All Chapters of The Billionaire's Forbidden Waltz : Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

“Put that down. Dance with me.”Elara froze mid-step.The voice came from behind her — low, controlled, the kind of voice that cut straight through the layers of ballroom chatter and champagne glass clinks. It didn’t rise. It didn’t need to. It simply commanded.Her fingers tightened around the tray she was carrying. Her heart gave a startled kick as she slowly turned.And then she saw him.Adrian Valcourt.Up close, he didn’t look like the photos plastered across business magazines and city billboards. He looked sharper, colder, impossibly more real — tall and tailored in a black tuxedo that seemed made for him and only him. His presence didn’t just draw attention. It suffocated it. He was the kind of man people pretended not to stare at while staring anyway.Elara’s breath stalled. “Sir… I’m working.”“You won’t be for the next three minutes.”Before she could argue, he removed the tray from her hands with a smooth, unhurried gesture and passed it to another server without lowering

Elara barely recognized herself the next morning.She stood in front of her mirror wearing the best outfit she owned — a cream blouse tucked neatly into tailored black pants. She’d ironed both twice. Her hands trembled each time she smoothed the fabric, as though the clothes didn’t belong to her.She kept touching her bag, checking that she had everything: her ID, her phone, her lip balm, the contract Adrian had emailed her “for personal record.” She didn’t know why she kept it with her. Maybe holding it reminded her that this wasn’t a dream.She still wasn’t convinced.The Valcourt Foundation tower was busier today than when she’d first walked in. People rushed past her, swiping badges, greeting each other with tight nods before disappearing behind glass doors. The energy buzzed loudly — professional, polished, intimidating.Elara stepped inside.Today, she wasn’t carrying a tray.Today, she belonged here.That was what she kept telling herself.The receptionist glanced up and smiled

The morning light sliced across the city like an accusation. Elara arrived before most people did, hopeful that showing up early would prove she belonged. She tried to tell herself the whispering and the locked drawers were normal bureaucracy. She tried to breathe.Her desk felt less like a place and more like a stage. The small framed skyline photograph Adrian had placed there yesterday gleamed in the glass. She touched it for a second, a private ritual to steady her hands.Ethan hovered at the edge of the room with his usual stillness. He did not smile. He offered a checklist. He moved like someone who had rehearsed his life in steps and outcomes. Watching him made her feel less alone, and also more exposed.“Morning,” he said. “We have a briefing at ten. You should attend.”She nodded, thumbed her badge reflexively, and thought of the card from the envelope. Watch the third floor. A silly card. A warning. A joke. Or not.For an hour she pushed papers, answered questions, and filed