บททั้งหมดของ THE EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT : บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 7

Elena Cruz’s first mistake was thinking she was on time. “You’re late.” The words landed the moment she stepped into the office—cold, precise, and impossible to argue with. Her pulse spiked. “It’s 8:59, Mr. Drake. I was told to be here by nine.” Alexander Drake didn’t even glance at the clock. He leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze fixed on her as though measuring her worth in seconds. “When I say eight-thirty, Miss Cruz,” he said evenly, “I expect eight-thirty. Not a minute later.” Her throat tightened. “I wasn’t informed—” A slight raise of his hand silenced her. “Excuses don’t interest me. Efficiency does.” The air in the room turned heavy. Elena forced herself to breathe, straightening her shoulders despite the tension coiling in her chest. She had worked too hard to be here—top of her class, years of experience, countless sacrifices. She wouldn’t let one moment shake her. “I understand, Mr. Drake.” His gaze lingered for a second longer before he gestured to the c

Elena arrived before sunrise.The city was still asleep, wrapped in soft gray light. Her heels echoed through the marble lobby, the sound sharp in the silence.She hadn’t slept much.Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him—felt the closeness, the tension, the moment that shouldn’t have mattered but refused to fade.She told herself it meant nothing.Her mind refused to agree.The elevator doors opened on the top floor——and she stopped.Alexander Drake was already there.He stood by the panoramic window, coffee in hand, his reflection blending with the skyline. For a moment, he didn’t turn, as though he had already sensed her presence.Then, slowly, he did.“You’re early.”“I wanted to review the minutes before your Tokyo call,” she replied, lifting the files slightly.A small nod.“Good. Efficiency suits you.”“I’ve been told I learn quickly.”His gaze lingered a second too long.That familiar tension returned—quiet, invisible, but impossible to ignore.“About last night—” she be

The morning after they returned from Paris, Vanguard Industries felt different.Sharper. Louder. Alive with whispers.Elena noticed it the moment she stepped out of the elevator.Conversations lowered. Eyes followed her. Fingers paused over keyboards.By the time she reached her desk, she already understood—people were talking.Clara’s words echoed in her mind.People always talk when something feels real.She exhaled slowly, straightened her posture, and opened her emails.She would not let gossip shake her.Still—when Alexander arrived moments later, the entire floor shifted.Silence followed him.As always, he walked with calm authority, dark suit sharp, expression unreadable.But his eyes—just for a second—found hers.And in that fleeting glance, she knew.He had heard everything too.By midday, Marcus Hale entered Alexander’s office without knocking.“Quite the buzz this morning,” he said lightly, closing the door behind him.Alexander didn’t look up from his laptop.“About wh

The days after Alexander Drake’s resignation were heavy with silence.Vanguard Tower felt colder without him.Slower.Even the city outside seemed muted, as though it too had lost its pulse.Elena returned to work anyway.Head high.Back straight.She refused to hide.But whispers followed her through every corridor—soft, cutting, unavoidable.Still, she endured them.Because beneath the silence, one question burned relentlessly:Who leaked the story?Her instincts kept returning to one name.Victoria Langford.Ruthless PR director. Longtime associate. Always too polished, too controlled.Victoria had once said:“Some people don’t belong in this world. They confuse loyalty with opportunity.”Elena had thought it was advice.Now she understood—it had been a warning.That evening, Elena stayed behind long after the building emptied.She told herself it was for work.It wasn’t.She slipped into the PR department.Victoria’s desk was neat, untouched—too perfect.A file sat half-hidden ben