All Chapters of Non~Contracted: The Heart Doesn't Need a Contract to Break: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

ϖϖϖϖϖNora stared at Ava; her face twisted in confusion.What did she mean Noah didn’t even know I existed?She and Noah had known each other for years… long before he found out she was married to Liam, and long before Ava Marshal came into the picture. That part of her life was hers alone, and she’d kept it that way. So why would Ava say something like that?She turned to her. “How would you even—?”“Because I asked him,” Ava cut in. “Yeah, I asked Noah about you. I kept mentioning your name. But every single time, he acted like you were a stranger. All he cared about was picking the best hotel for us to spend the night.” She smirked, proud of herself. “Since you weren’t important to him, I made my move.”Nora’s chest burned. So even with this slut, that bastard still acted like I was nothing.She clenched the arms of her chair. “Wow. Do you even hear yourself talk? You shameless piece of trash.” Her voice shook, but she didn’t stop. “You never noticed him until I told you how I felt

ϖϖϖϖϖNora smiled bitterly, like acid burning her throat. She stared straight at Noah.“Why? You asked? Because a few seconds ago, she called me a broken woman who couldn’t even get love from her dead husband.” Her voice shook with anger. “Besides you and Faith, no one knows I’m a widow. And Faith hates Ava, so it’s not her. Which leaves…” She pointed at him. “You.”Noah’s shoulders tensed.There was that one time… he did let something slip. Out of anger. Out of weakness.He stood up, walked around the desk, and stopped in front of her.“I didn’t tell her anything,” he said quietly, then sighed. “Okay… maybe I said a few things.”Nora’s fingers tightened on her sleeves. She bit her lip hard.“How few?” she asked softly.He hesitated. “I might’ve said something about the accident,” he admitted.Silence burned between them.Her chest ached like she’d been hit. “So basically, you told her everything,” she said flatly.“No… Nora—” he started, stepping forward.She raised a hand to stop hi

ϖϖϖϖϖ“Damn that bastard,” Ava muttered under her breath, speeding through the gates of the Bamford estate like a storm.Her grip on the steering wheel was tight, knuckles white with anger. “I can’t believe he stood me up,” she hissed, slamming her car door shut as soon as she parked.She stomped up to the front door in heels against the pavement. “Open this door right now, Noah! I know you’re in there!” she yelled, pounding with both fists. “Don’t you dare ignore me!”After several loud bangs and a frustrated kick, the door finally swung open. And there he was, Noah… standing in the doorway like a man pulled from the depths of a nightmare. Disheveled. Barefoot. Expression cold.“What?” he snapped, jaw tight. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”Ava’s eyes blazed. “Oh, is that all you’ve got to say to me?” she shot back, hands on her hips. “Do you even realize how humiliating it was for me to show up to the Met Gala alone after I’d already told everyone I’d be arriving with you?”H

ϖϖϖϖϖThe phone vibrated violently against his hand, breaking the uneasy silence.Noah lunged for it, hoping it was… Nora?But no, not her.His shoulders sagged as he stared at the unfamiliar number lighting up the screen. He let it ring. Once. Twice. A third time.He was about to ignore it, until irritation clawed its way through. He snatched the phone.“Yes?” he barked, voice sharp and raw.A light laugh spilled from the other end. “Still answering calls like someone being held at gunpoint, huh?”He froze.That voice.“…Mira?” he said slowly, unsure if his mind was playing tricks.“Yes, that’s me.”He exhaled hard, slumping into the chair behind him. “Wow. It’s been a while,” he muttered, rubbing his forehead.“How’ve you been?”“Angry,” she said, her tone flat.That caught him off guard. “Angry? Why? Did that bastard husband of yours do something stupid?”She sighed. “Oh, an asshole definitely pissed me off. But it wasn’t him.”Noah frowned. “Then who—?”“I’m talking to him right n

ϖϖϖϖϖThe Creed Mansion was quiet… too quiet.Noah stood in front of the bathroom mirror, both hands pressed against the cool sink. He looked tired, his eyes dull, his shoulders heavy. The kind of tiredness sleep couldn’t fix.His shirt lay on the floor, damp from the shower’s steam. He stared at himself, wondering when everything started to feel so messy. So wrong.He ran a hand through his damp hair and let out a long breath.Tonight already felt too long, and something told him it wasn’t over yet.From the far corner came the faint clink of glass.He didn’t have to guess who it was. Mira’s presence was obvious, especially when uninvited.While Noah changed into his nightwear, Mira stepped out onto the balcony, the breeze lifting strands of her hair as she settled into the lounge chair.A few minutes later, Noah joined her, towel slung over his shoulder, hair still damp from his quick shower.“What a quiet place,” he murmured, stretching as he sank into the seat beside her. “Mm-hmm