جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 140

Blood rushed through Cassie’s body in a way she had never experienced before, sharp, overwhelming, undeniable. This time, there was no excuse to hide behind.She hadn’t been drugged. She wasn’t confused or impaired. Every sensation racing through her was real, vivid, and terrifyingly welcome.And she could no longer pretend she didn’t want it.Before she could gather her thoughts or summon the discipline she’d been clinging to, Franklin closed the distance between them. In one swift, effortless motion, he lifted her into his arms as though she weighed nothing at all.“Frank, put me down,” she protested, instinctively clutching his shoulders.He only chuckled, the sound warm and unrestrained, as he carried her toward the shower room. “Didn’t you say you like this side of me?” he asked lightly. “The playful version? You’ll have to get used to it.”He set her down gently, his gaze lingering with an intensity that made her pulse race. “Are you planning to shower with your clothes on?” His

Nathan’s sigh traveled through the phone line, heavy and resigned, as though he had already rehearsed this conversation in his head and still hoped it would end differently.“It’s not a must,” he said at last. “I’m just asking. I know you have obligations with your legal son.”Cassie closed her eyes, relief loosening the tight knot that had formed in her chest. She leaned back against her chair, the city humming faintly beyond the glass walls of her office.“Thank you for understanding,” she said softly. “I’m in the middle of opening new business chains. Any movement now would be overwhelming. And I still need to send food to my daughter regularly. I can meet your parents another time, if you don’t mind.”On the other end, Nathan nodded even though she could not see him. Guilt settled heavily in his chest.Franklin’s words echoed unpleasantly in his mind. Cassie was busy, deeply rooted, and so was he. A long-distance relationship was not romantic. It was a test of endurance, and most

Frederick’s eyes were sharp, his posture taut with a mix of defiance and disbelief. He had always valued honesty above everything else, and he had never doubted that Franklin would do the same. That made this revelation cut deeper than he expected.“You’ve been seeing a woman and you didn’t tell me?” Frederick’s voice was calm, but the sting of betrayal lingered beneath each word.Franklin ran a hand through his hair, a faint crease forming between his brows. “It depends on how you define it. Unlike you and Sienna, your relationship is straightforward. Mine isn’t. She isn’t like anyone else, Frederick. In fact, she has refused to marry me.”Frederick blinked, as if the words didn’t quite register. “Refused you? Which woman in her right mind would have the audacity to reject Franklin?” His disbelief was palpable. “Who is she? I could maybe talk to her.”Franklin’s chest tightened. This conversation was already teetering on dangerous ground, and he didn’t need Frederick’s involvement co

Franklin understood business well enough to recognize a gold mine the moment it crossed his path.If Cassie’s perfume company ever went public, a fragrance like this wouldn’t just dominate the market, it would redefine it.The bottle alone was a statement piece, jewel-encrusted and unapologetically extravagant, the kind of luxury item that didn’t need advertising because its very existence whispered exclusivity.And the scent, crafted from rare, painstakingly sourced ingredients, was unlike anything he’d encountered in decades of boardrooms, acquisitions, and billion-dollar negotiations.With presentation like this, billionaires from every corner of the world would compete to own it. Auctions, private deals, waiting lists measured in years. In a matter of time, this single brand could generate billions.And yet, Cassie was handing it to him freely, entirely. No one had ever done something like that for Franklin Roth.Yes, his parents had given him the Roth Empire, but even that inherit

The faint sound of paper, soft, rhythmic, like pages being turned with care, pulled Cassie from sleep.For a brief, disoriented second, she expected the familiar give of the couch beneath her or the thin pillow she had fallen asleep on. Instead, she felt warmth. Solid warmth, and a steady rise and fall.Her eyes fluttered open but she was not alone.Cassie lay with her cheek pressed against something firm and reassuring, her ear resting over a slow, even heartbeat. The scent surrounding her was unmistakable, clean, masculine, faintly familiar in a way that made her chest tighten.Franklin. Her breath caught as she slowly lifted her head, just enough to confirm what her body already knew.He was reclined beneath her, shirtless, a book held loosely in one hand while the other arm curved around her back, holding her there with quiet possession.His chest was toned, warm beneath her skin, and for a moment, just one dangerous moment, it felt right. Too right. As though this was where she be