All Chapters of The contracted heart : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The city lights glittered below the penthouse like scattered stars, a deceptive calm stretched over the skyline. Yet inside, Vanessa felt the tension coil tighter with every passing second. She had spent hours reviewing the reports, tracking every anomaly, dissecting every potential threat. Alexander, normally the anchor in every storm, had left her alone in the war room earlier that evening, trusting her instincts to catch what even he might miss.Vanessa’s fingers danced across the keyboard, eyes scanning numbers, communications, and corporate records. She had grown accustomed to navigating Alexander’s world, a world of control, precision, and calculated moves but tonight, something felt off. Not external, not the usual Helena-style sabotage, but internal. Somewhere, in the quiet corners of the company, a shadow lurked. Someone who had been hiding in plain sight, moving pieces against them, and no one had suspected.Her pulse quickened. Every instinct she had screamed that the board

The penthouse was unusually silent, the kind of quiet that presses against your chest and refuses to be ignored. Outside, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, leaving the city slicked and glimmering under the dim glow of streetlights. Vanessa sat at the edge of the sofa, legs tucked beneath her, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. Her thoughts raced, replaying the events of the parking structure, the suddenness of the attack, the ragged panic of being trapped, and the precise, terrifying efficiency of the people who had targeted her.Alexander stood by the balcony, arms crossed, jaw clenched, watching the city as if he could will it into obedience. His suit was damp from the storm, hair slightly mussed, but his posture was all sharp lines and control. The tension in the room was palpable, an unspoken question hanging between them: how had someone penetrated even the most secure of their defenses?“You need rest,” Alexander said finally, voice low but

Shadows WithinThe office was quiet, but Vanessa felt the weight of tension pressing down like a physical force. Papers lay scattered across Alexander’s desk, some untouched, some hastily marked with notes from late-night meetings. The city hummed below the penthouse, oblivious to the storm raging in the lives of those above it.Vanessa stood near the window, her reflection mingling with the skyline. She couldn’t shake the memory of Duvall’s face, the betrayal masked behind polite familiarity. She had trusted him once, as Alexander had, and the realization that someone so close could undermine everything they had built gnawed at her stomach.Alexander moved quietly behind her, his presence heavy and commanding. He placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her, but the tension in his grip was unmistakable. “We have to be vigilant,” he said, voice low. “Duvall was just the beginning.”Vanessa turned to face him, eyes

The penthouse felt unusually quiet that evening, the city lights below shimmering in false calm, as if the skyline itself were holding its breath. Vanessa perched on the edge of the sofa, her hands wrapped tightly around a mug of untouched tea, eyes fixed on Alexander as he moved restlessly across the room.He hadn’t spoken much since they returned from the boardroom earlier, his usual composed intensity replaced with a sharp edge of unease. Vanessa had learned to read the signs, tension in the shoulders, jaw clenched slightly, movements that were more precise than necessary. Something was off.“Alexander,” she said gently, setting the mug down, “talk to me.”He paused, glancing at her with eyes that flickered between exhaustion and something darker, foreboding, even. “It’s… complicated,” he murmured, finally stopping near the window. He stared at the city below, the lights reflecting in his eyes. “Som

The night pressed against the windows of the penthouse like a living thing, shadows pooling in the corners of the room as Vanessa paced restlessly. Her heels clicked softly against the polished floor, each step echoing the tension that had built in her chest all day. Alexander sat at the desk, reviewing financial statements with a precision that bordered on obsession, but Vanessa could sense it, the fatigue behind his eyes, the quiet war he waged against every threat, external and internal.She stopped near the balcony, staring out at the city lights. The skyline shimmered, deceptively calm, hiding the chaos that simmered just below its surface. Her fingers traced the cold metal of the railing as she spoke without turning around.“Alexander…” she began, voice hesitant. “I need to know something.”He didn’t look up immediately, fingers pausing over the keyboard. “What is it?” he asked finally, calm, but his tone carrie