All Chapters of Contracted To The Col-Hearted Bilionaire: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Clarissa’s POVDante answered on the second ring.“Clarissa?” His voice was sharp, already braced for bad news.“He came,” I said. I didn’t bother easing into it. “Nicho was here. Here in the house.”There was a pause on the line, long enough that I imagined Dante standing up, pacing, swearing under his breath. “What do you mean here?” he asked finally. “As in… right now?”“He just left.”Another pause, heavier this time. “Are you hurt?”“No.” I swallowed. “But he knew exactly where to find me.”“That’s impossible,” Dante said, though the certainty in his voice was cracking. “This location was clean. Only a handful of people—”“—knew,” I finished for him. “Past tense.”His breath came out hard. “How did he act?”“Calm,” I said, and that was the most frightening part. “Too calm. Like he was just stopping by to remind me he exists. Actually he asked why I rejected his dinner proposal.”“Clarissa,” Dante said slowly, “how did Nicho find out where you’re staying?”I leaned back against t

Clarissa’s POV Before I could respond, Dante’s voice cut through the tension. “Clarissa?” Nicho straightened, stepping back as Dante approached. Dante looked from me to Nicho, his jaw tightening. “Is there a problem?” Nicho studied him for a moment, then smiled thinly. “No problem at all,” he said. “Just running into the past.” I felt Dante’s hand brush mine, warm and grounding. “We’re done here,” Dante said firmly. Nicho’s eyes returned to me one last time. “Enjoy your freedom,” he said. “While you can.” He walked away, disappearing into the aisles like a shadow retreating. 

 Dante's POV  Clarissa exhaled slowly. “You should have told me.” “I couldn’t,” I said. “The less you knew, the safer you were. Fear changes behavior and Nicho notices that.” She studied me for a long moment. I saw anger flicker, then fear, then something quieter. “And what if he notices you?” she asked. I met her gaze. “Then he’ll focus on me instead of you. That was the point of everything.” She shook her head. “You’re impossible,” she said softly. Then she surprised me by reaching out and gripping my arm. “But… thank you.”

Clarissa’s POV “I feel so stupid,” she said through her tears.  “Standing there smiling while you introduced me to your past like it was nothing. Like I was nothing.” “That’s not fair,” I said, stepping closer. “Clarissa, look at me. You matter. You’ve always mattered.” She shook her head violently. “If I mattered, you would’ve trusted me with the truth.” “I did tell you the truth,” I insisted. “I just didn’t know how much detail you wanted.” Her eyes met mine then, red and glassy.

 Clarissa’s POV  Maya pulled back just enough to look at me. Her eyes searched my face, filled with concern. “Broke what, Clarissa?” “My trust,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Dante broke my trust.” She guided me into the room and sat me down on the edge of the bed, never letting go of my hands. “What did he do?” she asked carefully. I shook my head, fresh tears spilling over. “He never told me,” I said, my voice rising with hurt. “He never told me he had someone. He let me believe… he let me fall.”