Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

CHAPTER 2The doorbell chimed sharply at precisely 8:00 a.m. Andrew Cross glanced at the door, then the clock, and finally back at the door. He remained rooted in place, annoyance brewing in the weighty silence of his penthouse. The bell rang again, more insistent this time.Taking a slow sip of his coffee, he kept his expression neutral, fully prepared to ignore whoever stood on the other side. A third ring followed, accompanied by an annoyingly firm knock, one that left no room for politeness. Setting down his cup, Andrew muttered under his breath, “Unbelievable.”With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up from the chair, irritation already bubbling as he calculated the quickest way to end this inexplicable interruption. He swung open the door, intending to dismiss whoever it was on his threshold. Instead, he was met with Nancy Taylor. She stood there in casual jeans and a simple blouse, the medium-sized bag she carried slung carelessly over her shoulder. There was nothing about her

CHAPTER 4 By the end of the week, Andrew Cross had developed a routine: wake early, ignore his condition, and tolerate Nancy. In that exact order. “You’re staring at your coffee like it owes you money,” Nancy remarked as she walked into the living area, catching him mid-thought. Andrew didn’t bother to look away from the mug. “It does.” She peered at the cup, unimpressed. “What exactly did it do?” “It’s cold,” he replied flatly. “Then drink it faster next time.” “I shouldn’t have to rush coffee in my own home.” Nancy approached, picked up the cup, and sniffed it. “You also shouldn’t leave it untouched for twenty minutes and expect it to stay hot.” Finally, Andrew turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “Are you always this argumentative?” “Only with people who are wrong,” she shot back, her smile unwavering. “I’m not wrong.” “Yes, you are.” A pause settled between them, and Andrew leaned back slightly, studying her with growing interest. “Do you enjoy this?” “

CHAPTER 6 Andrew didn’t mention Victoria the next morning. Not over breakfast.Not when Nancy handed him his medication.Not even when his phone buzzed twice with her name lighting up the screen before he silenced it.He just… ignored it.Like he ignored most things that threatened to complicate his life.Nancy noticed.Of course she did.“You’re going to pretend she doesn’t exist?” she asked, setting a plate down in front of him.Andrew glanced briefly at the food, then at her. “That’s usually effective.”“For how long?”“As long as necessary.”Nancy sat across from him, studying his face. “She’s your sister.”Andrew picked up his fork. “That’s a technicality.”“That’s not how family works.”“It is in mine.”Nancy didn’t respond immediately.She just watched him take a bite, slow and deliberate like everything else he did.Then, “She looked worried,” Nancy said.Andrew’s hand stilled for a fraction of a second before continuing like nothing happened.“People often confuse curiosit

CHAPTER 8Andrew slept. Not exactly a full night's rest, but it was *better*. And honestly, that alone was enough to get under his skin because it just went to prove Nancy was right. Again.Morning arrived with a surprising gentleness. For once, he found himself waking up before the sun had even properly claimed the room. The light filtering in felt softer, less like an assault and more like a slow, deliberate caress across the glass walls. He lingered in bed for a few minutes, just… existing. No thoughts of work, no frantic calculations swirling in his head. Just being present. It was a fleeting moment, though. Nancy was already up. Of course she was.He found her in the kitchen, perched on the counter this time, not cooking, just scrolling through her phone with a cup of tea in her hand. She looked up as he walked in. Paused.“You look better.”Andrew reached for a glass. “Careful. That almost sounded like concern.”“It was observation.”“Unfortunate.”Nancy smiled slightly. “Did

CHAPTER 10The hospital smelled the same, clean, sterile, unyielding. Andrew sat in the chair, Nancy steady beside him, gripping the strap with a gentle yet firm hand.The exhaustion from the board meeting still clung to him, an invisible weight pressing against his chest with every shallow breath.“I don’t need this,” he muttered, his voice hoarse.“Yes, you do,” Nancy replied, her tone resolute. “We’ve discussed this. Tests, doctor’s orders, stop pretending.”A humorless laugh escaped Andrew. “Pretending is all I have left.”Exasperation flickered across Nancy’s face, but her calm demeanor remained.“You have me. You have the doctors. You have a sister who actually cares, whether you want to admit it or not.”Andrew shot her a glare. “Victoria isn’t here to watch me.”Nancy briefly glanced over her shoulder. “She has her own life now, husband, kids. But she checks in. Keeps tabs.”His expression softened at the mention of his sister. Though he often found her annoying, part of him a