All Chapters of Love, Lies, and a Billionaire's Regret : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Penelope's POV "You're blocking the light."Jonathan scorned at me as if I were a little kid who intentionally annoys adults.I stepped aside without saying anything.Jonathan didn’t look up, he didn't even bother to know how his words affected me. He kept signing document after document, his pen moving across the paper with his face bent low...his actions speaking volumes about how unimportant I am to him.I pulled out my chair and sat down.The breakfast Mrs. Hale, the housekeeper, prepared was still warm...Eggs, toast, and a small pot of tea on my side because she remembered that I didn’t take coffee. At least she acknowledged my feelings. I reached for the cup and wrapped my hands around it, more for something to hold than anything else.Jonathan turned a page...his fingers brushing the rough texture of the paper. "You have a charity lunch today," I said. "Your assistant called yesterday to confirm.""I know my schedule, Penelope. You don't have to remind me." His voice sounded l

Penelope's POV Five minutes later, Seraphina walked in boldly without a wheelchair or crutches. No sign of anything that had kept her away for two years. She stood in the dining room doorway in a cream dress that sat perfectly on her curvy body, her dark hair loose, her skin glowing like she had spent the last twenty-four months at a spa instead of whatever she had always been.She looked at the table full of shocked faces and smiled. "Did I miss dinner?" Margaret was the first to move. She pushed her chair back so fast it scraped against the floor and crossed the room. Her pearl necklace was dangling as she did so. "Seraphina, my darling." "Margaret." Seraphina hugged her close enough to feel each other's warmth. Gloria pressed a hand to her chest. "Oh my goodness. Oh, look at you." Then Jonathan stood up. I watched him from my seat. I didn't move. I don't think I can breathe anymore.He pulled Seraphina into his arms before she had time to turn fully toward him. She went into

Penelope's POV***"You don't have to do this tonight." Mrs. Hale stood in the doorway of my bedroom, her hands clasped together. Her eyes showed how worried she was."I know," I said."At least wait until morning, Penelope. It's nearly ten o'clock.""I'm fine, Mrs. Hale."She lingered in the doorway for a moment, then walked in and began folding the blouse I had left on the bed. Her movements were slow and deliberate, as if she hoped that by helping, I might choose to stay.I didn't tell her to stop. Packing takes a long time to do, and I needed a little help.I've spent three years in that house and I filled only one suitcase and a travel bag. Just one. Most of what was in that house doesn't belong to me. The furniture came with the rooms. The art on the walls was Jonathan's. The good dishes, the expensive decor, the small decorative items that made a house feel lived-in, aren't mine to choose or to keep.I opened my own side of the wardrobe and the only things I possessed were clot

Jonatha's POV "Is she really gone?" I uttered under my breath, staring deeply into the thin air.Mrs. Hale glanced at me from across the kitchen counter. She held a dish towel in her hand. "She left last night," she said. "With one suitcase and her travel bag."I glanced at the kitchen doorway, then back at Mrs. Hale. "Is that all she took?""That's all she had, Mr. Jonathan."I didn’t know what to say to her. So, I walked out. The house remained the same way and that was strange about everything. Every room looked exactly as it had always been. The furniture was where it belonged. The art on the walls hadn’t moved an inch. Did she really take anything with her?As I walked through the corridor, I felt a small discomfort snagging at me, like a loose thread from a shirt. I couldn't pinpoint where exactly, and it was too discomforting to ignore.I stopped in the dining room. The table was already set for one...Me. It was all adjusted by Mrs. Hale I stood there for a while, staring at

Penelope's POVI almost didn't go after so much resistance.On Thursday morning, I sat on a chair near my bed with my resume in a folder on my lap and the address on my phone screen. I told myself several times that I was being ridiculous. The city had hundreds of companies. Blackwood Holdings was just one building among many. Jonathan was the CEO, not the interviewer. He probably didn't even know the names of his coordinators. I would walk in, have an interview with HR, and walk out without ever seeing him.I put on my only blazer that still looked good, a black one I bought two years ago for a charity event that I was forced to attend. I arranged my hair into a pony and slipped on the low heels on my feet.I stood in front of the bathroom mirror. "You need this job," I said to my reflection.My reflection looked back, steady but unconvinced."You need this job," I said again, a bit more firmly.I grabbed my folder and left.***The design of the Blackwood Holdings building was just