جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 60

LanceThe day Alice and I were supposed to leave finally came. At five in the morning, I was already standing outside her apartment door. The surroundings were still quiet, the air cool, and only a few cars passed by. It felt perfect, exactly how I wanted things to be. No interruptions. No questions. Just us.When the door opened, and she stepped out, her backpack slung over one shoulder, a small lunch bag in one hand, and a tumbler in the other—wearing that familiar smile that always managed to calm me—I found myself smiling back without even realizing it. We shared a short kiss and walked our way to my car.Once we were inside the car, she immediately turned to me."So, where are we going?" Alice asked while fixing her seatbelt.I glanced at her briefly before turning my eyes back to the road. "I can't take you too far," I said. "Is it okay if we just head south? I have a resort there."She didn't hesitate. She smiled, the kind of smile I felt straight in my chest, and nodded. No qu

AliceThe warmth of the resort didn’t leave my body right away, even after we stepped out of the car in the parking area of Lance’s condo.I felt the change immediately, not because of the place, but because of him.“I have a meeting in an hour,” he said as he took my bag from the trunk. His tone was direct, still gentle, but threaded with urgency. It was obvious that his mind was already elsewhere.“Oh,” was all I managed to say.The elevator ride was quiet. He carried our bags with one hand while holding mine with the other.When we reached his unit, he immediately set the bags down, picked up his phone, and started reading emails.“Lance?” I called.“Hmm?” he answered, already walking into the bedroom without looking at me. I didn’t say anything else. I could feel it; he really had to rush.He changed quickly. Button-down shirt. Slacks. Watch. Piece by piece, he put his armor back on.CEO Lance.“Should I drive you later?” he asked while tying his tie, finally looking at me.I stoo

LanceI’m used to being in control inside MobTech.The moment I step into the building, I feel it—the authority. I don’t have to raise my voice to be heard. One look from me and conversations stop. One decision from me and an entire floor moves.This is mine.I built this.I lost sleep over this.I fought for this.“Sir, the product team is ready,” my executive assistant informs me as we walk toward the main conference room.I nod.When the doors open, all the department heads rise at once.“Morning, Sir.”“Sit,” I say briefly.The development timeline of our new flagship device flashes on the screen. Red marks highlight the thermal testing column.“Explain,” I say, pointing at the data.The lead engineer presents. There’s an overheating issue during peak gaming performance. Not critical.But not acceptable.“Pull the current batch design,” I ordered immediately. “I want the cooling layout redesigned. No compromises. We launch when it’s perfect.”“Yes, Sir.”No one argues.They’re not

AliceI thought the worst of my anxiety had passed when I saw Lance across the ballroom with Jeraldine.I was wrong.It’s worse when you’re not just dealing with jealousy—But judgment.Mrs. Dorothy Smith approaches like she has her own spotlight. I don’t need to guess who she is. She’s seen me before. The first time Javier introduced me as his girlfriend at a more private dinner, it was painfully clear she didn’t approve.“Javier,” she greets, her tone controlled but edged with disapproval, “I didn’t know you invited her.”She doesn’t need to say my name.Her eyes are on me—not angry, not warm.Assessing. Measuring how long I could possibly survive in a world that, in her mind, was never meant for me.“Mom, Alice was invited properly,” Javier replies. He’s no longer smiling. “She’s not just ‘her.’ You know that.”Mrs. Smith’s eyebrow lifts slightly, and that’s when I see the irritation surface.“Of course, I know who she is. You made that very clear before,” she says smoothly. “I ju

Mature ContentAliceI didn’t know which was stronger, the pounding of my heart or the weight of the words he had just said.I had always seen Lance Richardson as composed, calculated, and untouchable. The kind of man who carried responsibility like a tailored suit—perfectly fitted, never wrinkled. I never imagined he could feel insecure. Never imagined he could look at someone like me and wonder if he might lose her.All this time, I had been drowning in my own doubts.Wondering if I was enough. If I measured up to the women his father approved of. If I could survive in a world that constantly whispered I didn’t belong.I was so busy fighting my insecurities that I never stopped to consider he might have his own.Slowly, I rose from my seat and moved toward him. My movements weren’t rushed. They were deliberate, as if every inch I closed between us was a decision.When I settled onto his lap, he didn’t immediately react. But I saw it—the tension in his shoulders, the restraint in his