The Heiress No One Wanted のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

Rosalie's POVI called in sick the next day and spent most of it flat in bed. By late afternoon the worst of it had lifted — my body finally felt like it belonged to me again.My pajamas were damp with sweat. I sat up, decided a shower was the first order of business.The hot water did its job. Opened everything up, cleared my head, and the body wash I grabbed — something rich and warm — took care of whatever was left of that heavy, suffocating feeling.I dried off, wrapped the towel around myself, and started working on my hair. I heard something outside — a door, I thought — and assumed it was Mrs. Ford. I kept rubbing my hair dry as I walked out of the bathroom, through the closet, looking around.Nobody there.I turned to head back to the closet."Walking around with wet hair?"I spun around. Lucian was right there, leaning against the wall, watching me with complete calm, waiting to see how long it would take me to notice him."You're definitely still sick. I was standing right n

Rosalie's POVCelia's words landed, and most of the room went with her — the consensus forming fast that my background wasn't good enough, that I had no business being in that role, or in the company at all."Even if you're the boss's daughter, that's not gonna save you this time." Celia shot me a look.Then someone pushed through the crowd.Finn.Kate nearly ran to him. "Oh thank god you're back."Finn looked completely lost — he'd been out at a lunch thing, and walked back into this. He took in the crowd, clocked Mr. Brown, and listened while Kate gave him the fastest possible version of what had happened.He went straight to Mr. Brown. "I'm sorry for the trouble this has caused you. This is on us."Mr. Brown waved him off. "I've already said — it's not about the money. It's about trust. Once that's gone, talking doesn't fix it."Celia turned on Finn immediately. "You knew Rosalie didn't have the experience for this role. Why did you put her there?"Finn looked genuinely puzzled. "H

Rosalie's POVThe room was dead quiet, which made the phone ringing feel almost aggressive — like it was in a hurry about something.I answered it in front of everyone. Said a quick warm hello, then put it on speaker.The same voice that had just come out of Mr. Brown's phone filled the room.Elliot, sounding borderline frantic. "You said you'd come back and help me here! Why are you off working somewhere else? Don't tell me I've been too stingy with you?""That's not true. I didn't apply anywhere else.""Then why did some Mr. Brown call me asking if I know you? Different last name and everything — but didn't you tell me a little while ago you got married? Rav

Rosalie's POVEleanor and Victor basically shooed us back to the room. I was still standing in the entryway trying to get my bearings when Lucian had already shrugged off his coat. Then the jacket. Then the shirt. I heard his belt come undone as he walked further into the room, and the second I saw his hands go to his waistband I looked away fast.I waited. When the sounds stopped I turned back around — he was gone, and the shower was running from the bathroom on the right.I took off my own coat and hung it up, caught my reflection in the mirror without meaning to. Stood there staring at my own face for a second. It looked like I'd been standing next to a fire.Then the mirror showed Lucian behind me.He'd just gotten out of the shower, a towel wrapped low around his waist, water still on his skin — not really dried off, just roughly toweled, droplets tracking down along the lines of his chest and abs and disappearing somewhere south of that."What are you spacing out for? Weren't y

Rosalie's POVLucian didn't say anything. Just let go and kept walking.My fingers curled. His warmth was still on them. We went inside, went to our separate floors, and everything went back to exactly how it was before.The following week, Christopher came back from a business trip to Australia — he and Helen had tagged on a little vacation at the end. The moment he heard what had happened at the company while he was gone, he wasn't happy.He called both me and Vanessa to his room."Why didn't anyone tell me?" His face was tight, expression serious.Vanessa stepped forward first. "You were traveling, and it got resolved, so we figured we'd just fill you in when you got back. It wasn't a big deal.""Not a big deal? Mr. Brown came down in person. You call that nothing?""Daddy—" She dropped onto the couch next to him, voice going soft and sweet. "I told my team not to blow it up the way they did. They didn't listen. I was honestly stressing out the whole time trying to figure out how t