All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Last Clause : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Amelia POVThe taxi driver glances at me in the rearview mirror for the third time in ten minutes."You okay back there, miss?"I wipe my face with the back of my hand. "Fine. Sorry.""No need to apologize." His voice is kind. Grandfatherly. "Heartbreak or hospital?""Both."He nods like that makes perfect sense. Maybe it does.The city blurs past the window. Glass towers give way to suburbs, then highways, then finally the winding coastal road that leads to Saltmere. The small town where I also ran apart from my studio apartment, eight months ago. Where I learned that surviving meant breathing, even when it hurt.My phone buzzes. I silence it without looking.The ocean appears first as a gray line on the horizon, then closer, wider, until it's all I can see. Endless water meeting endless sky. The taxi slows as we enter the town. Weathered cottages. A main street with maybe ten shops. The pier stretched into choppy water."Where to?""The Blue Haven Inn." The words come automatically.

Daniel’s POV“I’m fine,” I told the doctor. “Healthy enough to be discharged. I’ll schedule follow-up appointments.”I’m not sleeping here. Not while my company falls apart without me.****Monday morning, the boardroom feels smaller than it used to.Twelve faces stare at me from across the mahogany table. Some are sympathetic. Most hostile. Marcus Hale sits at the far end, perfectly tailored suit, predator's smile. He's been circling for months. Now he's moving in to strike."Gentlemen. Ladies." My father's voice—Richard Sterling —cuts through the tension. He stands at the head of the table, looking every bit the ruthless businessman who built this empire. "Let's begin."I remain standing. Refusing to sit feels like the last bit of control I have left."The quarterly reports speak for themselves." Marcus slides a folder across the table. "Sterling Holdings has lost thirty-two million in the past few months. Stock prices have dropped eighteen percent. Investor confidence is at an all

Daniel POVThe boardroom empties and I stand at the window. Watch the City stretch below. Still mine. Still here. Because of her.Nathan approaches. Sets a hand on my shoulder."That was close.""Too close." My reflection stares back from the glass. Hollow-eyed. Defeated despite the victory. "I almost lost everything.""But you didn't." Nathan moves to face me. "Amelia made sure of that."Her name made my heart skip. The way she walked into that boardroom. Commanded attention. Dismantled Marcus's attack.She was magnificent."I need to thank her." I turn from the window. "Where did she go?""Home, I assume." Nathan checks his phone. "Harper picked her up twenty minutes ago."Of course Harper was here. Amelia's loyal guard dog. Probably glaring daggers at me the entire time."I'll call her""Don't." Nathan's voice is sharp. "Give her space, Daniel. She just spent two days rebuilding your reputation while sacrificing her own peace. The least you can do is respect her boundaries.""Two d

Amelia POVThe clock reads 8:47 AM when Daniel appears in my doorway.I don't look up from my laptop. "We have email for a reason.""I know." He doesn't leave. "But I wanted to bring you this."He sets a coffee cup on my desk. The smell hits me first. Too much cream. Light roast. Exactly how I used to take it.Exactly how he shouldn't remember."You didn't have to do that." I keep typing. Professional distance. Safe distance."I wanted to." He stays in the doorway. Not entering. Not leaving. "The restructuring proposal you submitted today was excellent.""It's my job.""It's more than that." His voice softens. "You're saving this company, Amelia. Again.""I'm doing what the board hired me to do." I finally met his eyes. Mistake. Those steel-gray eyes hold too much. Gratitude. Something deeper I can't name. "Was there something else?""Can I sit?" He gestures to the chair across from my desk.Every instinct screams no. Screams to maintain boundaries. Keep him at arm's length where he c

Amelia's POVThe apartment is dark and cold when I finally get home at 9 PM.I drop my bag by the door. Kick off my heels. Stand in the silence that's become my constant companion.Being near you is the only time I feel like myself anymore.Daniel's words echo in the empty space. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block them out.It's not fair. He doesn't get to say things like that. Doesn't get to show up at my office every night with coffee and concern and those eyes that see too much.I pour a glass of water even though I’m not thirsty. I sink onto the couch. It’s too small for the living room, but it was all I could afford after the divorce.My phone sits on the coffee table. No messages. Of course no messages. I keep thinking about tonight. Daniel handed me the coffee, and our fingers touched. Heat shot straight through my arm and down between my legs. I felt my pussy clench. He felt it too. His breath stopped for a second. His eyes went dark with hunger. He looked at my mouth li