جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

CORINNEIt’s Monday.And I’m currently standing like a sacrificial lamb in front of the Delacroix building. One hand grips the strap of my bag hard enough to leave dents in my palm while the other balanced the ridiculous fruit basket Stella had framed as a ‘token of appreciation’ for Lucian’s appearance at the charity gala. But carrying a wicker basket filled with pineapples and grapes into the headquarters of a billionaire felt like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight.People gave me a wide space as they blurred past and I could only imagine the look on my face—my eyes felt weighed down by the dark bags that were the direct result of a sleepless night spent tossing and turning. I’d spent hours staring at the ceiling, trying to architect a plan that didn’t involve surrendering to Lucian’s demands, but every exit strategy led back to the same dead end.I’d initially planned to wait until he dropped the kids off this morning, fully prepared to hurl the papers at his chest the moment he

CORINNETuesday arrived, officially marking the beginning of my death sentence.Alright, maybe that was dramatic. But death sentence felt like the only accurate way to describe the fallout my life had turned into.Lucian didn’t show up at drop-off this morning, which left me handling the boys alone. He had obviously told them about the new arrangement, because their reactions could not have been more obvious. While Lucas spent the morning practically vibrating with enough excitement to power a small city, Eli had been my shadow, his small hand gripping the hem of my sweater all day as if he were afraid I’d vanish if he let go.“Are you absolutely certain about this, Cori?” Benny’s anxious voice came through.I paused halfway through stuffing a stack of sweaters into an open box on my bed and I grabbed the phone, propping it up so he could see the chaos of my half-empty apartment. “I’m as sure as I can be, Benny. The papers are signed.”“But the risks are—”“For the love of God, Ben, le

LUCIANI knew the moment she arrived.I’d been standing by the study window, watching as she stood beside her luggage, speaking with George. She looked stiff and entirely out of place, her eyes moving over the house like she’d stepped into the wrong life by mistake.So different from the sharp-tongued woman who never hesitate to challenge me.Out there, she looked… small and guarded.I almost went down to meet her.Almost.Instead, I turned away and went to help the boys with their bath.Lucas leaned over the edge. “Is she here?”“Yes,” I replied.He broke into a wide smile. “We didn’t tell anyone.”They’d been vibrating with excitement all evening, whispering and giggling like little conspirators.“Good job, kiddo.”About thirty minutes later, clean and dressed, they held my hands as we walked toward the dining room.Lucas had other plans.“Don’t slide down the rail, Lucas!”I grabbed his hand before he could make another escape again.But when we rounded the corner to where I knew sh

CORINNE“Get undress.”Dear brethren, it’s now officially confirmed: all men are cut from the same vile piece of material.I protectively crossed my arms over my chest but the movement caused the fabric of my dress to scrape against the raw skin of my hand. I looked down at my dress that still had a huge wet spot from the hot broth. I have to take it off, but I needed to deal with this ingrate first.“I’m sorry,” I gave him a fake ass smile. “I must have missed the clause in the contract that gave you literal rights to my body. If you’re in need of a good lay, I suggest you step out of the house or hit up an old flame.”His face soured as if I’d lose my grip on reality, then his eyes slowly swept down my body with a bored look. “Even if you were the last living soul on this earth, I can assure you that I would find absolutely nothing of interest in your body.”Ouch.“Good.” I shot back, trying to ignore the way my face was heating up. “The feeling is entirely mutual.”A slow smirk touc

LUCIANMy PA was already on her feet with a cup of coffee when I stepped out of the elevator, tablet tucked against her chest like she’d been counting the seconds.“Morning, sir.”I took the cup from her. “Is the meeting with the Minister of Energy still on for today?”“Yes, sir,” she replied, falling into step beside me. “But they’ve requested your presence exclusively. They were quite adamant that because the project blueprints are classified, they don’t want any other staff involved.”I suppressed a groan. I detested those types of assignments. Those were exactly the high-stakes contracts that kept politicians, international power players and global moguls in my back pocket. The compensation was more than handsome—it was astronomical—but their demands were never-ending and usually bordered on the paranoid.I reached the double doors of my office but stopped at the last second and changed direction.“Ask Isaac to meet me in the executive conference room immediately.”“Right away, sir