Semua Bab The Billionaire's Secret Daughter: Bab 41 - Bab 50

JULIANAndrea stared at me as though I had suddenly started speaking another language.“What?” she repeated, blinking rapidly.I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.That reaction was expected.Most people either looked confused or uncomfortable whenever I explained it that way.“You heard me,” I said calmly as I leaned back in my chair. “I adopted them.”Andrea narrowed her eyes suspiciously.“That makes absolutely no sense.”A quiet chuckle escaped me.“It does to me.”She folded her arms across her chest stubbornly, clearly refusing to let the matter go.“You’re saying your parents adopted you, but somehow you adopted them too?” she asked slowly, like she was trying to make sure she hadn’t misheard me.“Exactly.”“How?”I studied her for a moment before answering.Most people asked questions because they were curious about the Rhodes family.Andrea’s curiosity felt different.There was no greed in it.No calculation.No hidden agenda.She simply wanted to understan

ANDREAThe rest of the week rolled by quickly, and on Friday, immediately after the close of work, Julian and I left for the trip.Even though as usual Julian has been professional with me and I have tried to treat him a bit friendlier. I still couldn't shake off the feeling that I was making a mistake by going on this trip with him.I have tried observing Julian, trying to gauge from his reaction if the trip was just a ruse so he could continue to seduce me as he had said.However, no matter how hard I tried, I have been unable to discern anything unusual from his behavior, and even though it was supposed to make me feel relaxed. I couldn't help but be anxious.He was unpredictable and I was beginning to feel worn out from having my guard up all the time.As we drove into Rhodes Corp's luxurious resort in Paris at past midnight. I sighed, my nerves were tightly wound. The idea of being away with him even though on a business trip stirred up something within me, and if I was not care

ANDREAI woke up the next day to find myself on the bed, with Julian nowhere in sight. I looked down at myself and sighed in relief when I saw that I was still very much clothed, which meant nothing had happened while I slept.How did I get on the bed? I thought, since I could remember sleeping off on the couch after I had freshened up last night.Had I been so exhausted that I didn't even know when Julian carried me to the bed? How could I have let myself sleep that deeply! I wondered with a frown as I got off the bed. Seeing as Julian wasn't in sight, I assumed he had left for his meeting without me and decided to use the opportunity to check on Diane and then freshen up before he came back.After the quick phone call, I took out the clothes I had arranged to wear for the day and headed for the bathroom, but before I could open the door, it swung open and Julian stepped out. I froze, my eyes widening as I took in the sight of him emerging from the bathroom, clad only in a white

ANDREAOnce I noticed Julian was done with his phone call, I quickly wrapped up my conversation before he could overhear too much.“I’ll call you later, okay?” I said softly into the phone.There was a sleepy murmur of agreement from the other end before I ended the call.The moment I turned around, I found Julian watching me.“Is everything okay?” he asked casually.I nodded immediately.“Yes. Just checking up on something back home.”He studied me for a second longer, like he could tell there was more I wasn’t saying, but thankfully, he didn’t press further.After our tour around the resort earlier, I had done my best to keep my distance from him.And honestly?I had been relieved that it seemed to work.Mostly because the more time I spent around Julian Rhodes, the more dangerous he became to my self-control.Now it was evening, and the anxiety I had managed to suppress all day slowly returned the moment we stepped back into the suite after dinner.The atmosphere instantly changed

ANDREAI knew that by responding the way I did, I had practically justified Julian’s reason for tricking me into coming on this trip with him.The realization annoyed me more than it should have.Julian noticed my silence and smiled faintly, like he already knew exactly what was going through my mind.“You see?” he asked softly. “Why can’t you just open your heart to me, Andy?”My chest tightened at the nickname.“As much as I want you because what we shared was unforgettable,” he continued quietly, his eyes locked on mine, “I also genuinely care about you.”Butterflies erupted violently in my stomach.His words instantly dragged me back to that night seven years ago.The passion.The chaos.The way he had touched me like he couldn’t get enough.And now, sitting here with him again, those memories felt far too alive.Especially when paired with the dangerous image of his bare chest from earlier.I quickly took another sip of champagne to steady myself before speaking."That was a one-