Alle Kapitel von CHASING THE CARPENTER'S HEART: Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

CHAPTER 21 — HEARTS BEATING, RESTLESS WITH WANT That evening, Chatrine sat in Eva’s room with a laptop resting on her lap. Rows of financial reports glowed across the screen, numbers she was supposed to review carefully. Yet her eyes remained unfocused. Her fingers typed a few lines, stopped, typed again, then deleted everything moments later. Her mind was far too loud. Why had Olivia come to Liam’s house? Chatrine bit her lower lip harder than she realized. The image of that black-haired woman’s gentle smile kept replaying in her head. The audacity of her, returning after betraying Liam. Worse still, getting close to his mother. With a sharp snap, Chatrine slammed the laptop shut. “Enough. I’m not letting that woman win.” She was Chatrine Madison. Storms themselves could not force her to retreat. “Olivia Marshal, you have no idea who you’re dealing with.” She strode toward Eva’s wardrobe and pulled the doors open. Her fingers brushed through dresses far simpler than anything

CHAPTER 24 A LITTLE INSANE Liam stood at the edge of the bed, his gaze sharp, his jaw tight as he fought to steady his breathing. His fingers moved swiftly to the row of buttons on his shirt. One by one, they came undone in firm, almost rough motions. Chatrine’s breath caught in her throat, her heartbeat drumming wildly against her chest. This was no game. She was facing a man who spent his days breaking through solid timber with his bare strength. The moment the final button slipped free, Liam shrugged the shirt from his shoulders. With one sharp pull, the powerful build beneath was revealed. Sun-bronzed skin glimmered faintly with the sheen of lingering sweat, the unmistakable mark of a man shaped by hard labor beneath open skies. His chest was broad and solid, every line of muscle defined with raw honesty. Wide shoulders, a sturdy back, a firm stomach sculpted not by vanity, but by years of work and endurance. There was nothing artificial about him. Liam looked like strength it

The countryside morning carried a cool, gentle breeze. Small birds chirped from the branches while dew still clung to the leaves. Wearing a faded floral nightgown, Isabel climbed the stairs to check on her son’s room. To her surprise, Liam’s bedroom was empty. The bed was perfectly neat. Even the pillow felt cold, as though no one had touched it all night. “Mhm…” Isabel narrowed her eyes suspiciously before walking lightly toward the large window overlooking the front yard. And there it was. Across the road, the front door of Eva’s house slowly opened. Out stepped a tall young man with dark brown hair, moving with confident strides. His shirt was slightly wrinkled, but his face looked far too refreshed. Liam hurried across the yard, clearly hoping his mother would still be busy in the kitchen. Apparently, he had no intention of being caught after spending the night at the neighbor’s house. Isabel pressed her lips together to suppress a laugh. “Ah, finally. I knew those two wou

“I truly only want to help Olivia.” Liam looked at Chatrine almost pleadingly. “Please don’t turn this into a problem.” “No, you are not the problem,” Chatrine cut in immediately with a polished smile that still carried unmistakable heat beneath it. “I simply would have preferred to be informed earlier. So I could know that one of your hobbies is sheltering former lovers.” “Olivia will still work professionally,” Liam tried to explain. “Professionally.” Chatrine repeated the word firmly. “Fine. Then we’re having an emergency meeting this morning.” She looked directly at Liam. “Just the two of us. I’ll wait for you in the office for exactly ten more minutes.” Without another word, Chatrine stepped out of the pickup with quick, controlled movements, her face tense with disbelief and irritation. Olivia, who had been silently observing the entire exchange, immediately moved aside from the doorway to let her pass. Chatrine entered without acknowledging her existence. Liam followed b

The late afternoon sunlight streamed through the gallery office’s tall glass windows, falling across the long wooden desk where Liam usually worked. The scent of fresh timber still lingered from the warehouse, blending with the crisp smell of newly printed papers Chatrine had brought with her. Chatrine sat across from him, immaculate in a dark blazer, her hair tied into a sleek ponytail. She looked as she always did, dynamic, elegant, and practical all at once. In her hand was a black folder, neatly arranged and perfectly prepared. The moment Liam stepped inside, Chatrine closed her laptop and slid the folder toward him. “This,” she said simply. Liam lifted a brow, accepted it, and opened the file. Contracts were arranged in precise order, complete with partnership terms, investment figures, share distribution, and a detailed five-year development timeline for the gallery. He read every page carefully. His eyes moved across each clause, every number written with meticulous precisi