All Chapters of The Don’s Dangerous Addiction: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Avery had been tossing and turning for over half an hour. Her legs were leaden, her back was aching, and her eyes were stinging with exhaustion—yet the wire in her brain remained pulled taut, refusing to snap.Moonlight filtered through a gap in the curtains, a single white blade slicing across the foot of the bed. She stared at that sliver of light until her eyelids burned, only then allowing them to close.The moment she shut her eyes, she was back in that room at White Oak.The smell of mold mingled with disinfectant. She stood before the wall covered in markings, her gaze tracking along the north wall. At the very corner, her vision halted.Just above the baseboard, two finger-widths up, was a row of numbers buried under a layer of dust.0412...She hadn't looked closely at the time; she had simply memorized it.Avery bolted upright in bed.Her heart hammered against her ribs, her temples throbbed, and her forehead was slick with cold sweat. She stared at the ceiling.This wasn't

[Guess what! I changed my flight!!! Meet me at our old spot this afternoon. You owe me a dinner, and I’m collecting today.]The string of exclamation points from Sophia felt like a defiant beam of sunlight, cutting right through Avery’s gloom. For the first time in days, the high-tension wire in her brain slackened. Thinking of Sophia, a small smile tugged at Avery’s lips; she could almost hear her friend’s fast-paced, laugh-filled grumbling through the screen.She quickly typed back: "No problem. Send me the address. I’m heading out now."Setting her phone down, Avery sat at her vanity. The woman in the mirror looked weary. She picked up a comb and pulled it through her hair; the resistance at the dry ends made her wince. She hadn't spared a thought for her appearance in months. She used a blow dryer to coax some life back into the strands, letting them fall loosely over her shoulders until she looked halfway presentable.She dabbed a bit of concealer over the dark circles under her

The moment Victor stepped into the office, the air was vacuumed out of the room.Avery shrank behind the curtain, holding her breath. Victor wore a heavy dark coat, an unlit cigar clamped between his fingers. His gaze raked across the office, pausing briefly on the corner where she stood.A cold shiver raced down Avery’s spine."You cut two of my ships on that North Port line," Victor said, standing before the desk rather than sitting. "Locking down Adrian’s cold chain—that’s your business with the Maurices. But you seized my freighter and left my cargo drifting in international waters for three days. Kessler, are you trying to flip the table?"Dominic didn't look up. He leaned back in his leather chair, idly twirling a black-and-gold fountain pen."The table is right here." He lifted his eyes, the gray depths freezing. "If you want to flip it, try me."Victor let out a dry laugh. "Are you investigating my cargo now?""Not interested." Dominic set the pen down and leaned forward sligh

Dorothea had grown quite a bit; her school skirt was now noticeably short. Since Blackwood Academy uniforms could only be tailored at a designated shop, Avery took her there directly after school.During the fitting, Dorothea stood on her tiptoes, reaching for a potted ivy on the counter. Avery pulled her back gently. "Stay still, baby. If the measurements are off, we’ll have to fix it all over again."Dorothea stood obediently, her rabbit tucked under her arm, its long ears brushing against the measuring tape. The clerk smiled, commenting on how well-behaved the little girl was. Dorothea didn't look up; she simply tucked the rabbit’s ears into her palm.After leaving the tailor, Avery realized Dorothea’s shoes had also become too tight. There was a mall near the school, less than a ten-minute walk away. She hesitated for a moment before messaging Dominic: [Taking Dorothea to the mall for shoes. We’ll be back soon.]Man of Few Words: Drake is nearby. Let

Exactly nine in the morning. Avery arrived at the study door on schedule.The main lights were off; only the monitoring terminal on the desk glowed with a cold blue light. Dominic reclined in his swivel chair, back in a dark shirt with the top two buttons undone. Shipping charts were spread across the desk, flanked by stacks of open files—the very air smelled of his brand of business.Avery stood at the door for a second, taking a sharp breath and letting it out slowly.The clinic isn't good enough? He insists on doing this here... What is he playing at?"Treatment time," she said, stepping inside. She placed her medical kit on the corner of the desk without looking at him. "I assumed we would be in the examination room.""We’re doing it here today," he said without looking up. "I’m not going out."Avery glanced at him but said nothing. Once he made up his mind, arguing was a waste of breath."Please sit over there,"