All Chapters of Blood Ties and Billionaire Lies: Chapter 11

The office was almost unrecognizable at night. The humming of printers and footsteps that filled the air during the day were gone, replaced by a silence so heavy it seemed to press against the walls. Only a few lights remained on, pools of gold against the endless glass windows overlooking the city. Richard and I were the only ones left. I had told myself I’d stay late to finish paperwork, but deep down, I knew it was more than that. Something about him pulled me in not just his authority or presence, but the fragments of vulnerability I’d seen cracking through his usual control. “He was… an alcoholic. The kind that leaves scars you can’t see. He’d come home drunk and… lash out. Sometimes words, sometimes worse.” My throat tightened. “Cassandra took the worst of it. She always stood between us. She became my shield. She worked herself raw just to make sure I could be more than just another broken piece of that house.” Richard’s brow furrowed, but before I could go on, he interrupt