Craved By My Husband's Best Friend 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 21 - 챕터 30

Marissa POVJust then, the heavy silence of the studio was broken by the sound of a chair scraping back. Someone stood up from a drafting table near the window and walked directly toward me, breaking the tension that Vivienne had left hanging in the air."Sorry for the nuisance, Marissa. I am Naomi Reyes, and it is nice to meet you. It’s truly wonderful to have you here," she said, extending her hand.I immediately accepted the handshake, offering a genuine smile. Naomi Reyes was stunning..a dark skinned woman with sparkly black eyes and an hourglass body that was absolutely to die for. She exuded a warm, grounded confidence that instantly made me feel like I wasn't entirely alone in this den of wolves."Thank you so much," I muttered, feeling the genuine warmth in her grip."Come on, let me show you where you will be setting up," Naomi said, effortlessly guiding me past Vivienne’s frozen form and leading me toward the enclosed desk at the head of the room.When we reached it, I could

Marissa POVI stood in front of the full length mirror, taking a slow, steadying breath as I smoothed down the fabric of my dress. I had chosen a deep emerald silk midi dress elegant, sophisticated, and entirely different from the corporate armor I had worn earlier today. I paired it with gold strappy heels and let my hair fall in soft, polished waves around my shoulders. A swipe of nude lipstick completed the look.I looked expensive. I looked like a woman who was taking control of her life, not a wife hiding from the ruins of her marriage.Checking my phone, the digital clock read 9:52 PM. Eight minutes.My heart did a nervous little flutter against my ribs. I grabbed my clutch, slipped my phone inside, and walked toward my bedroom door. The real challenge wasn't just the mysterious billionaire waiting for me outside.. it was the ghost currently occupying my downstairs.I unlocked the door as quietly as possible and padded down the stairs. The house was dimly lit, the soft glow fr

Xavier POVI sat at the expansive mahogany desk in my study, the glow from my laptop screen casting sharp shadows across the room. It was nearly 3:00 AM, but sleep was a luxury I had long discarded. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, eyes fixed on the digital chat window that had consumed my entire evening.𝘔𝘦: 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 35 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘡𝘢𝘪𝘬𝘢.𝘔𝘦: 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸.𝘔𝘦: 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱... 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳I leaned back, a dark, self deprecating smile pulling at my lips. If any of the shareholders or board members at Sterling Holdings could see me right now, they would think I’d lost my mind.The ruthless, untouchable Xavier Sterling, reduced to counting the minutes between unread messages from a woman he’d met in the hazy, tequila sc

Xavier POV Marissa froze. Her eyes widened slightly, and a gorgeous, heavy flush immediately crept up her neck, coloring her cheeks a brilliant shade of crimson. She quickly looked down, smoothing out the fabric of her emerald dress to hide her shaking fingers.Did she suspect? I wondered, a thrill of danger racing through my veins. Did she connect the dots to the office this morning?"It's a classic choice," she managed to say, her voice smooth as glass, completely recovering her outer poise."I didn't realize you paid such close attention to detail.""I pay attention to everything that matters," I responded smoothly as the car glided to a halt in front of Le Petit Oiseau.The dinner was a masterful dance of deception and desire. We were ushered past the crowded main floor straight to the private, velvet draped booth Julian had secured. As the waiter poured two glasses of an incredibly vintage red wine, I watched her relax, her movements graceful and fluid."This place is beautiful,

Marissa POVThe heavy wood doors of the main office clicked shut behind me, and I finally let my shoulders drop. My hands were shaking so violently I had to grip my tablet against my chest just to steady them.A day and a half. I had been at this company for exactly a day and a half, and Xavier Sterling had already reduced me to a maid.My throat still tasted like the expensive, bitter espresso he had forced me to pour for him. My stomach churned at the memory of the past forty-five minutes. He hadn't just made me get his coffee. He had locked those icy blue eyes onto me and pointed a commanding finger at the armchair across from his desk.“Sit, Marissa. You will eat breakfast with your employer, or your clearance files stay on my desk unsigned.” I had been trapped. I had sat there under his heavy gaze, forcing down tiny pieces of fruit while he watched every single movement of my throat as I swallowed. It wasn't an onboarding evaluation. It was a power play. A public humiliation to s