บททั้งหมดของ Mr Billionaire's Borrowed Wife: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

After Sienna finally fell asleep, after a mini war over whether or not she could sleep with her plastic tiara, and one long bedtime story about a mermaid who married a sea monster because of a work contract, I dragged my feet back to my room.I didn’t bother turning on the main light. Just the soft glow of the table lamp in the corner guided me toward the bathroom. The sound of water running in the shower was like the forgiveness I’d been waiting for all day. And for the next few minutes, I let myself drown there… in the steam, in the scent of sandalwood and lemon soap far too luxurious to just be called "soap."Showering here felt like trying to wash off emotional sins. But unfortunately, hot water can’t rinse away five years of trauma, or shut off my body’s biological response whenever Nicholas stands a little too close.Afterward, I wrapped myself in a towel and opened the door to the walk-in closet. Then stopped. Stared.The walls were lined with clothing racks, too neatly arrange

"You’re not supposed to be here." His voice was low and flat. Stripped of any emotion. I swallowed. It felt like glass shards scraping down my throat. My hand fell slowly, like it knew it had been caught stealing air from a room I had no right to enter. I couldn’t speak. My tongue was frozen against the roof of my mouth.Because I knew this version of Nicholas. The quiet, detached, almost lifeless one...didn’t mean he was calm. It meant he was angry. Deeply."I..." My throat burned. My voice caught like it had forgotten how to function. "I was just curious."He didn’t move. Just stared at me like I was something he was trying to tolerate. I felt like a cracked antique sitting in the middle of his priceless gallery."Out."One word. Sharp. ....it hit me like a sledgehammer to the gut.I nodded once, slowly, before my body could even register that it should start moving. I turned toward the door, every step aching like my bones were protesting the motion.As I passed him, the familia

“Me?” Lorenzo set his empty cup on the counter, then dropped into an easy crouch.I straightened instinctively when he lowered himself to Sienna’s level.“You know,” he said softly, locking his gaze on my daughter’s face, “I’ve got my own pancakes at home. Better ones. Secret syrup and everything. If you come over, I can build you a whole pancake castle. Custom made.”Sienna blinked. “A pancake CASTLE?” She pressed both palms to her cheeks. “With soft, sweet walls you can bite?”“And a moat filled with hot chocolate,” Lorenzo added casually.Sienna made a tiny sound that sounded almost religious. “Oh my God.”I looked at Nicholas. He was staring at Lorenzo sharply. Sienna narrowed her eyes at Lorenzo. “Are you rich?” she asked bluntly. “Do you have a kingdom?”A faint crease formed at the corner of Lorenzo’s eyes. He looked genuinely amused. “A kingdom, huh?” He shrugged. “I don’t own one. But I’m very good at getting into other people’s kingdoms. Want me to teach you how to take a t

My coat was still holding on to the cold from outside. Here, the house was warm, smelling of lemon polish and expensive wood, and far too quiet for a place occupied by the De Castello family. I had barely closed the door when the sound of little feet thudded down the hallway.Sienna appeared and immediately crashed into my legs, wrapping her arms around one of them. “I want to show you something.”That sentence was usually followed by property damage or some small-scale tragedy involving Sushi. She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the living room. On the table beside the sofa sat a small box.A miniature music box. It was shaped like a pearl-white sea castle, with tiny towers carved like waves and a little silver mermaid perched on top.Sienna patted the lid proudly. “It’s mine.”I looked over at Angela. “Where did it come from?”“Someone sent it earlier.”Cold slid straight up the back of my neck. “Who?”Angela stepped closer. “There wasn’t a card. Just a white box, a blue ribbon,

My phone vibrated once more.I set down the spatula. My hands were dry. I wiped my fingers against the side of my shirt before finally glancing at the screen, making the movement as casual as I could.Lorenzo.(If I wanted to destroy you, I would’ve done it yesterday.)My stomach dropped.I slowly turned the phone facedown on the counter. Pointed my face back at the pan. Butter hissed. The eggs were starting to set. I regulated my breathing.Normal. Easy. Funny. Just an ordinary woman who was not currently being invited into a snake pit by a man who used to enjoy humiliating her at the office.“Mommy,” Sienna said, “if the bad person is handsome, does that make the punishment harder?”“No,” I said, cracking another egg. “It just makes a lot of women make bad decisions.”Behind me, Sienna laughed.Nicholas didn’t.I could feel his gaze before I turned. It rested against the side of my face like heat from a campfire.I gave him nothing. Not one crease. Not one breath too quick. I lifted