Semua Bab STUCK WITH MR. BILLIONAIRE FOR CHRISTMAS : Bab 21 - Bab 30

CINNAMON:The crushing guilt in my chest after what I said wouldn’t let me stay at Mom’s, so I went back to the cabin.It felt emptier and colder here, even with the blazing heater running. To distract myself before I started overthinking, I kept myself busy organizing. After all, the living room needed it, with all my stuff lying around.My suitcases went into the corner, arranged neatly so they didn’t clutter the space. I unpacked the essentials, which were my toiletries, a change of clothes, my work materials, and my laptop.Looking around, I let out a satisfied exhale, seeing the good job I’d done. There was nothing left to do, and it was already late. So, I changed into pajamas, washed my face, and stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. Dante wasn’t coming back tonight. That much was obvious. Which meant I had the bedroom to myself. Even though I would have preferred to have him here, even if it meant sleeping on the sofa again.I climbed under the covers, pulled them up to my

DANTE:Cinnamon reached me in a way no one ever had.She didn’t pry or ask what I’d done or where I’d been. She just knelt in front of me, steady hands cleaning blood from my skin, fed me like it mattered that I stayed upright, then dragged me out into the cold and showed me something beautiful.She let me be.For a few hours, the noise in my head thinned. The constant calculation, the anger, the weight of everything all went quiet.Peace. That was the word for it.And then Marcus stepped into it and ruined the whole thing.The worst part wasn’t even seeing him.It was watching Cinnamon’s body lock up the second she noticed him. The way her shoulders went stiff and she said his name through her teeth, every syllable like it scraped on the way out.I didn’t need her to explain anything. I could see and feel it.Whatever history they shared, it had been complicated and far from over.Rage surged up my spine. I wanted to hit him. Not just for showing up here and looking at her like he st

CINNAMON:The west side of Meadowbrook looked like a storm had ripped through it. Snow piled against houses, roofs had collapsed, and power lines lay twisted in the streets. Families stood in driveways, eyes wide, exhaustion written on every face.We unloaded boxes from trucks parked in the old community center lot—food, water, blankets, and other basic supplies.I grabbed a case of bottled water, muscles straining under the weight.Before I could take two steps, someone plucked it from my hands."Your ring is beautiful."I looked up.Marcus smiled down at me, holding the water case like it weighed nothing. "Didn't know you got engaged."I snatched the case back, nearly dropping it. "You don't have to help me.""Just being neighborly.""Be neighborly somewhere else."He fell into step beside me. "You used to be sweet.""I was naive," I said, eyes forward."Let me help you, Cinnamon.""Seriously, Marcus. Leave me alone and go back to wherever you came from."But he didn't. He stayed cl

CINNAMON:I dragged Dante through the grocery store like a woman on a mission."We need muffins. And coffee. The good kind, not that burnt cafeteria sludge." I tossed packages into the cart. "Fruit. Bagels. Cream cheese—two kinds because someone always complains."Dante followed behind, hands in his pockets, looking like a man being led to his execution. "Cinnamon, I see no relevance in this. We should be heading to the meeting, not catering breakfast. We don't even know how many people will be there."I spun around, nearly crashing the cart into his shins. "Trust me. This is the cheat code to winning over old folks. And it doesn't hurt to be kind."He grunted, grabbed the cart, and pushed it toward checkout stopping me from adding anything else.I was acting carefree and normal as if this morning hadn't happened. He'd seen every inch of me before I'd punched him in the face and then headbutted him for good measure.My brain had spent the last two hours replaying the image of Dante Mo

CINNAMONMy phone wouldn't stop chiming.I groaned, fumbling blindly, my hand slapping across the nightstand until my fingers closed around cold metal.The screen's brightness stabbed my eyes. I squinted, trying to focus on whatever notification was important enough to wake me. I checked the time. 6:47 a.m.I saw a deposit notification from my bank app. I sat up so fast the room spun around me. thousand dollars.That couldn't be right. My bonus was supposed to be fifty thousand. Still generous and more than I'd ever seen in one place. But this?A text from Martin appeared beneath the notification."You must be doing a great job. The boss added an excellence bonus to your pay. Congratulations. P.S. - All employees received substantial bonuses this year. Looks like having Dante Moretti in charge isn't so bad after all."I pressed my hand to my mouth, staring at the number like it might disappear if I blinked.One hundred thousand dollars.It covered mom's treatment for at least three mo