All Chapters of The Billionaire's Regret : Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

~Elena~The penthouse was quieter than the marble walls. Alexander's warning, "If you're lying to me, Elena, you'll regret it," was still ringing in my ears, each word slicing like a brand across my skin. The note was still crumpled in my hand as I stood motionless by the door. Everything could be blown apart by a single spark, just like a fuse. As if my own body were deceiving me, my chest rose and fell in irregular bursts. Now Alexander had his back to me. As if nothing had happened, he moved with measured calm, taking off his cufflinks and putting his watch on the console. However, his tense shoulders conveyed a different message. He was controlling himself, but I wasn't sure if that was better or worse.His voice was deceptively informal when he finally spoke. "You believe that secrets can be kept in this house?" His eyes glinted like glass as he turned halfway. "This place was constructed to reveal them. Every individual here, every wall, and every shadow has a cost.”I was rem

I released a slow breath I hadn't realized I was holding the envelope as I slipped back into the elevator, clutched tight in my hand. As the car went down, the lights of the city flickered by, but I was not thinking about the streets below. My mind replayed every word the figure had said on the rooftop, each one like a puzzle piece I needed to put together. The sharp edge of anticipation persisted even though my pulse had calmed into a steady rhythm by the time I got to my floor. I moved stealthily into the hallway, keeping Marcus and other people out of my line of sight. The penthouse was dark, with the table lamps' gentle glow serving as the only source of light. Everything appeared serene, almost at ease. A deceptive calm.I moved into the bedroom and closed the door behind me, leaning against it for a moment as if to gather the weight of what had just happened. The envelope was still in my hand. I placed it on the bed and sat down, fingers brushing over the seal. My heart beat fa

~ Elena ~Alexander was not softened by the morning sun. It made him more angular. He was already business-dressed when I walked into the dining room, his cufflinks gleaming in the sunlight, his eyes as icy as the steel of the skyline behind him. I was a king prepared for battle, but the battlefield was me. I waited for him to say something first. He didn't. The sound of his knife scraping against the plate was slow and deliberate, and it irritated my skin more than words could. The silence broke when I forced myself to take a sip of water, but it wasn't him. Victoria's voice purred from the doorway, "Good morning, Mrs. Drake." I jerked my head up. She appeared as though she was a part of our house, my home. Lips painted in, perfectly composed in a shade that mocked subtlety. I felt my pulse stutter, but I masked it with a calm smile.Alexander didn’t even look surprised.“I invited her,” he said, finally setting down his knife. His tone was cool, casual—too casual. “She came wit

~ Elena ~I didn't hear Alexander enter. Not until the penthouse was shattered like a whip by the click of the study door. He held a small stack of photographs and stood tall and unforgiving. His eyes burned into me, cold and piercing, but his face was unreadable. "What is this?" He spoke in a low, nearly controlled voice, but each word had impact. I went cold. My stomach turned over. In an attempt to calm the chaos inside of me, my hand automatically went to my chest. Alexander flung the pictures onto the desk. One, two, three... I was unable to count. And I was there.Not just me, but me exposed, defenseless, and devoid of all honor. Some of the pictures were too private and intimate. Some were blurry, but enough to hint at what Alexander would detest most. "No." I reached for them and whispered. "Alexander, this isn't—" He extended a hand. “Don't. Don't talk. Not just yet.” My chest tightened and my pulse thundered. Every picture made my insides twist like a knife. "How...