All Chapters of Non~Contracted: The Heart Doesn't Need a Contract to Break: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

ϖϖϖϖϖϖMax groaned dramatically as he followed Nora into her office, shutting the door with a sigh.“You look exhausted,” he whispered, leaning close. “And look at the fake smiles plastered on their cheeks.” He tilted his chin toward the staff beyond the glass walls. “They were delighted while you were gone.” He hissed, loud enough for some outside to hear. “Pretenders.”Nora didn’t need his reminder. Of course, they were. She was strict, efficient, no-nonsense, and far from cuddly. The brief peace her absence had given them had probably been the most peace they'd had in months.But that wasn’t what bothered her.While Max ranted, her thoughts circled back to the message she hadn’t meant to see.She had only unlocked her phone to check the time, but there it was…A text from Noah. Sent hours ago. Her stomach twisted.When she’d spotted him in the hallway, she’d panicked, torn between guilt and confusion. She couldn’t meet his, not when he looked pissed. She hadn’t meant to ignore him;

ϖϖϖϖϖϖAva crossed one leg over the other, slow and deliberate, like she had all the time in the world. Her fingers tapped lightly on the armrest; her eyes were fixed on the glass door.She’s coming.She didn’t need anyone to say it, she felt the energy shift the moment Nora stepped onto the floor. That quiet tempest she always carried… pretending not to feel.Let’s see how well she pretends today, Ava thought, lips curving into a slow, satisfied smile. She’s not going to like this. Not one bit.It wasn’t just seeing him that would bother her. it was the fact that Ava Marshal was sitting with him.And like clockwork, the door opened. Nora walked in.Ava smirked the moment she caught the annoyed look in Nora’s eyes. "You look more alive now," she said. "I thought you died."But Nora didn’t answer. She moved like Ava was furniture, something to step around, not acknowledge.Eyes locked on Noah, she asked coolly, “You sent for me?”It was the first time she’d seen him since coming back f

ϖϖϖϖϖϖAva Marshal didn’t return to her office.Why waste time on reports when there were far more important games to play? Her stiletto heels clicked against marble as she walked out of Noah’s office, still smirking.Let Nora sulk. Ava had bigger plans.She speed-dialed Celine, and the sultry voice answered after one ring.“Miss Marshal, it’s been too long,” the boutique owner cooed.“I need something showstopping.” Ava purred, stepping into the elevator. “I’m talking sinful silk, unapologetically short, and dangerous enough to get a man on his knees.”Celine laughed. “Ah, so we’re making someone jealous?”“Not someone, darling,” Ava whispered at her own reflection in the mirrored elevator wall. “Her.”“You’re bad,” Celine giggled. “Come over. I’ll keep the red rack ready.”By the time Ava reached the boutique downtown, she was already picturing Nora’s face, that trembling jaw, the wide eyes, and the slow realization that Noah’s attention was never hers to keep.Ava swept into the bo

ϖϖϖϖϖϖ“This isn’t too much, right?” Nora muttered, staring at her reflection for the third time that evening.Her dress was a show-stopper: a black, high-necked, sleeveless gown that hugged her curves like it was made for her. Silver crystals and tiny stones glittered down one side, where a slit ran high up her thigh.Her long, dyed red ombré hair flowed past her waist. The matching stilettos caught the light, her diamond necklace glowed, and for a moment she looked like she belonged on a runway instead of at a corporate party.“But what if it’s too much... for him?” she whispered, lips pressing together.Max Jordan. She pictured him like always: a little clumsy, casual, and grinning too wide. This wasn’t just overdressed; it was overkill.What if he showed up in sneakers and a hoodie?Groaning, she reached for her phone to ask what he was wearing when it buzzed with an incoming call. The nosy doctor.Perfect timing.“Hi, Faith.”“Nora!” Dr. Faith’s cheerful voice rang out. “I just sa

ϖϖϖϖϖϖNoah turned out the clinking glasses, the polite laughter, and the subtle glances thrown his way. The whole party was nothing but background noise, unimportant compared to the war raging quietly in his chest.His feelings should’ve ended long ago, but they didn’t.Too many nights, when Lian was away, she stayed home with the kids. And Noah, shameless and selfish, let himself pretend, just for a little while.Pretend that the woman laughing softly across from him wore his ring.Nora Danyon.She was never his, but his heart hadn’t gotten the memo.And then... tragedy came.One night.One damn night.And everything was gone. Her husband and children. Her entire world…. Snatched away.He remembered the funeral in painful detail… the brittle wind, the pale sun, her black dress trembling against her body as the final shovel of dirt struck the coffin. He had held her upright when her knees buckled… But even then, the shame inside him was louder than the grief.Because while he mourned