All Chapters of Non~Contracted: The Heart Doesn't Need a Contract to Break: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

ϖϖϖϖϖLove doesn’t come with reasons.“If anyone had told me I’d fall in love with my dead husband’s best friend, I’d have laughed. But grief has a funny way of rewriting your story.” Nora whispered to herself.Nora sighed deeply, her eyes lost somewhere beyond the glittering skyline outside her office balcony. She held a cold cup of coffee like it was the only thing keeping her steady, and maybe it was.Six months had passed since Mira’s wedding. The last time they saw each other, Mira’s belly was round and full—a new life on the way.The girl who used to disappear into the background was now married to Lucian Creed, one of the richest men alive, a real-life fairy tale.Everyone seemed to have their part in the story, yes, everyone except Nora.Maybe she was meant to be the tragic character, standing quietly in the background of someone else’s happy ending. Or she was the writer, cursed to watch it all unfold, never part of the plot, if that was the case, it’s not funny, not one bit.

ϖϖϖϖϖϖIt all happened in seconds, but those seconds stretched like a scream caught in the throat.A burst of white light exploded through the windshield, blinding, sudden, and aggressive.It hit Nora’s eyes like fire. “Ouch! What the—”She flinched, squeezing her eyes shut, her heart skipping. Her body tensed.Something was wrong.The car jerked once, then twice.It felt like the tires had lost grip. Like the world had tilted enough to wreck everything.Her eyes flew open.Liam's hands were locked on the steering wheel. Knuckles white. Jaw clenched. “I can’t see!” he yelled, panic rising.The high beam from the oncoming car was blinding, casting a harsh light across the road.There was no time to think. No time to act or even pray for some kind of divine intervention.Only her motherly instinct took over at that moment.Nora turned, reaching blindly for the back seat. “Oliver! Charlotte—” The words barely left her mouth before it happened.Metal screamed. Brakes shrieked.A force sla

ϖϖϖϖϖϖNora didn’t stay in her office. She left instructions, then walked straight out of the building without a word. She didn’t wait for the elevator—she took the stairs.By the time she reached the street, the sun had dipped low, casting golden streaks across the skyline. She didn’t notice. All she wanted was to disappear.The moment she got home, she dropped her bag at the door and kicked off her heels. No pause. She headed to her bedroom, collapsed face-first onto the bed, and let the tears fall.They poured out like they'd been waiting for permission.Strange how she hadn’t even cried this much when she lost her entire family in a single day. Back then, grief had numbed her so deeply she hadn’t had the strength to shed a single tear. But now?Now, she felt everything.Anger.Confusion.Rejection.Humiliation.And worst of all... longing.Dragging herself off the bed like someone who had just lost a war, she stumbled into the bathroom. Her reflection looked exactly how she felt—s

ϖϖϖϖϖϖThe pain in Nora’s skull was still hammering like a damn marching band by the time she stepped into the office. Her stomach was empty, her mood dark. She didn’t say hello to anyone and didn’t even bother to fake a smile.She made a beeline for her desk, yanked open the drawer, popped two pills, and washed them down with the first thing in reach—her coffee. It scalded her throat on the way.Good. She needed to feel something.The seconds crawled by. The pounding in her head had faded into a dull, annoying hum. She let out a slow breath, stretched her legs, and shifted in her chair, ready to start work.But… something was wrong.Her desk was empty. Completely empty.No reports, folders. No contracts. Not a single file in sight.It looked like someone had come in and swept the place clean while she was gone.She blinked once. Then again. “What the actual hell?”Her fingers twitched, and her eyes darted around the room. “Where’s Kire?” She muttered under her breath.The clock on t

ϖϖϖϖϖϖ"Some wounds don’t heal with time; they only deepen when stirred by betrayal."~~~Nora stormed toward Kire’s desk, anger swelling in her with every step. If rage were a superpower, the entire floor would be ash.Of all the people to twist the knife, it had to be him—the one man she is in love with.How did it come to this? How did one woman’s lies turn her into a joke?Her gaze locked with Kire’s. That smug smile was sitting on her lips like it belonged there.Nora didn’t hesitate.“Wow,” she said, stopping in front of her. “You must really want my job, Kire. Lying against your boss just to climb higher?”“I don’t know what you’re talking about, ma’am.” The voice was fake sweet, like honey hiding poison.“Oh, don’t play dumb. I just spoke to Mr. Bamford. Funny enough, someone accused me of negligence. Care to guess who?”Kire blinked, innocent. “If the CEO noticed it, maybe the issue’s not the messenger. Maybe you’re really slipping.” She said with a wide grin.“Maybe.” Nora l