard him. “That’s not possible. We’ve worked with them for six years now, we just renewed their contract last quarter.”“I know, sir but they’re citing ‘instability in the company’s current direction.’”I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. “That’s an excuse, someone put that idea in their head.”“That’s not the worst of it,” Jakes said. “Two other partners, The Keltor Finance and Mirren Enterprises, they have

Lena’s POVThe house was quiet that afternoon. Damian had left early for work, even though it was a weekend and the bodyguards were stationed like statues outside. I had been curled up on the sofa, trying to distract myself with a magazine I wasn’t really reading, when the doorbell rang.One of the guards stepped in and said, “Miss, you have a visitor.”I looked up, puzzled. “Who is it?”“Carter Clark,” he replied.My chest tightened. “Carter? My brother?”The guard nodded.I stood quickly, smoothing my hair without thinking. It had been months since I’d last seen him. My chest was already tight before I even reached the door.And there he was, my big brother, standing tall with the same protective expression I remembered from when we were kids.“Lena,” he said softly.“Carter.” I didn’t realize until then how much I’d missed him.He stepped forward and hugged me and for a moment, I let myself relax in his arms.When we pulled apart, I asked, “W…what brings you here?”“Damian called m

Damian’s POVBy the time I walked into the Blackwell Group headquarters that morning, I already had three missed calls from Jakes, a dozen emails flagged urgent and a news alert flashing across my phone. The rumors were spreading faster than wildfire. If I don't shut them down, the damage may become permanent.I called Jakes to my office the moment I sat down.“When is the meeting with the partners scheduled for today?” I asked.“By nine, sir,” he replied.“Alright. We’ll try to sort things out then.------When it was time for the meeting, I arrived at the executive boardroom ten minutes early, deliberately taking the seat at the head of the table before anyone else came in. Position was everything in these kinds of fights, you had to look like you’d already won before the battle even began.Jakes came in with a folder and a coffee. “They’re already in the lobby. All but Keltor Finance.”“Send them in one by one,” I said. “I want private conversations before we sit as a group.”He no

Damian's POVI picked it up. The man in the picture was older now, his hair streaked with grey, but his sharp and calculating eyes were the same.My uncle nodded. “He moved operations overseas and built himself back up quietly. My contacts say he’s been taking smaller contracts in Europe and that he’s been asking questions about you for months.”“I kept my eyes on the photo. “Questions like what?”“Your travel schedule, connections and your security arrangements.”That was enough to make my grip on the photo tighten. The fact that Bell was even thinking about my security meant he wasn’t just watching from a distance, he might be planning something.I set the photo down, jaw tightening. “And your source is solid?”Henry leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers the way he always did when he was about to say something serious. “As solid as it gets. One of the men you fought in Italy had ties to a contractor Bell used in Prague last year, it's not direct but enough to connect the d

Lena's POV “I know,” he said, glancing at me briefly before returning to chopping vegetables. “But you need to eat.”I leaned against the counter, watching him. His movements were precise.I stepped closer to grab a plate from the cupboard just as he reached for it too and our fingers brushed.I pulled my hand back quickly, but my skin tingled where we’d touched. His eyes flicked to mine for half a second before going back to the cutting board.“Why now?” I asked quietly.He didn’t look up. “Why what?”“Why are you suddenly… paying attention?”The sound of the knife against the board filled the silence before he answered.“It's not like I didn't want to pay attention ,” he said. “I couldn't, I was too busy but from now on I will try my best for the baby .”I didn’t know what to say.When he finished cooking, he placed a steaming plate in front of me. “Eat.”I took a bite. “It’s… really good.”His gaze held mine just a little too long before he looked down at his own plate. “Good.”We