All Chapters of Betrayed by My Ex, Claimed by His Boss: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

59 Chapters

Chapter 31 — Nowhere to Hide

"Get used to me being here.""People leave," I whispered into the dark.It sounded dangerously like a confession. I hated how frail it sounded, but the darkness had swallowed my pride.The slow, rhythmic kneading of his fingers at the base of my neck came to a complete halt."I don't."Two words. Low, absolute, and devoid of any hesitation.He slowly resumed the firm pressure of his thumb against my shoulder. The migraine medication was beginning to seep into my bloodstream, softening the sharp, defensive edges of my consciousness."Do you do this often?" I murmured, my eyes fluttering shut. "Play the caretaker?""Do I look like one to you?" his voice rumbled quietly against my back."You look like someone who requires absolute control over everything around him," I answered honestly. "Caring for someone is... unpredictable. It’s messy.""It is," he agreed, his tone calm and unbothered in the pitch black. "I usually despise anything that disru

Chapter 32 — There She Is

For a man who claimed to despise anything that disrupted his order, Lucian Blackwood was a remarkably effective caregiver. Under his watch, my condition had visibly improved over the last few days.I opened my eyes and instinctively scanned the room.Nothing.The velvet sofa was empty. The room was perfectly still.It was a strange feeling. An inexplicable, sharp wave of annoyance washed over me. I lay there in the center of the bed for a while, staring at the ceiling, listening to the absolute silence of the penthouse.Finally, I threw off the covers and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I had just taken two steps toward the door when the heavy mahogany handle clicked.The door pushed open, and Lucian walked in.The sleeves of his crisp white dress shirt were rolled up to his forearms, his tie loosened, carrying the sharp, cold energy of a lingering business meeting.He stopped short when he saw me standing there.My brows pulled together i

Chapter 33 — Back in Control

The sharp, bright lights of the conference room and the sprawling mess of files on the glass table felt like a welcome return to reality. I sat near the center of the long glass table, my eyes focused on the Delacroix case files spread out in front of us. The air in the room was thick with tension. Victor sat at the head of the table, tapping his pen against a document. "Ashcroft’s media smear didn't give him the leverage he wanted. But since that failed, he's been keeping a very low profile. It makes me uneasy." "He isn't exactly resting," Victor’s CFO chimed in, sliding a few printed photos across the table. "Our people got this recently. Ashcroft hosted a private dinner at his estate. Look who was on the guest list." I pulled the photos closer. They were blurry, taken from a distance, but the faces were recognizable. "Two of the Delacroix cousins." "Exactly," Victor frowned. "Why is he suddenly wining and dining the extended family?" "Because he's changing his angle," I

Chapter 34 — Vivid Pink

Geneva was beautiful, but it was a cold, impenetrable kind of beautiful. The private archives of the Maison were located beneath their flagship boutique. The air inside was climate-controlled, carrying the faint scent of polished velvet and metal. Camille Delacroix, a family shareholder who oversaw the Maison's heritage collections, guided me through the softly lit corridors. She was a woman in her late forties, elegantly dressed, with a lingering tightness around her eyes that spoke of the family's recent financial hemorrhage. "Ashcroft's representatives didn't bother to come down here," Camille remarked, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet vault. "They only asked for the insurance valuations." "Insurance valuations don't capture heritage, Camille," I replied smoothly, keeping my pace aligned with hers. "Victor isn't interested in dismantling your legacy. He wants to secure it." Camille stopped, looking over the velvet trays she

Chapter 35 — A Minor Logistical Issue

The subsequent conversation with Camille took hours. After a long day of navigating the underlying tensions of the Delacroix estate, the biting alpine air of the Geneva evening was a welcome relief. It was only the first day, and while there were still shifting dynamics to figure out, the overall situation felt far more stable than I had anticipated. Camille had also confirmed that both Delacroix cousins whose shares could tip the balance would be attending the Maison’s annual gala in two days. It would be the best opportunity to speak with them privately before Ashcroft tightened his hold. By the time the waiting car dropped me off at the hotel, the sharp focus of the day had faded, leaving behind a heavy, deep-seated fatigue. I unlocked the door to the sprawling, impeccably furnished suite. I kicked off my heels by the entryway, unbuttoned the sharp blazer of my suit, and collapsed onto the plush velvet sofa near the floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, Lake Geneva was a dark, sil

