Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Heiress Contract : Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

She got to her room and opened her laptop, the familiar soft click echoing in the quiet of her room. The screen lit up her face, but her eyes weren’t really seeing anything yet. For a few seconds, she simply stared at the desktop, the cursor blinking patiently as if waiting for her to decide what she wanted to do with the day. She inhaled, then exhaled slowly. There were a few things she could handle from home, emails to review, reports that needed her approval, numbers that needed checking. Things she usually left for the office, but today… today felt different. Everything felt different. She jotted down a short mental list, opened one document, skimmed through it, then closed the laptop again with a soft sigh. So much for productivity. She pushed herself off the bed and headed into the bathroom. The mirror reflected a version of her that looked fine on the surface, hair a little tousled, her face calm but her eyes told a different story. There was tension there. A heaviness she

They got to the office. The moment they stepped into the office building, Sylvie felt it. The shift. It wasn’t loud or obvious. No one stopped them or said anything outright or asked any questions. But heads turned, some subtly, some not so subtly at all. Eyes lingered briefly. Conversations paused for a fraction of a second before resuming. Most of those glances weren’t for her. They were for Ryan. However Ryan stared straight ahead, his expression unbothered. Sylvie noticed the way people’s gazes dipped briefly to his hands, then flicked back up to his face. The bandage wrapped around his knuckles wasn’t bulky or dramatic, but it was visible enough to invite curiosity. There were faint marks near his jaw too, nothing severe, but noticeable if one looked closely. And people were looking, it made her uncomfortable. She straightened her shoulders instinctively, her steps quickening just slightly as they moved through the lobby. Ryan, on the other hand, walked beside her as if not

Friday finally arrived. Sylvie noticed it the moment she opened her eyes that morning, how the air felt thicker. It wasn’t dread exactly. It wasn’t excitement either. It was that uneasy in-between feeling, the kind that sat quietly in the chest and waited for the day to unfold before deciding what it wanted to be. She lay still for a while, staring upward, already knowing she wanted the day to end before it even truly began. By the time she got ready for work, she had already made a decision: I’m leaving early today. She didn’t tell anyone. Not Mrs. Harrington or Ryan. It was just a private mental note she carried with her through breakfast, through the drive to the office, through the first hours of work where she pretended, very convincingly, that everything was normal. But the clock betrayed her. Every time she glanced at it, the numbers seemed to move slower than usual. Meetings dragged. Emails felt longer. Conversations felt heavier. And all the while, somewhere in the back

"I know that." Sylvie replied.Zade frowned. He stared at Sylvie for a long second, and then started to take deliberate steps toward her. Ryan moved instinctively. It was not aggressive or threatening but just enough. He shifted to her side, close enough that his presence was unmistakable. A quiet line drawn in the air. Zade noticed it. For a moment, none if them spoke. Then Zade smiled. "Okay," he said lightly, as if nothing was wrong at all. "There’s still time." The words carried weight. Time? Time for what, Sylvie didn’t ask. She didn’t want to know. Zade extended his hand toward her, with his palm up, waiting. She hesitated only a fraction of a second before placing her hand in his. His fingers closed around hers, firm, possessive, and he guided her toward the seating area. She sat when he prompted her to, smoothing her gown over her knees. Zade sat beside her, relaxed once again, like a man fully confident in what already belonged to him. Ryan remained standi

The eye contact lingered for a second longer than it should have. It wasn’t intense in an obvious way. There was no heat to it that would immediately draw attention. A slight shiver moved through her, not dramatic or visible to anyone watching. She masked it well. Her expression stayed composed. She broke the eye contact first. Turning back to Zade, she offered a polite faint smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Bye," she said simply, the word light and controlled. Zade returned the smile, casual, familiar. He didn’t notice the shift and what just happened. Sylvie turned and began walking toward the entrance. Behind them, Karl was already pulling out his phone, his steps purposeful as he made a call to the driver. His voice was low, professional. "Drive up to the entrance," he said. "We’re heading out now." The club doors loomed ahead, tall and dark, muffling the noise behind them with every step Sylvie took. The music faded gradually, the heavy bass becoming dist