Semua Bab Billionaire by Day, Protector by Night: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Elena stood in front of her closet at six in the morning, staring at the meager collection of clothes hanging before her like a judgment. The gala invitation lay on her bed, cream colored and embossed with gold lettering that screamed wealth she'd never known. The Annual Salvatore Foundation Charity Gala. Black Tie.Black tie. She didn't even own a cocktail dress, let alone something appropriate for an event where champagne probably cost more per glass than her monthly grocery budget.Three weeks had passed since Dante Salvatore had walked into her community center with his perfect suit and unsettling intensity. Three weeks of him showing up at odd hours, writing checks that made her dizzy, asking questions about the kids that seemed too personal for a billionaire philanthropist. Three weeks of Elena trying to convince herself that the way her pulse quickened when he entered a room meant nothing.And now this. A gala invitation delivered by Marcus at closing time yesterday, along with

Elena knew she was making a mistake the moment she agreed to have dinner with Dante.Not at a restaurant. Not at some public place where she could maintain the careful distance she'd been clinging to for the past two weeks. No, Dante had insisted on cooking for her at his penthouse, and like an idiot, she'd said yes.Now she stood in the elevator of his building, watching the numbers climb higher and higher, and wondered if it was too late to fake a sudden illness. Her reflection stared back at her from the mirrored walls: simple black dress that she'd owned for three years, minimal makeup, hair pulled back in a neat bun. She looked like she was going to a business meeting, not a dinner date.Except this wasn't a date. This was two colleagues sharing a meal to discuss the community center expansion. Nothing more.Keep telling yourself that, a voice whispered in her head. Maybe eventually you'll believe it.The elevator doors opened directly into Dante's penthouse, and Elena's breath c

Elena should have said no.She stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror of her tiny apartment, barely recognizing the woman looking back. The dress Dante had sent over that afternoon hung on her frame like liquid sapphire, the fabric clinging in ways that made her feel exposed and powerful all at once. She'd never worn anything that cost more than her monthly rent before tonight.Her phone buzzed on the counter. Downstairs. Take your time.Take your time. As if she had any left. As if the past two weeks hadn't already stolen every minute of certainty she'd once possessed about who she was and what she wanted.The gala invitation had arrived yesterday, hand delivered by Marcus with that inscrutable expression he always wore. "Mr. Salvatore requests your presence at the Children's Healthcare Foundation benefit tomorrow evening. He believes your insights on community programs would be valuable to potential donors."Professional. Reasonable. Except for the dress that arrived six ho

Elena woke to the smell of coffee and the unsettling realization that she wasn't alone.Her eyes flew open, and for a disorienting moment, she didn't recognize the ceiling above her. Then memory crashed back: the penthouse, the wine, the hours spent talking with Dante until exhaustion had finally claimed her on his impossibly comfortable couch.She sat up too quickly, her head spinning slightly, and found Dante standing in the kitchen area, his back to her as he worked at the stove. He'd changed into dark jeans and a charcoal sweater that hugged his shoulders in a way that made her mouth go dry. Sunlight streamed through the floor to ceiling windows, turning the city beyond into a watercolor of gold and glass."You're awake," he said without turning around. "I was beginning to think I'd have to carry you to the car."Elena's face burned. She'd fallen asleep. Actually I fell asleep in Dante Salvatore's penthouse like some naive girl who couldn't handle a glass of wine and good conversa

Elena stared at the architectural renderings spread across the conference table, her heart hammering against her ribs. This couldn't be real."You want to do what?" Her voice came out sharper than intended, but she didn't care. The past three weeks had been a whirlwind of breakfast meetings and late-night phone calls, of Dante showing up at the center unannounced and staying for hours, of her carefully constructed walls crumbling piece by piece. And now this.Dante stood at the head of the table in his office on the forty-second floor of Salvatore Tower, looking infuriatingly calm in his tailored charcoal suit. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Chicago sprawled beneath them like a kingdom waiting to be claimed. "I want to rebuild it. Completely. New structure, expanded facilities, state-of-the-art equipment.""That's not what we agreed to." Elena's fingers curled into fists at her sides. "You said a donation. Funding for programs. Not... not this.""The building is falling apart,