All Chapters of THE CEO'S SECRET INDULGENCE: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The dining hall of the Valmere mansion glittered with gold-tinted chandeliers and an elegance that screamed old money. Crystal glasses reflected the warm light, the long mahogany table dressed in ivory linens and polished silverware.It was supposed to be a peaceful evening, Aston’s idea of a “family dinner” to celebrate Selene officially staying with them.It was anything but.Deborah sat near the end of the table, her posture perfect but her patience thin. Across from her, Selene smiled sweetly, her hand resting lightly over Aston’s arm like she owned him, and the entire house.“So,” Selene began, swirling her wine as though she’d been dining with them for years, “I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me so kindly. Especially you, Deborah.”Deborah didn’t even glance up. “I didn’t welcome you.”The silence that followed was sharp enough to slice through bone.Lysander cleared his throat. “Deborah—”“What?” Deborah said flatly, eyes still on her plate. “I’m just telling the tru

The clock on Deborah’s office wall ticked softly, its sound sharp against the heavy silence that filled the glass-walled room. The sun had barely risen over the city skyline, washing Valmere Tower in a dull silver glow. Everyone else was still at home, asleep or pretending to be, but she had been here since dawn, drowning herself in work she couldn’t even focus on.Sleep had been impossible. Her mind kept spinning, replaying every word, every look, every breath that Selene had thrown at her last night. The woman’s smug smile, the way she sat on their couch as if she owned it, as if she belonged there, it all made Deborah’s blood boil. She wasn’t supposed to let emotions affect her, but this wasn’t business. This was personal.She was scanning through financial reports for the fourth time when her phone buzzed against the desk. The screen flashed one name that made her chest tighten before she could stop herself.LUTHER C.Her fingers hovered over the phone. For a long second, she deba

The afternoon sunlight slanted through the tall glass windows of Valmere Tower, spilling golden lines across the polished marble floor. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and expensive perfume hung faintly in the air as the wedding planning committee gathered around the long oak table in the main conference room. It was supposed to be a productive, peaceful day. It wasn’t.Deborah sat with her tablet open, stylus poised, reviewing the master guest list for Aston and Selene’s upcoming wedding. Rows of names stretched across the glowing screen, CEOs, diplomats, aristocrats, and social elites from across Europe and Asia. The wedding was shaping up to be a global event, one that would be talked about in headlines and magazines.“Alright,” Deborah began calmly, her tone clipped and professional. “We’ve confirmed the attendance of the Wellington Group, the Montrose Holdings executives, and the De Luca family from Milan. The invites for Ravelin Industries and the Tyrell Consortium are pendin

“Aston doesn’t want me at his wedding,” Deborah muttered, stirring her coffee absentmindedly as the golden sunlight poured through the café window. Her voice was soft but brittle, the kind that trembled beneath the weight of exhaustion. “And honestly, I think that would be better. I’m tired of being the villain in someone else’s story.”Luther leaned back in his chair, the corner of his mouth twitching upward, not in amusement, but something deeper, something that carried both admiration and frustration. “You should attend, baby,” he said, his tone firm yet laced with tenderness. “You can’t let them erase you. That’s exactly what they want.”Deborah looked up, meeting his gaze. The way he said baby made her pulse skip. It wasn’t possessive,it was grounding. The word wrapped around her like protection, a reminder that in the middle of chaos, someone still saw her for who she truly was.“Why would I even want to be there, Luther? The media is still talking about me on what happened....o

Lunch with her father felt like something out of a memory Deborah didn’t realize she missed so much. The long mahogany table gleamed under the chandelier’s golden light, the soft clinking of silverware echoing faintly in the vast dining hall.Rionessi sat at the head of the table, posture straight, a presence that commanded respect even in silence. Across from him, Deborah cut into her meal, but her mind wasn’t on the food. Every now and then, she’d glance up to make sure he was still there, like he’d vanish if she blinked too long.“So,” he began finally, setting his utensils down and folding his hands together. “Tell me about work. I heard you’ve been handling Valmere Travel’s division finances. That’s a heavy load, even for you.”Deborah smiled, straightening her back. “It’s challenging, but I like it. Keeps me focused. Besides, I’d rather deal with numbers than people lately.”Rionessi chuckled, low and knowing. “Still the same as ever. You’ve always preferred precision over chaos