All Chapters of THE PRICE OF BEING HIS : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

83 Chapters

Imposter syndrome

Andrea's POV “My house in Santorini is becoming a headache,” the silver-head man in front of me says, swirling his drink like he owns the ocean itself. “Every summer there is some renovation issue. The staff says salt air destroys everything.”I tilt my head slightly and laugh, not too loud, not too soft. “That must be exhausting. Owning too many homes sounds like such a burden.”He grins, pleased that I understand the tragedy of his life.His name is Richard something. I stopped listening after he mentioned the third property.We are standing under a chandelier large enough to fund my brother’s surgery twice over. Crystal light shines over marble floors and silk gowns and tailored suits. Everything shines here, including the lies.“I do not believe we have met,” another man says, stepping closer. “And I make it a point to remember faces.”“Oh?” I lift my glass slightly. “Then I should feel honored.”His smile widens. “You should. Who are you hiding from?”I almost laugh at that. If

One word from him

Chapter two Andrea's POVThe whole room turns at once.Security stops moving, the host straightens, and every whispered conversation around me dies when everyone heard that voice.I turn slowly, and the first thing I notice is that he isn’t looking at the broken pieces on the floor, or the host, or any of the people staring… he’s looking directly at me. My throat tightens, and I look away quickly because there’s something in his gaze that feels like it can see straight through everything I spent months building.The host clears his throat and says, “Sir, this piece comes from a private European collection. It really isn’t something that can just be…”“I said add it to my account, Gerald.” The man doesn’t raise his voice or look away, and that’s exactly what makes Gerald stop mid-sentence and nod like a man who knows better than to argue.“Of course,” Gerald says tightly. And just like that, it’s over. Staff appear to clean the mess, the crowd drifts back to their drinks and chatter,

Solutions in a contract

Chapter threeAndrea's POVI get home that night, and the first thing I hear is my mother crying.It’s not the first time, and it probably won’t be the last, but it never gets easier standing outside the kitchen door listening so I linger for a moment before walking in. She wipes her face quickly and straightens up, pretending like I haven’t seen anything.“Mom,” I say. It’s the best I can manage after everything tonight. “I'm fine, Andrea.” She replies, not looking at me, shuffling the papers on the table.I sit across from her and pull the stack toward me before she can stop me. I already know what they are without reading a word. The red stamps at the top say it all. Three new invoices, all marked OVERDUE. The total on the last one is so bad I have to turn it face down because I can’t let her see my reaction.“When did these come?” I ask.“Today,” she says quietly. “The hospital called too. They said if we don’t make at least a partial payment by the end of the month, they’ll have

The rules of being his

Chapter fourAndrea’s POV“Welcome, Miss Vale. We’ve been expecting you.”The duplex penthouse at Tristan Hale’s estate is even more imposing than I imagined. The long drive out of the city had been two hours of nerves and anticipation, every mile counting down to this moment. I had tried to focus on anything other than my racing heartbeat, but it didn’t work. Nothing could distract me from the knowledge that I was walking into a life I wasn’t sure I was ready for.His housekeeper meets me at the entrance. She moves with sharp efficiency, and something in the way she carries herself suggests Tristan’s standards run deep.“I’m Claire,” she says with a small, polite smile. “I’ll be taking care of you while you’re here.” Without waiting for a response, she takes my box and instructs me to leave it with the maids downstairs. No arguments allowed.The elevator opens directly into the penthouse. I step out and pause, unsure whether to breathe or collapse. The space is enormous, grand, and ex

Dinner and waiting

Chapter fiveAndrea’s POVBy eight o’clock I am already sitting at the long dining table like he ordered. My back stays straight, hands resting on my lap the way I practiced a hundred times in front of cracked mirrors at home. The table looks like someone is throwing a party for twenty people instead of just two. Plates of roasted meat, creamy pasta, fresh salads, grilled fish, and little desserts I cannot even name cover every inch. Everything smells rich and expensive. My stomach should be growling, but all I feel is a tight knot sitting heavy inside me.I wait.The chair feels too big under me. The lights above shine too bright. Even the cool air from the vents feels too perfect. I keep telling myself this is what I wanted. This is the life I spent months faking. But sitting here alone in all this luxury makes my old pretending feel cheap and silly.Minutes drag by. Still no sign of Tristan.Claire appears from the side door, her steps quiet and quick. She gives me a small polite s

