All Chapters of Before He Was My Boss.: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

“If Rand could spike the price like that, then he’s even a more bigger competitor than we thought. He raised the stakes too high.” I finished.“Deliberately. He raised them as high as he could, and then he sent you a deal.” Then he went on. “He wants you to know what he’s capable of before you eventually answer to him.”I didn’t say anything.I thought about the twenty-three four year old version of myself losing his first auction. I thought about what it had felt like to walk out of that room and sit in my car for twenty minutes before I could trust myself to drive. I thought about everything between then and now and what it had cost and what I’d built from it.I wasn’t losing Grey Estate to anyone. Not now.“Alright.” My voice came out steady. Quieter than I’d expected, but steady. “If he wants a fight, I’ll give him a fight he’ll never forget.” I picked up my stress ball, old habit, something to hold on to, to stop my hands from fraying. “I want everything there is on Rand Estate.

“Oh… my God, what was he wearing?” I gasped.The suit hit me first.It was red. Not the unpleasant kind of red that begged for attention. The kind that commanded it. Deep, rich, maroon red that seemed to shift in the light, but looked even better in the dimnessIt fit him like it had been sewn directly onto his body.The suit jacket framed his shoulders perfectly, broad, powerful, before tapering sharply unto his waist, every line of his frame clean and precise. One side of the jacket was smooth and sleek, while the other had a subtle textured pattern woven into the fabric, just enough to give the suit depth and uniquenessGod.He looked devastating.Under the suit jacket was an asymmetrical waistcoat made from deep red satin that caught the light as he stood beside the plane. It hugged his torso perfectly, fitted tight enough to emphasize the shape of his body...the broadness of his chest, the narrowness of his waist and the way he stood like he owned the whole world.And then there

Aurélie Tess Blackwood.Now we stood in front of a place that looked nothing like a formal business venue.The schedule Elena had organized for me simply said “Kyoto Estate.” But the moment I laid eyes on the place, I knew this wasn’t just some corporate company headquarters.It was a villa.His villa, most likely.And it was breath-taking.The villa was a perfect blend of historical elegance and modern sophistication, like someone had taken a centuries-old traditional Japanese residence and brought it into the present without losing an ounce of its essence.The place was huge. Vast. The scenery felt so damn relaxing, so gentle, so accommodating, and so quiet it made my chest ache.In the distance, I could hear the gentle rush of a natural waterfall, far enough that I couldn’t see it from the gate, but close enough that the sound filled the air with a soothing rhythm. The driveway was long and winding, lined with meticulously maintained gardens bursting with greenery and delicate cher

Donovan Reynor I stood up to leave, gesturing for the maid to lead the way. And she rose to her feet as well, wanting to follow me, but her brain had clearly abandoned her legs and sight. She staggered a little. Kept losing her balance, tilting side to side like a ship caught in the rough tides of the sea. Her cheeks flushed redder than the wine she'd been drinking all night. And before I could stop myself, I found myself moving to steady her. I grabbed her by the arm and gently pulled her back against me, her weight colliding with my chest. "I apologize, Mr. Kyoto," I said, my voice tight. He waved me off with a warm smile. "It's fine, Donovan. She's only a girl. I didn't even expect her to keep up that long." I bowed slightly, adjusting her weight against me. I wrapped her arm around my shoulder and held firmly onto her waist, trying to keep her upright. But she wouldn't even muster the effort to at least support herself. She intentionally dumped her weight on me and thought

Donovan Reynor.Blood gushed in my ears, loud, daring, drowning out every rational thought I had left.I was ready to rip her apart.She’d been asking for it all night anyway.The teasing, the touches, the way she looked at me with those eyes that promised everything if I dared make a move.So the moment she pulled me down onto that bed with her, I thought, “This is it.”This was the moment I stopped fighting, stopped pretending, stopped denying what we both wanted.I was ready to protest with the very last shred of professionalism I had left, but she quickly placed a finger on my mouth.“Shhh, you talk too much.”And just like that, she fell asleep.It happened out of nowhere.One second she was looking at me with those half-lidded, alcohol-glazed eyes, her lips parted, her breathing shallow.The next, she was out cold. Completely and utterly asleep.I stared down at her in disbelief.Are you fucking kidding me?I was infuriated. At her. Because how could she start something she coul