Semua Bab THE BILLIONAIRE'S DIRTY SECRET: A FORBIDDEN SECOND CHANCE: Bab 41 - Bab 50

THE VISITROMAN'S POVThe penthouse was too quiet tonight.I stood on the terrace with a glass of whiskey in my hand, staring at the city lights below. The black roses I had sent Noelle were still fresh in my mind, her soft thank-you text, the way she had climbed into my lap yesterday like she belonged there. For a few precious hours, everything had felt right. Sweet. Hopeful.Then reality crept back in.My phone buzzed on the table behind me. I already knew who it was before I looked.Sylvia: I’m downstairs. We need to talk. Alone.I exhaled slowly. Of course she would come now after Derek ran to her crying about the fight, after the family dinner where I had finally spoken my truth. She never came when I needed her as a child. But when Derek was hurting? She appeared like a guardian angel.“Send her up,” I told the doorman.I poured another drink and waited.When the elevator doors opened, Sylvia Ashford stepped out looking every bit the elegant matriarch , cream silk blouse, tailo

POISON ROSESNOELLE'S POVThe package arrived on a quiet Wednesday afternoon like a bomb wrapped in plain brown paper.I had just gotten home from work, kicked off my heels at the door, and was in the middle of microwaving my food when the doorbell rang. I assumed it was another delivery for the gala decorations I’d ordered last week. The courier handed me a plain envelope with no return address, only my name written in neat, blocky letters.I signed for it, closed the door, and set the envelope on the kitchen counter. I gently tore it open.Dozens of photos spilled out across the counter.All from Santorini.Me in my black bikini on the private terrace of the villa, Roman’s strong arms wrapped around me from behind, his face buried in the curve of my neck as he kissed my skin. Another shot of us on the cliff at sunset, my head thrown back in laughter while he looked at me like I was the only woman in the world. One of us in the crystal-clear water, bodies pressed close, his hands p

JUST OUTSIDE THE DOORNOELLE'S POVSylvia Ashford’s birthday dinner was held at the family estate. The same grand house where I had first seen Roman again after Santorini.I was nervous the entire drive there. Roman’s hand rested on my thigh the whole time, thumb stroking soothing circles, but it didn’t completely calm the storm in my stomach.“You sure you want me here?” I asked for the third time.Roman squeezed my thigh. “I’m sure. I want you by my side. No more hiding.”When we walked in, the tension was immediate.Sylvia greeted us with a polite but cool smile. Derek was already there, nursing a drink, his eyes narrowing the moment he saw me on Roman’s arm. Richard tried to play the gracious host.Dinner was… civil on the surface. But underneath, the air was thick with unspoken history.Halfway through the main course, Roman’s hand found its way under the table.I froze as his fingers slowly slid up my thigh, pushing the fabric of my dress higher. My eyes widened, but I kept my f

ROMAN'S POVThe penthouse was too quiet.I sat on the edge of my bed in the dark, staring at my reflection in the floor-length mirror across the room. The city lights outside cast long shadows, but they couldn’t hide the damage.Black eye swollen nearly shut. Lip split open, crusted with dried blood. Bruises blooming along my jaw and disappearing under the collar of my shirt. I looked like hell. Like a man who had finally lost control and paid for it.Derek had done a number on me. Or maybe I had done it to myself by letting the fight happen at all.I winced as I pressed the ice pack to my eye again. The cold helped with the swelling, but it did nothing for the deeper ache in my chest.Noelle.She had walked away after the chaos at my mother’s birthday dinner. I hadn’t heard from her since. Every hour of silence felt like another punch. I kept replaying Derek’s words in my head, the way he had screamed at her, called her a whore for letting me touch her. The way he had thrown Liana in

MOTHER'S WARNINGNOELLE'S POVThe knock on my office door came at 4:17 p.m. on a quiet Tuesday afternoon.I was buried in final gala paperwork, headphones in, trying to drown out the noise in my head. The photos Derek sent me were still hidden in a drawer at home. Liana’s name still lingered like a shadow I couldn’t shake. Roman and I had been texting sweet, careful messages since the birthday dinner fight, but we hadn’t seen each other since.I assumed the knock was my assistant with more vendor confirmations.“Come in,” I called, not looking up.The door opened.Sylvia Ashford stepped inside.My stomach dropped instantly.She looked every bit the elegant, controlled matriarch. Red silk blouse, tailored black skirt, pearls at her throat, hair perfectly styled. But her eyes were sharp, cold, and fixed entirely on me.“Miss Carter,” she said, voice smooth but edged with steel. “May I have a moment?”I slowly removed my headphones and stood up, heart already racing. “Mrs. Ashford. This