The Billionaire's Little Thief のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 11 - チャプター 20

The hallway was dim when I stepped out of Sofia’s room.Quiet in a way that made every thought louder.I closed the door behind me and turned, already halfway to my room when a voice stopped me.“Couldn’t sleep?”I looked up and Damien stood a few steps away, leaning casually against the wall, like he had all the time in the world.I stopped a short distance from him. “Something like that.” His lips curved faintly. “First day and you already look like you’re reconsidering your life choices.”“I’m still deciding.” He tilted his head. “That bad?”A hint of a smile tugged at my lips. “Is it that obvious?”His lips curved faintly, a quiet breath of amusement following.His eyes moved over me. “You don’t look like someone who backs out,” he said.“I don’t.” That seemed to interest him. He straightened, folding his arms.“Most people don’t survive their first day here without looking… defeated.”“And I don’t look defeated?”“No.” His eyes lingered a second longer than necessary. “You loo

There was a subtle shift in the room, exchanged glances passing between representatives and executives.The screen behind me stayed the same, exactly what Iris wanted them to see.I let the silence stretch for a few seconds, then exhaled softly and stepped forward like nothing was wrong.“Apologies,” I said calmly, my voice steady enough to cut through the room.“Wrong file.”A few brows lifted.Across the room, I saw Iris’ smile falter, just slightly.I reached into my bag, pulled out another flash drive—a backup copy.I removed the first drive, replaced it with mine, and turned back to the screen.The screen went black for a second, then changed to a clean layout, structured data, and clear projections. Everything exactly the way I built it.This time, the shift in the room wasn’t subtle. It was immediate.Attention snapped back, people leaned forward, interest replaced doubt.I didn’t look at Iris. Not yet.“Let’s begin,” I said.I spoke without notes, not because I didn’t need the

The office never fully settled after the contract announcement.Even after everyone returned to work, the excitement lingered in the air like electricity.People who normally stayed quiet were talking more than usual, conversations carrying across departments while employees kept replaying the events from earlier.And every now and then, I caught people glancing at me differently, like I had suddenly become someone worth noticing.By the time evening approached, barely anyone was actually focused anymore.Adrian stepped into the office, and the room quieted almost instantly. He walked forward calmly before speaking.“Mr. Blackwood arranged a celebration tonight at Blackwood Lounge for securing the contract.”A few employees immediately exchanged excited looks.Then Adrian added casually, “He’ll also be attending.”There was complete silence. I frowned slightly, glancing around in confusion at everyone’s reactions.Then suddenly the entire office exploded into confusion.“What?”“Mr. B

I stared at him in horror.Meanwhile, Leonardo looked entirely too pleased with himself.“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I muttered.“A little,” he admitted smoothly.I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.Unfortunately, the universe clearly hated me because instead of disappearing, I still had to survive the walk to the car beside him.He opened the car door casually, like he hadn’t just destroyed my remaining dignity two seconds ago.I hesitated before getting in.I considered making a run for it. But knowing Leonardo, he’d probably just drag me back again.So with the little pride I had left, I slid into the backseat quietly and Leonardo entered right after me.The door closed and the car finally pulled away from the mansion gates.Silence settled briefly between us.I stared out the window, fully determined not to look at him again for the rest of the morning.Unfortunately, Leonardo seemed determined to make that impossible.“You’ve been unusually quiet,” he ob

The moment we stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted instantly. Conversation thinned out like a thread being cut, laughter fading mid-sentence. Heads turned and I felt it immediately—the weight of attention pressing from every direction. Quiet whispers spread through the room. “Is that Leonardo Blackwood?” “Who’s the woman?” “I’ve never seen him bring someone to an event before.” My grip tightened slightly around his hand. Leonardo, however, looked completely unaffected. Like unintentionally causing public chaos was just another day for him. His thumb brushed lightly against the back of my hand once. A silent reassurance and weirdly enough… It worked. The cocktail hall itself was breathtaking. Crystal chandeliers reflected soft golden light across polished marble floors while quiet music floated through the air. Tall floral arrangements stood near each table while executives in perfectly tailored suits moved through the crowd exchanging conversations. I barely noticed p