Lahat ng Kabanata ng The billionaire next door : Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Zayrielle Nox stared at Caeldrin Blackwood as if he had lost his mind. “My wife?” she repeated slowly. “You knock on my door and think you can just—say that?” Caeldrin didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. He simply watched her, his expression calm, controlled, as if he were discussing a business merger instead of her entire life. “I wouldn’t have come to you if I had another option,” he said. “That’s not comforting.” “No,” he agreed. “But it’s honest.” Zayrielle crossed her arms, trying to create distance where none existed. The apartment suddenly felt smaller, his presence too large for the space. “You don’t know anything about me,” she said. “You don’t know what I’ve been through. And you definitely don’t get to decide that I’ll pretend to be your—your wife.” Caeldrin’s gaze sharpened. “I know you came here to disappear,” he said quietly. “I know you avoid attention. And I know you’re careful with money.” Her breath hitched. That landed too close to the truth. “You’ve been watchi

The first morning of the contract felt like walking through a storm.Zayrielle Nox had never imagined that a simple apartment could feel so foreign. Every corner whispered power, every shadow hinted at secrets, and every sound reminded her that she was no longer just herself—she was now part of Caeldrin Blackwood’s world.She dressed quickly, carefully choosing something neutral, something that wouldn’t draw attention. The rules were clear: no intimacy, no emotions, public appearances only. Yet, as she adjusted her blouse in the mirror, she realized the rules didn’t stop her pulse from racing whenever he was near.He was already in the kitchen when she stepped out.Caeldrin Blackwood. Shirt sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, hair slightly tousled, leaning over a sleek coffee machine. He didn’t glance at her. Didn’t need to. His presence was enough to make her heart flutter and her stomach tighten.“Coffee?” he asked without looking.She nodded, trying to appear calm. “Please.”He handed

The lie began quietly.It always did.Zayrielle Nox didn’t know it yet, but the moment she stepped into the private lounge that afternoon, the ground beneath her was already cracking.She had been summoned by Caeldrin’s assistant—an urgent message about documents that needed signing. Nothing unusual. Nothing dangerous.Or so she thought.The lounge was empty when she arrived, the city skyline stretching endlessly beyond the glass walls. She set her bag down, nerves humming faintly beneath her skin. Ever since the argument the night before, Caeldrin had been distant—polite, controlled, unreadable.Too unreadable.“Zayrielle.”She turned.Seraphine Drae stood near the window, dressed flawlessly as always, her expression soft in a way that immediately put Zayrielle on edge.“I didn’t expect you,” Zayrielle said.Seraphine smiled. “I asked you here.”Zayrielle’s spine stiffened. “Why?”“Because,” Seraphine said calmly, “you deserve to know the truth.”That word again.Truth.Zayrielle cro

The car doors slammed shut the moment Zayrielle was inside.Security.Locked.Protected.Trapped.She sat rigidly in the back seat as the vehicle sped through the city, her pulse racing faster than the traffic lights flashing past. Caeldrin sat beside her, his presence a solid, dangerous force. He hadn’t spoken since pulling her out of the café.His phone buzzed again.He ignored it.“You didn’t tell me it was this bad,” Zayrielle said finally, breaking the silence.His jaw tightened. “I didn’t want you afraid.”She let out a bitter laugh. “Congratulations. I’m terrified.”He turned to her then, his gaze sharp but conflicted. “I’m fixing it.”“You can’t fix everything with money and power,” she snapped. “This is my life.”“And it’s in danger,” he said, voice low. “Which makes it my responsibility.”She stared at him. “Why?”The word hung between them.The car slowed as they entered a private compound—high walls, armed guards, absolute isolation. The kind of place built for secrets.Th