First night with Mr Hale

Chapter six Andrea’s POVHis lips crash against mine, hard and sure. The kiss is nothing like the soft ones I imagined in my head for my first one. It is demanding. His hand stays firm behind my neck, holding me exactly where he wants me. My hands stay cold at my sides, but I do not pull away. I cannot. This is what I signed up for.Tristan presses closer until my back hits the wall. The red lingerie feels too thin between us. His body is warm and solid, and I feel every inch of him. He breaks the kiss just enough to look down at me. His grey eyes are dark now, but still cold.“Bed,” he says, voice low.Before I can move, he lifts me. My feet leave the floor. In two strides he drops me onto the big bed. The mattress bounces under me. I lie there, heart pounding, staring up at him as he stands over me.He reaches for his shirt and tears it open. Buttons scatter across the floor with sharp little clicks. The sound makes me flinch. His chest is broad, muscles tight under smooth skin. He

Contract termination

Chapter sevenAndrea’s POV“The contract is terminated.”Tristan’s voice hits me the moment I step into the dining area. I freeze right there in the doorway, still in the soft white robe Claire left outside my door this morning. My inner thighs ache with a dull throb from last night, a constant reminder of that one rough push he made before everything stopped. I woke up too early because Claire said Mr. Hale wanted to see me before he left for work. Now I wish I had stayed in bed.He sits at the head of the long table, already dressed in a sharp dark suit that makes him look even more untouchable. The jacket fits perfectly over his broad shoulders. His hair is neat, not a strand out of place. A folder lies open in front of him with papers inside. He does not look up at first.Sunlight from the tall windows catches on his watch, the expensive kind that probably costs more than a year of my mother’s salary. He looks every bit the powerful man who can end my problems with one phone call

On the table

Chapter EightAndrea’s POV“What if the maids walk in on… us?”The words tumble out of me in a stammer before I can stop them. I am sitting on the edge of the dining table now, robe already loosened, heart hammering so loud it echoes in my ears. My legs feel shaky even though I am not standing anymore.Tristan does not even blink. He stands between my knees, tall and sure in that sharp dark suit, and says, “They won’t.”His voice is calm, like he has done this a hundred times and nothing can surprise him. I swallow hard and glance around the huge room. Sunlight pours through the tall windows. The table feels cold under my thighs. “We can just go to the bedroom,” I whisper. “It would be more comfortable…”He looks at his watch, the expensive one that catches the light, and cuts me off. “Are you going to do it or not?”The question hangs there. Fear spikes through me again. One wrong move and I am back in that tiny apartment with the overdue bills and Ethan’s coughs. I nod fast, too sca

Lesson on the bed

Chapter NineTristan’s POVShe looks like sin and innocence wrapped in one trembling package as I lay her on the bed. The robe hangs open around her, breasts still flushed from the dining table, nipples tight little peaks begging for more. I have not even pulled out yet. My cock is still buried deep inside her tight heat, throbbing with the need to keep going. Fuck. How is she this wet already? This responsive?I should stop. I should walk away like I planned this morning. Virgins complicate everything. But the way she clung to me on the stairs, legs wrapped around my waist like she was made for it, has my control hanging by a thread.I ease out slowly, watching her face the whole time. She lets out a soft little whimper that goes straight to my balls. “Stay right there,” I tell her, voice low.I step back just long enough to strip. Jacket first, then shirt. Buttons fly because I do not have the patience to undo them properly, and I’ve got plenty of them in my closet. My trousers fol

Distracted by sin

Chapter TenTristan's POV “Where are we on the growth projections for the next quarter?” I say, settling into the chair at the head of the long mahogany table.The boardroom door clicks shut behind me and the projector hums to life, casting its cold blue light across the faces of my twelve department heads. They sit straighter at once, laptops open, notepads ready. The faint scent of fresh coffee hangs in the air but does nothing to hide the tension. Good. A little fear keeps everyone sharp.Cartwright, head of strategy, clears his throat and clicks the remote. “Mr. Hale, we are looking at a solid twenty-two percent increase if we secure the major infrastructure contract. The rival firms are bidding aggressively on this one. Their proposals undercut us by nearly nineteen percent on labor and materials, and they are promising completion six weeks ahead of our timeline.”I lean back, eyes narrowing at the slides. “Nineteen percent. Interesting. And what brilliant counter are we offeri

1 2 3 4 5 6

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP