All Chapters of Rebirth and Contracted to the CEO : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Sam's POVFootsteps faded down the hall, then silence settled where Ethan had been.A hush hung over the water, black under a sky dusted with faint light. There I stayed, near glass taller than myself, watching ripples catch glimmers like scattered foil. Hours since the dress hit the floor - layers of fabric shoved aside for something smooth, pale, whispering against arms that hadn’t quite settled yet. Fingers drifted upward without thought, brushing the place his hand had rested - a moment brief but heavy, quiet in its claim. Not love, not then - but close enough to fool a heartbeat.Fingers warm on mine, that feeling stayed. The touch lingered long after he let go. Heat remained, even when his hand moved away. Still there, the trace of skin against skin. A quiet burn where we connected.Over and over, that moment kept coming back, pushing its way into my thoughts without warning. It stayed there, persistent, showing up each time I tried to look away.That moment he faced Gwen, sharp

Sam's POVMornings slipped into afternoons without me noticing, each one folding quietly into the next.Inside Ethan’s office, a place both tense and safe, we’d moved the furniture ourselves. Two big desks now joined at the middle, forming a wide surface cluttered with papers, forecasts, plans for growth, and mugs left behind after hours. Sunlight from high glass panes poured in by day's end, painting stretched rectangles of gold over polished floor and chair backs.Hours had passed while we stayed deep in the task.Across the table, Ethan kept his sleeves pushed high, eyes locked on the details. The plan by Sterling Industries to move into Southeast Asia brought tangled problems - shipping routes needed sorting, rules from governments stood in the way, others already doing similar work had to be studied, future costs weighed carefully. My tablet rested flat, fingers flipping through pages that matched what I’d scribbled earlier.

Sam's POVA small screen lit up with today’s date in bold, dark numerals. The day stared back at me without warning.Only months left.Alone in the stillness of the room, I stared at the contract lying flat across the wood. Heavy for just a sheet, really - sharp edges, stiff pages, words like stone. This thing, once my anchor, now just sat there under the dim light.One-year term.Irreconcilable differences as grounds for dissolution.Money matters when couples split upBoth sides keep secrets quiet. Silence prevents uproarNo romantic obligations.At last, freedom arrives.That paper held every word we agreed to when I said yes at the altar - the way out I insisted on after waking changed, scared of living my old pain all over again. It stood between me and the slow fade I’d known before: locked in, forgotten, drained bit by bit without a sound. Each line served as armor, a vow etched cold that I wouldn’t

Sam's POVInside the shadowed vehicle, Ethan spoke - his voice stuck around long after.“I don’t want anyone else near you like that.”Later, those words kept coming back - soft but heavy, clinging like something alive. Maybe they were meant to shield me. But I only felt afraid. The sound sat wrong inside my head.That pull I felt drew me closer.Leaning forward carried risk. Getting too close could go wrong. Moving nearer brought trouble. Tilting the body in invited problems. Shifting closer opened up danger.I began to step away.Just quietly. Without shouting or turning away. I began placing space between us, step by step. A pause here. A held-back word there. The shift came through small choices. Each one made on purpose.Midnight talks in his office started ending earlier. By ten, I’d wrap things up, saying I was tired or had something else waiting. If he brought up breakfast outside, I would say no

Sam's POVA hush hung in the room, broken just by the hum of the shielded tablet. Light pooled under the lamp, thin and yellow. The screen flickered softly beside it, casting long shapes on the wall.Hours passed while I scraped through shells stacked like secrets. One false move hid behind offshore names, yet every hiding place left crumbs. Pull in the right spot, though, and something gives. Traces lingered just beyond sight, waiting.And I knew.Across the screen my hands moved fast while checking data through a hidden money system I’d slipped into before. Days it had bothered me - the way buys lined up, how actions backed each other, zero signs of attack ever showing. Something about the rhythm wouldn’t let go.After that, a link showed up.A lone routing number traced through three separate names - landing at a private trust tied to Sterling.His own firm for keeping things. Ethan runs it alone.Water, cold - m