Redeeming Alessandre: Claiming the Billionaire ice Queen のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

Alessandre The sun crept in, lighting up the whole room and bathing it in its warmth.I turned to the side of the bed where we’d wind up after rushing to the penthouse to finish what we started. But she was already gone, like a figment of my imagination.Of course, she was.Only the smell of her lingered on the sheets—an intoxicating blend of sweetness and a bittersweet edge, reminding me of the events of the previous night.I opened my eyes slowly, tangling my fingers in my tousled hair, half-hoping that what happened between us yesterday meant something to her on some level. That she didn’t use me.My shirt lay crumpled on the floor. I remembered how it got there.“I’m going to take my time with you tonight, Ophelia,” I whispered as carefully pulled down her zipper.“Be careful,” she whispered. “It’s delicate.”I did as she said, and from there, everything was chaos.My belt had been lazily discarded over a chair, its twisted form reminiscent of a hangman’s noose, a tight reminder

Alessandre My phone rang for the third time that day, the screen flashing an infuriating “No Caller ID” yet again. A sense of dread washed over me.I let it ring, letting the silence stretch until the call ended, wishing I could ignore it completely.A minute later, the familiar sound of a voicemail beep echoed in the stillness of the room.I hesitated for a moment, an internal battle raging in my mind, but against my better judgment, I pressed play."You're getting sloppy, Alessandre. Pay up, or we'll remind the world who you really are. You're not bulletproof just because you switched countries. Regent might be dead—but his debts aren't."The words crashed over me like a wave, and I wasted no time in deleting the message, the urgency of my heartbeat matching the abruptness of my action.Leaning against the wall, I felt the cool surface press against my back as I took a moment to gather my thoughts. Ophelia was in the next room, her voice slicing through the air with its sharp yet s

Ophelia "You look like you're gearing up for a fight," Charlotte told me, handing me the press kit.I didn't glance up from the mirror. At this point, I am."Charlotte a heavy drawn out sigh. "Just smile, recite the talking points, and—""Act like I'm infatuated with a guy who's blowing up my whole fucking schedule?" I cut in, adjusting the pearl blazer collar. "Got it."Charlotte sighed. "I'm just saying—if you want to make it through this, you'll have to use the image, not the feeling."That was easy.I didn't have any feeling left to offer.Not for Alessandre. Not for anybody.---The press conference was held in one of the penthouse buildings my company recently partnered with. Floor-to-ceiling windows, clean lines. We were here to announce a new green campaign—sustainable couture practices, local fabric partnership, yadda yadda.It should have been typical.But the second I stepped onto the stage, I felt it.The flip.The air didn't crackle. It twitched.Light bursts exploded ou

ALESSANDRE The boardroom was filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the unmistakable scent of acquired wealth — two fragrances that had gradually become unpalatable to me over the years.This was the second time I had to be here in less than two weeks, and I didn't like it. I was already familiar with the performance: the forced smiles, the probing questions, an unwritten script we all followed.Ophelia was seated at the polished mahogany table when I walked in. She was dressed in her trademark pearl blazer, her hair gleaming like polished obsidian under the soft glow of the overhead lights, and her features were chiselled and striking, sharp enough to bring up emotions I thought I'd long buried. She didn’t glance in my direction, yet I could feel the rhythmic tapping of her foot beneath the table — a silent signal I’d come to recognize over time.“Mr. Marcello,” greeted one of the board’s elder member, his voice smooth and slick, like oil being poured on a conceal

OPHELIA The storm had been building all night.It wasn't just in the sky though. No, it felt like it was everywhere. In the room, in the fact that all the people at the investor dinner seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for something to break.By dessert, the lightning beyond the glass walls was flashing like paparazzi lights, and the rain was loud enough to almost cover the sound of the string quartet.“It seems like it's going to be a cold night tonight,” one of the investors beside me, Jones I think was his name, said as he took a sip from his wine.“Yeah,” I nodded with a tense smile as I turned my head the other way expecting him to take the cue and stop talking to me but of course he did the opposite and ran his mouth.“A fine gentleman isn't he?” He said, turning to face me fully.“Who?” I asked, deciding to indulge him.“Your betrothed.”Did he just say betrothed?! Who the hell uses that statement in this time and age.“Yes,” was all I said and then I turned around ag