Chapter 11

CLOSE QUARTERSI didn’t expect a simple hallway to feel like a shifting point in my entire life, but as I followed the housekeeper up the mansion’s grand staircase, that was exactly how it felt. Each step seemed to echo louder than it should, carrying the weight of a decision I never imagined making: moving into a suite closer to Cade Ashford.My employer.My headache.My source of accidental butterflies.And now… my neighbor.“Here we are,” the housekeeper said, her voice gentle as she opened a door on the east wing. “Mr. Ashford chose this one specifically.”Of course he did.The room was beautiful — too beautiful for someone who once slept on a mattress with springs that poked through the fabric. The suite was softly lit, decorated in warm creams and delicate gold accents, with a private balcony overlooking the tranquil garden. Everything about it whispered luxury.But the detail I noticed first?The door on the right side of the room.A connecting door.Locked. But still there.O

Last Updated : 2025-12-11

Chapter 12

THE HIDDEN THREATI didn’t expect fear to have a sound, but it did.It was the little click—the soft, almost harmless click—of Chloe’s bedroom door as I pushed it open that morning.The room was quiet, filled with the faint scent of lavender shampoo and the sunshine filtering through her lace curtains. Her tiny shoes were lined neatly by the dresser. Her plush bunny sat on the pillow, its floppy ears arranged like someone had tried a little too hard to make it look “normal.”Something felt… off.I crossed the room slowly, my slippers brushing against the warm carpet. Chloe was downstairs already, having breakfast with Rosa. She had left her school folder on the bed earlier—bright purple with glitter hearts. Now, it wasn’t there.But that wasn’t what made my stomach tighten.Her window was unlocked.I froze.I always locked her windows. The security team checked them, too. And last night, I remembered very clearly—Cade himself had locked it. I had watched him twist the latch after tuc

Last Updated : 2025-12-11

Chapter 13

HEARTBEATS AND HESITATIONSI never thought the sound of a child breathing could steady my heartbeat and shatter it at the same time. But there I was—sitting on the floor beside Chloe’s bed, watching her sleep while Cade leaned against the window, arms folded, gaze focused on the night beyond the glass like he was waiting for the darkness to make its next move.The mansion felt different tonight.Still. Watching. Listening.Every lamp glowed low. Every corridor held an echo. Every creak felt like a threat breathing against the walls.But it wasn’t the fear tightening my chest.It was him.The way Cade’s presence filled the room effortlessly. The way he kept glancing at me when he thought I wasn’t looking. The way he stood close enough that I could feel the tension in him—coiled, guarded, simmering under the surface.And the way his voice, quiet and deep, rolled over the room when he finally spoke.“You didn’t eat dinner.”I stiffened. “I wasn’t hungry.”“That’s not an answer.”I looke

Last Updated : 2025-12-11

Chapter 14

VANESSA’S GAMESI should have known today would go wrong the moment Cade said, “It’s just a small luncheon. You’ll be fine.”Nothing about Cade Ashford’s world was ever small.The mansion was buzzed with activity from early morning — staff carrying silver trays, florists adjusting centerpieces, Victor issuing orders like the estate was preparing for diplomatic warfare. Chloe twirled around the front hall in a pale blue dress, the closest thing to excitement I’d seen from her since Vanessa’s reappearance.Me? I was a bundle of nerves wrapped in a dress I borrowed from the mansion’s wardrobe room. Cade said he wanted me close today. “Visible,” he added with that unreadable tone. I didn’t ask why. I didn’t need to. After the note in his office and Vanessa’s little message on the security camera, being visible meant being protected.Or at least that’s what I told myself.The luncheon wasn’t even five minutes in before I felt eyes on me. Guests, staff, strangers. Some curious, some judgin

Last Updated : 2025-12-11

Chapter 15

Secrets UnveiledI didn’t mean to find it.I wasn’t snooping, I wasn’t even thinking about Vanessa or her schemes—just carrying a stack of Chloe’s coloring pages to the small storage cabinet near the security office. But as soon as I opened the drawer, a thin folder slid forward as if pushed by an invisible hand.A red tab.A single word: Confidential.My heart stopped.I shouldn’t have touched it. I knew that even before my fingers closed around the file, but curiosity wrapped around my wrists and pulled.Inside were printed screenshots—emails leaked from inside the mansion. Some were small things: Cade’s schedule, kitchen supply lists, Chloe’s class timings. But one page made my pulse spike.Leaked custody hearing notes.Not public. Not harmless.And definitely not something anyone should have access to.The worst part wasn’t that the documents existed.It was the signature on the bottom corner of one of the pages, faint but visible.A sweeping letter. A curved flourish.Someone in

Last Updated : 2025-12-11

All Chapters of The CEO's Contracted Heart: Chapter 11 - Chapter 15

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15