جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

~Isabel~I spent the rest of the afternoon with Chloe in the library, but I wasn't really reading about Law Ethics. My mind was stuck on that text message from earlier from William. A simple “What up?”I had been looking for him the other day to talk about my transition to co-operate department so I texted him to know where he was since I didn't see him around the mansion and he had replied almost immediately that he was at the gym.It shouldn't have surprised me; nobody gets shoulders that broad and muscles that lean just by sitting behind a desk. I kept picturing him in that humid gym air, those biceps strained under weights, and honestly, the image was doing things to my heart rate that were definitely not helpful for my studies. He looked dashing in a suit, like he was born to rule the world, but in a simple gym tee? That was a different kind of danger entirely.By the time I got back to the mansion and finished some extra reading in my room, the sun had long since tucked itsel

~William ~I stood outside her door for a long minute, staring at the tray in my hands. A glass of milk and a plate of those cookies she liked. My father had noticed she barely touched her dinner, and in his usual "everyone must be happy and i should bond more with my Step-sister we are family now” discussion.He had suggested I take something up to her. I should have told him no. I should have handed the tray to a maid. But instead, here I was, with my heart doing a slow, heavy throb against my ribsI pushed the door open quietly. The room was dim, lit only by the moonlight filtering through the curtains. I walked over to the nightstand to set the tray down, but my eyes drifted to her. Isabel was fast asleep, her dark hair fanned out across the white silk pillow like a crown of shadows. She looked so peaceful, her breathing was deep and even, her face also softened by sleep. In the office and while awake, she was a fireball all sharp words and stubborn glares.But now in fro

"No I haven't, You're Marcus," Chloe blurted out before the guy could even open his mouth.He froze, his hand still reaching for the frisbee on the grass. He blinked, clearly caught off guard, but then that slow, lopsided grin returned, wider than before. He straightened up, tucking a plastic disc under his arm, and looked at Chloe with a mix of shock and genuine amusement."Well," he laughed, his voice warm and rich. "I guess I don't need to introduce myself then. I was literally about to say my name is Marcus, but you beat me to it."I shot Chloe a look—the kind of look only best friends understand. It was a mix of 'Hello, girl, go for it!' and 'Wow, you really did your homework.' I gave her a subtle nudge with my elbow, trying to encourage her to keep the momentum going. After the night I’d had, watching someone else’s love life play out felt like a much-needed breath of fresh air.Marcus chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at Chloe. "It’s good to know I’m not the

~Isabel~I sank into my chair, stretching my back. The air in the open-plan office felt thick though the air condition was mild, I was feeling exhausted and hot, and no matter how many times I told myself to focus on the folders Sophia had dumped on my desk, my mind kept drifting back to the fiftieth floor. To him. To the way he hadn't argued. William Sterling had been calm, and somehow, this supposed calmness and warmth was more terrifying than his cold attitude.I pulled a stack of boring administrative files toward me—mostly tedious data entry and filing that Sophia used to keep me busy. It was mindless work, but today, I couldn't even manage that. My mind kept replaying the way he looked at me, his whiskey-colored eyes searching mine as if he were trying to read my soul.By 3:00 PM, my brain was a scrambled mess. I needed caffeine. I made my way to the breakroom, but before I could even reach for a stir stick, Jax materialized at my side, leaning against the counter with a frien

I clocked into Sterling Global at 7:30 AM, my footsteps echoing through the hollow, marble lobby. The only other people around were the maintenance crew, and I’m pretty sure the guy buffing the floors thought I was crazy for being there voluntarily on a Saturday. If it wasn't for my scheming stepbrother and the impossible deadline I’d accidentally handed the press, I would be at home right now, probably in a long bath or prepping my skin for the freshman party. Instead, I was here, fueled by black coffee and a desperate need to prove I wasn't the charity case William thought I was.I had purposely left the mansion an hour early, taking a cab just to avoid giving him the satisfaction of driving me. I wanted to be already buried in work by the time he arrived, a silent statement of my dedication. But when he finally appeared at 8:30 AM, I found it hard to stay annoyed.He was dressed casually dark, well-fitted jeans and a designer tee that looked soft enough to touch. He looked dash