All Chapters of THE CEO’S DIRTY SECRET: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

STELLAThe first thing that hit me was the ache. My body hummed with the kind of soreness that wasn’t unpleasant—just the thought of every touch, every kiss, the way his hands moved against my body.The thought of how rough he had claimed me last night rushed to my face, and I felt my cheeks instantly turn red.The way his mouth had devoured every inch of me—my legs felt weak. I had been nothing but trembling and breathless.I still couldn’t believe I let James make love to me last night… and God, it was so perfect.I let out a shaky breath, pressing my legs together under the sheets, but that only made the ache pulse through me even more.I looked at the other side of the bed, expecting to see James beside me, but it was empty. My eyes flew open, quickly searching the room. My heart skipped a beat—for a split second… did James just leave me after everything?I sat up quickly, clutching the blanket tighter around me, when every muscle protested and begged me to lie back down—reminding

STELLAThe soft clinking of dishes echoed through the empty house as I wiped them and cleaned down the kitchen counters.The smell of chamomile tea still lingered in the house. James’s mother had already gone to sleep I was so glad she was getting better.We had dinner together and I had made sure she ate well, tucked her blanket properly, and even massaged her hands when she complained about the ache in her wrists.Some parts of her hands were still bruised, and no one had really given me details of what exactly happened. Maybe it was probably not important, I told myself. At least she was safe.I did everything I could for her cooking, cleaning, listening. It was easy to care for her; it made me feel like I was actually part of a family, something I’d always wanted.But even as I folded the kitchen cloth, my mind was far from peaceful. It kept drifting back to him—James.He had left so urgently yesterday without a word. No calls, no explanation, not even a text. And he still wasn’t

STELLANo… I wasn’t going to cry, I told myself as I rushed out of the building and into the street. The tears threatened to spill from the corner of my eyes.I didn’t even care that people stared at me as I brushed past them. This was New York anyway—nobody liked minding their own business. But the hurt I felt inside drowned everything out.Why did it hurt this much? Why did seeing James with another woman hurt this much? It wasn’t supposed to feel like this. It wasn’t supposed to feel like my heart was being ripped out of my chest.This wasn’t real. Our relationship wasn’t real. It was just a façade, just a contract a convenient way to get his mother off his back. It was just an arrangement, nothing more. That was what I kept telling myself to make myself feel better, but it wasn’t working.And the image of that woman sitting on James, kissing him… it kept replaying in my head over and over again. And the worst part? He hadn’t even noticed me standing there the entire time.I presse

STELLA“What….” I said with a mouth full of well-cooked bacon.He laughed. “Nothing. I just thought you weren’t hungry… or isn’t that what you said?”“It… is. But you tempted me, so you don’t have the right to judge, okay.”He leaned in. “I’ll never judge you, Stella.” His voice was soft and heavy.The way he said it made me freeze for a moment, the fork halfway to my mouth. His eyes didn’t waver, and ever since I followed him to his place, I didn’t feel like I was falling apart anymore. Nicholas had this charming way of making everything blur into the background—my pain and even the thought of James.I swallowed, forgetting to chew, and quickly looked away. “You know… you are a terrible influence.”He chuckled. “If getting you to eat is considered being a bad influence, then I guess I’ll happily accept the title.”My lips twisted into a small smile. “You are hilarious.”“And you are stubborn as hell.” He took a sip of his drink like he hadn’t just left my heart racing.Silence follow

STELLAI ran my hand over the zipper of my suitcase and sighed softly as I folded the last of my clothes and arranged them inside.I looked around the room I had stayed in for the past few days. This place felt like home, and I hadn’t realized it until now.But now it was time to go back. James’s mother was doing so much better, and I didn’t want to overstay my welcome.I glanced around the room one last time when I heard a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” I said gently as I pulled the suitcase upright. The door opened, and James’s mother walked in.She looked stronger now her color returning, her steps no longer fragile. There was a warmth in her eyes as she looked at me. For a moment, I wondered who was comforting who.“You’re leaving already?” she asked, her voice carrying so much sadness.“You’re doing so much better now, Mrs. Hawthorne. I thought maybe it’s time I go back to James’s penthouse. I didn’t want to impose too long, and I still have to work at the company.”She stepp