One Night Stand with the Secret Billionaire のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 61 - チャプター 70

The interior of Julian Vane’s sleek Maybach was silent, save for the hum of the tires against the asphalt as they sped away from the Yates Tower. Selene sat in the plush leather seat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She could still feel the phantom heat of Lucas’s gaze on her skin, a lingering brand that refused to fade.Julian leaned back, his eyes fixed on the passing city lights. He looked triumphant, a sharp contrast to the hollow exhaustion clawing at Selene’s chest."You performed admirably today, Elena," Julian said, his voice smooth and calculating. "The way you handled the shipping lane discrepancies put the Sterlings in an excellent position. But I must say, Lucas’s intervention with the water glass was... unexpected. He’s usually not so chivalrous with his rivals."Selene didn't look at him. "He was marking his territory, Julian. It wasn't chivalry... it was a warning. He knows something is wrong, and he’s trying to corner me.""Then let him try," Julian chuckled, t

The invitation didn’t arrive on the thick, expensive stationery of the Thorne estate. It was a jagged scrap of paper, handed to Selene by James in the grey blur of 5:00 AM. It had only four words, written in a heavy, aggressive scrawl she knew by heart... Jetty 17. Now. Alone.Selene drove herself. She didn’t want a driver or a bodyguard listening to her heartbeat. As she pulled into the Port of Los Angeles, the world felt like a graveyard of giant machines. Massive steel cranes stood over the black water, and the air was thick with the smell of diesel and old, wet iron.She stepped out of the car, and the wind instantly attacked her. It was cold and sharp, whipping her chestnut wig across her face. She felt small. For the first time since she had arrived in Los Angeles, her "Elena" mask felt like it was made of thin glass, ready to shatter.Waiting at the very edge of the jetty was Lucas Yates.He wasn't the polished billionaire she had seen in the boardroom. He was wearing a heavy

The sharp click-clack of Margaret Thorne’s heels in the hallway sounded like a firing squad. Selene’s heart hammered so hard against her ribs it felt like it might bruise. She was pinned against the locked door of her study, and Lucas Yates was still standing inches away, a dark shadow that refused to leave. "Elena? Why is this door locked?" Margaret’s voice was impatient, her hand rattling the brass handle. "Open up. Julian just called me about the incident at the docks. I want to know why you were seen with Yates." Selene looked at Lucas. Her eyes were wide, pleading. If Margaret found him here, the "Unholy Alliance" would explode. Margaret would realize Selene was compromised, and she would move the twins to a location Selene could never find. Lucas didn't look scared. He looked like he was enjoying the chaos. He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "Choose, Selene," he whispered. "I'm... I'm changing, Mother!" Selene shouted toward the door, her voice trembling. "Th

Inside the high-tech command center of Yates Tower, the walls were covered in glowing blue screens. Selene stood wrapped in a thick, dry blanket Lucas had thrown over her shoulders. She looked pale and small against the massive technology, her eyes fixed on a single red dot moving across a digital map of the city."That's them," James said, his fingers flying across a keyboard."The Thorne transport. They aren't heading for a house. They’re heading for the private docks at San Pedro.""The docks?" Selene’s voice was a frantic whisper. "Why would she take them there?""Because you can't track a boat the same way you track a car," Lucas growled. He was leaning over the main console, his face illuminated by the screens. He looked lethal. "If they get those kids on a Thorne yacht, they’ll be in international waters by morning. I won’t be able to touch them."Lucas grabbed a black tactical jacket and checked his phone."James, prep the bird. I want the chopper in the air in three minutes

The ride back to the Yates Tower was not a retreat, it was a triumphant return. Lucas drove the heavy black SUV through the rain like he was cutting through a battlefield. Every red light in the city seemed to turn green at his approach... a small sign of the influence he held over the very streets they drove on. In the back seat, Selene held Leo. Her heart was still breaking for her missing daughter, but for the first time in five years, she felt the massive, unshakable shield of Lucas’s power surrounding her. When they arrived, the lobby was flooded with Yates Security. Hundreds of men in black suits stood at attention, their heads bowing in unison as Lucas walked through the doors. He didn't say a word, but the authority radiating from him was so thick it felt like the air was vibrating. They reached the penthouse... the highest point in the city. Lucas didn't just let Selene walk in, he placed his hand firmly on the small of her back, a dominant gesture that told every guard and