《Bound by paper 》全部章節：第 11 章 - 第 20 章

Chapter Twelve: Jade's POV Aurelia’s smile was too bright for a room that felt this cold. She stood beside Killian like she belonged there, like she was the only warm thing in the entire sprawling estate. Her tiny fingers clung to his expensive wool sleeve as if she were afraid he might evaporate back into the shadows of his corporate world if she let go. The strangest part was that Killian let her. He did not pull away. He did not check his watch or shift with impatience. If anything, he seemed to need that anchor as much as she did. I watched how his hand rested on her small shoulder with a quiet, fierce possessiveness. It was a clear message to the world: you can take my companies, you can take my reputation, but you will never touch her. The sight made something tighten painfully in my chest. It was not envy, and it was not a simple longing. It was an old, jagged ache that felt like it had lived in my bones since I was five years old. A silent part of me was watching this int

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Jade's POV I woke up before the sun. For a few disorienting seconds, I forgot where I was. The room was quiet except for the faint, expensive hum of the air conditioning. The sheets were too soft, and the bed felt far too wide for one person. Nothing about this space felt familiar. Nothing about it felt like mine. Then I felt the small, warm weight pressed against my arm. Aurelia. The memory of the previous night rushed back with enough force to make my chest tighten. I remembered the dinner, Mrs. Montclair’s sharp eyes, and the forced sleepover that had stripped away the last of my distance. I was currently wearing an oversized black silk shirt that definitely did not belong to me, and I was sharing a bed with the daughter of a man I barely knew. I stared at Aurelia. She was curled against my side as if she had personally chosen me to be her sanctuary. Her small fingers clutched her stuffed rabbit, and her face was relaxed in that total, unguarded way only chi

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Jade's POV I woke up tired. It was an echoing, bone-deep exhaustion that sleep couldn't touch. It was the kind of weariness that comes from making too many permanent decisions in too short a window of time. The previous night had been a marathon. After dinner, the discussions about the wedding had spiraled for hours. Mrs. Montclair insisted there was no time to waste, and Killian’s cousins had joined the fray with an alarming amount of enthusiasm. Apparently, planning a billionaire’s wedding in a single week required the logistical energy of a small army. It was energy I simply did not possess. Only two people had been spared the chaos: Killian and Aurelia. They had disappeared early, leaving the rest of us to debate flowers, venues, guest lists, and intricacies of etiquette I hadn't even realized existed. By the time I finally made it to bed, my head felt like a venue for a rock concert that hadn't quite ended. The sunlight was already creeping through the heav

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Killian’s POV I have never liked chaos. In my world, things function best when they follow a strict, immutable plan. Contracts are negotiated. Deals are structured. Problems are solved with cold, clinical efficiency. Which is why the past week has been deeply, irritatingly inconvenient. My phone vibrated on my mahogany desk just as I finished reviewing the final risk assessment for the merger. Camille. I already knew this was not going to be a pleasant conversation. I answered anyway, leaning back in my chair. “What is it, Camille?” Her voice came through with its usual frantic energy. “Where are you?” “At work. Where I am supposed to be.” “Well, that is unfortunate because we need you here. Now.” “For what? I have already approved the floral budget.” “For your pre-wedding shoot, obviously. The photographers are billing us by the hour, Killian.” I ran a hand through my hair, feeling a dull ache starting at the base of my skull. “That is today?” “Yes, Kill

CHAPTER TWENTY: Killian’s POV The house was finally quiet. For the first time in days, the wedding planners, designers, photographers, and distant relatives had all retreated for the night. Silence settled over the halls like dust. It felt unusual: a strange realization considering this house was always quiet when I was growing up. I was used to the silence of a museum. I was used to the staff tip-toeing through the corridors so as not to disturb my mother with unnecessary noise. But this silence was different. It felt like the breath held between two heartbeats. I stood in my study, reviewing legal documents on my laptop, but my attention refused to stay on the screen. It kept drifting. It was an annoying habit, a lack of discipline I usually didn't permit. Across the room, Aurelia sat on the rug with a collection of colored pencils scattered around her like fallen autumn leaves. She was drawing with such intense concentration that one would think she was attempting to rival the