Chapter 36 — Zero Distance

My heart hammered against my ribs, a sudden, erratic rhythm that completely betrayed my usual composure.I crossed the entryway, my hand hovering over the heavy brass handle for a fraction of a second before I pulled the door open.The breath completely left my lungs.Lucian Blackwood stood in the hallway. He was dressed in a dark, impeccably tailored suit, the absence of a tie and the unfastened top buttons of his shirt giving away the reality of a sudden, transatlantic flight. He looked slightly travel-weary, yet the sheer, overwhelming gravity of his presence instantly sucked all the oxygen out of the room.He still held his phone to his ear. His dark eyes locked onto mine, pinning me in place. Through the speaker still pressed against my cheek, and simultaneously through the open air between us, his low voice echoed."You didn't answer my question, Evelyn," he murmured into the phone, a wicked hint of satisfaction in his tone. "So I'll ask again. Did you miss

Chapter 37 — Morning Distractions

When I woke up, the sprawling velvet sofa had been replaced by the soft, heavy linens of the master bed. The faint, lingering scent of cedar on the pillow was the only proof of how I had gotten there.I slipped into a silk robe and walked out to the living area. Sunlight spilled across the dark wood floors, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the cold Geneva morning.Lucian was already awake. He sat in the armchair by the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sleeves of his dark dress shirt rolled up to his forearms. A single wireless earbud was in his ear as he listened to a transatlantic video conference, his voice a low, commanding murmur in the quiet room.I didn't interrupt. I curled up on the opposite sofa, pulling a thick stack of Delacroix equity structures onto my lap. For a long time, the only sounds were the quiet rustle of paper and the distant voices of Wall Street executives.It was a strange, parallel existence. Yet, when I mindlessly reached for my empty c

Chapter 38 — A Temporary Escape

Waiting for us in the curved driveway was a vintage, silver Aston Martin, gleaming flawlessly under the sun.He opened the passenger door for me with effortless grace. Moments later, the low, powerful roar of the engine echoed through the quiet streets as we left the city behind.We drove along the winding coastal roads, ascending the mountains that bordered Lake Geneva. I didn't roll up the window. For the first time in months, I let the rushing wind tear through my usually controlled hair, not bothering to smooth it back into place. I leaned my head back against the leather seat, closing my eyes to feel the sun on my skin.When I finally opened them, I turned my head to look at Lucian. His hands were relaxed on the leather steering wheel, the sharp, elegant line of his jaw illuminated by the afternoon sun. As if sensing my gaze, he glanced over, a faint, breathtakingly gentle smile playing at the corner of his lips. In the tight, sunlit space of the speeding car, the s

Chapter 39 — The Man Across the Ballroom

The annual Geneva Global Finance Gala was a sea of crystal chandeliers, flowing champagne, and the quiet, dangerous hum of European old money.I stood near the entrance of the ballroom, smoothing a hand down the side of my midnight-blue gown. The heavy silk draped flawlessly, catching the light as I took a steadying breath and stepped fully into the crowd.It took me less than fifteen minutes to locate my targets.Henri and Laurent Delacroix stood near a quieter alcove by the terrace doors. They were cousins, both holding significant shares of the Delacroix empire, and both visibly anxious about the impending hostile takeover from Alistair Ashcroft.I took a glass of champagne from a passing tray and approached them with a perfectly calibrated, disarming smile."Henri. Laurent," I greeted smoothly. "Evelyn Thorne. I’ve been handling Victor Delacroix’s strategic negotiations."Henri stiffened slightly, his grip tightening on his glass. "Ms. Thorne. I believe o

Chapter 40 — The Elegant Poison

Alistair Ashcroft materialized from the glittering crowd, his approach unhurried and effortlessly commanding. His winter-sea eyes were locked entirely on me, brimming with a dark, amused fascination. "You move quickly, Ms. Thorne," Alistair murmured, stopping just at the edge of my personal space. His voice was a smooth, aristocratic drawl that effortlessly cut through the ambient noise of the gala. "I must admit, watching your little performance just now was quite entertaining." I simply held my champagne flute, keeping my expression perfectly composed. I wondered briefly if he had heard the exact terms I had just offered the cousins. "I'm merely doing my job, Mr. Ashcroft," I replied smoothly, meeting his gaze. "Though I wasn't aware Maison Delacroix was hosting an audience tonight." A low, genuine chuckle vibrated in his chest. "I always keep an eye on interesting shifts in the market. It seems Victor Vaughn found himself a rather effective strategist." He took a slow sip of h

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