Semua Bab THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE: Bab 31 - Bab 40

OBSESSED BETRAYALROMAN'S POVThe whiskey burned down my throat as I stood on the terrace, staring at the glittering city below. The penthouse was quiet. Too quiet. And the silence only amplified the storm raging inside my chest.Fourteen days.Fourteen days of forcing myself to stay away from Noelle. Fourteen days of respecting the space she asked for while every part of me screamed to go to her. I had sent the black roses this morning as a gesture of patience, a promise that I could be better. That I wanted to be better for her.And now this.The doorman’s voice crackled through the intercom again.“Mr. Ashford, your stepbrother Derek is here. He’s… quite insistent. Says it’s urgent family business.”I exhaled slowly, jaw tight.“Send him up.”I already knew how this was going to go.A few minutes later, the private elevator doors slid open. Derek stormed into my penthouse like a man on fire. His face was flushed red, eyes blazing with pure hatred. He didn’t bother with greetings. H

TO A DATENOELLE'S POVOne week.Seven days of careful, painful distance.Seven days of pretending I didn’t notice when Roman walked past my office. Seven days of professional emails only. Seven days of avoiding the executive elevator like it was cursed. Seven days of black roses still sitting on my counter, their petals just beginning to curl at the edges, a constant reminder of his note.*“Just me, earning you.”*I had read that note so many times I could recite it in my sleep.And yet, I still hadn’t replied.I told myself it was because I needed clarity. Because Derek’s words about Liana still haunted me. Because I was scared of how easily Roman could make me forget every boundary I tried to set.But the truth was simpler and more terrifying.I missed him.Terribly.The office felt different without his presence. Meetings were colder. The air was flatter. Even my own work felt less satisfying when I wasn’t secretly hoping he’d walk by and look at me with those dark, possessive eye

BITTERSWEETROMAN'S POVMorning light filtered gently through the curtains of Noelle’s bedroom, casting a soft golden hue over everything. I woke up first, lying on my side with my arm draped possessively over her waist. She was curled into me, completely naked, her warm brown skin glowing in the early light. Her natural curls were spread across the pillow like dark silk, and the sheet had slipped down to her hips, revealing the perfect curve of her breast and the gentle rise and fall of her breathing.She looked peaceful. Vulnerable. She looks like mine.Last night had been everything I had been craving for weeks. Slow, deep, and intimate. I had made love to her like time didn’t exist, like I could stay buried inside her forever. Now, in the quiet morning, the reality of having her in my arms again settled over me like a warm, addictive drug.I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her bare shoulder, then another along the side of her neck. She stirred, letting out a sleepy little h

HAPPY FOR NOWNOELLE'S POVMonday morning felt different.I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, adjusting the blue blouse I had chosen, one that hugged my curves just enough to feel confident without being obvious. My pencil skirt was a deep navy, and I had left my hair down in loose waves. I wasn’t dressing for work today. I was dressing for him.After brunch with Bria yesterday, after Derek’s poisonous words tried to ruin everything again, I made a decision while lying in bed last night staring at the black roses on my counter.I wasn’t going to bring up Liana. Not yet.Not today.I was tired of letting fear and doubt control me. For once, I wanted to enjoy the moment. I wanted to let myself feel what I felt for Roman without overanalyzing every shadow in his past. The way he looked at me, the way he touched me, the way he had tried to earn me with those roses. It was real. And I was choosing to believe in it, at least for today.I wanted to be lovey-dovey. I wanted to be so

CALM STORMROMAN'S POVMorning light filtered softly through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse bedroom, casting a warm golden glow across Noelle’s bare skin. I woke up before her, lying on my side with one arm draped possessively over her waist. She was curled into me like she belonged there, completely naked, her warm brown skin pressed against mine. Her natural curls were spread across the pillow in a wild halo,and the sheet had slipped down to her hips, revealing the perfect curve of her breast and the gentle rise and fall of her breathing.She looked peaceful. Content.Last night had been everything I had been craving. Slow, deep, and achingly intimate. I had made love to her like time didn’t exist, like I could stay buried inside her forever. Now, in the quiet morning light, the reality of having her in my arms again settled over me like a warm, addictive drug.I should have felt happy. I should have felt complete.Instead, fear clawed at my chest like a living thing.