All Chapters of I AGREED TO MY HUSBAND'S OPEN MARRIAGE RULES: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Stacy's POVThe past three years had been a blur of flour, sugar, and endless work. Every dollar I earned went back into the business. Every loan I took was carefully calculated. Every expansion was planned down to the last detail.'Ellie's Oven' wasn't just a bakery anymore. It was a brand. Fifteen locations across two states. Supply contracts with hotels and cafes. A wholesale operation that shipped our signature pastries across the region.I'd done it. Built something from nothing. Something that was mine.But I never told anyone who I really was.Eleanor Reed, the CEO, existed only on paper and in boardrooms. In person, I was just Ellie—the woman who ran the original shop on the corner, who still woke up at dawn to knead dough, who greeted customers with a smile.It was safer that way. Hidden in plain sight.The bell over the door chimed. A regular customer, Mr. Thompson, shuffled in."Morning, Ellie! Got any of those chocolate croissants today?""Fresh out of the oven," I said, a

Michael's POVI'd come to Portland for one reason—to meet the CEO of Ellie's Oven. The bakery chain had grown exponentially in three years, and the financials were impressive. A collaboration would be mutually beneficial.But my mother had other ideas."Michael, you work too much," she'd said during our last phone call. "Take this trip as a vacation too. Portland is beautiful. Relax. Enjoy yourself. You've been... different since that woman disappeared."That woman. As if Stacy was just anyone. As if she hadn't consumed my thoughts for three years. As if I hadn't spent millions searching for her."I'll consider it," I'd told her, just to end the conversation.But I had no intention of relaxing. I was here for business. That's all.The restaurant was busy when David and I walked in. Upscale but casual. Good reviews online. I'd chosen it because it was neutral ground—not too formal, but professional enough for business discussions."Table for two," I told the hostess.As we walked thro

Stacy's POVI waited in the storage room at the back of the shop, my heart hammering against my ribs, counting the seconds. One hundred. Two hundred. Three hundred. Surely he was gone by now.Please let him be gone.When I finally crept back into the main shop, I scanned the street through the window. No sign of his tall frame. No silver hair catching the light. The sidewalk was clear except for a few regular pedestrians.He's gone. For now.My legs felt weak with relief. I grabbed the counter to steady myself."Millie!" I called out, my voice sharper than I intended. "Millie, come here right now!"She appeared in the doorway from the back room, still clutching the white orchid he'd given her. My stomach twisted at the sight of it."Mama, look! The man gave me—""What did you say to him?" I interrupted, kneeling down to her level. I took her shoulders gently but firmly. "What did you and that man talk about?"Her eyes widened at my tone. "Nothing bad, Mama. I promise.""Tell me exactl

Stacy's POVI stayed frozen in the bathroom, my back pressed against the door, my hand clamped over my mouth to silence my breathing. Through the thin door, I could hear everything happening in my office.Michael's footsteps. The rustle of papers on my desk. His presence filling the space I'd built for myself."Where is she?" His voice was calm, but there was steel underneath. A command, not a question."She stepped out, Mr. Sotheby." Jennifer's voice was shaky. "She's not here right now. I can leave her a message—""Don't lie to me." His tone dropped lower, more dangerous. "Her coat is here. Her purse is here. Her coffee is still warm. She's in this building."My heart hammered harder. Of course he'd noticed those details. Of course he had."I—I don't know where she went, sir. Maybe she went to another floor—""Then we'll wait."No. No, please don't wait.I heard the creak of my desk chair as he sat down. Making himself comfortable. Claiming my space.Through the crack under the door

Stacy's POVThe next few days were a nightmare of locked doors and canceled meetings. I moved through my office like a ghost, jumping every time the phone rang or the elevator dinged. Michael's team—David and other smooth-voiced men in expensive suits—called constantly. They were polite, persistent, and completely unstoppable. He owns this building. He owns half this city. The power he had was crushing, suffocating. I knew I couldn't hide forever. If I kept refusing to meet with him, he'd find a way to destroy my business. He'd bury everything I'd built just to prove he could.I had to face him. On my terms. A controlled meeting in a neutral place. One last performance where I, Eleanor Reed, would look him in the eye and pretend I had no idea who he was. Just a simple business misunderstanding. The plan was weak and pathetic, but it was all I had.That evening, I rushed home early. The bakery was closed, the apartment quiet. Millie was at the kitchen table, coloring. Her small, safe