All Chapters of Too Late To Claim The Bride: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Cora My nice Paris apartment usually looked super perfect. But this morning, it was a total disaster, like a bomb went off in the living room.I was rushing around the bright room. I bent down to grab a plastic toy dinosaur. I almost stepped on a kid book about a bear in space.Tiny children's jackets were draped over the velvet couch. There was a sneaker on top of my fancy magazines."I'm telling you, Annie, it's a zoo over here," I laughed warmly into my phone. I was holding the phone with my shoulder as I folded a stray blanket. "You think running a big perfume company is hard? Try negotiating with two tiny humans. They refuse to wear matching socks because they say it ruins their vibes. It's absolute chaos."Annie’s loud, familiar laugh came through the phone. It made the miles between Paris and New York feel like nothing."Hey, you're the one who wanted to be a boss mom, Coco," she said. "But seriously, how are you handling everything? Are you getting any sleep at all?""Sleep a

Cora I was standing right in the middle of the most exclusive, fancy gala of the season. I was holding a glass of champagne that cost more than my rent used to be in that awful New York apartment. I took a slow sip, looking out over the crowded room. Everyone important in fashion and business was here. Half of them had already tried to talk to me. I wasn't the girl hiding anymore. I belonged here. "You know, Coco, if you keep staring at the ice sculptures like that, people are going to think you're trying to buy the place," a smooth, teasing voice was near my ear. I leaned in. I laughed, like really laughed, as I looked at the man standing by my side. It was Julian. He was in a perfect tuxedo. He looked super chill, even for this high-stress party. Julian was wealthy and charming. He made the night really fun. He also happened to be Leon’s first cousin. The two of them hadn't spoken in years due to an old family fight about business stuff. Julian had been trying to get a distri

Cora The morning sun came through the blinds in my office. It made sharp lines across my huge glass desk.The room smelled like jasmine and fresh paper. It was a calm place that always made me feel better right away. I sat back in my leather chair. My hands were perfectly steady. I held a nice pen.Last night was a bit unnerving. I got to watch Leon beg on the rainy sidewalk like a dog. I thought I would feel messed up. But I didn't. I just felt totally content.Elodie stood quietly across the desk. She held her tablet tight against her blazer. She was waiting for me to say yes.I didn't hesitate. I put the pen down on the paper. My signature flowed smoothly across the document. It was a formal order for the company. It was written in legal words."Take this down, Elodie," I said. My voice was so calm and flat. It had zero emotion. "This is a permanent order for our legal and comms teams. I want the name Leon Halefield, and every company tied to Halefield Luxury, is permanently black

Cora My five-year-old twins were sitting in their booster seats, focused on their breakfast. And by that, I meant half of the breakfast was currently on their faces. "Maman, look! I made a syrup lake for my pancakes!" Ricky giggled, waving his plastic fork in the air. He had a smudge of chocolate hazelnut spread right on his nose, his dark curls bouncing as he bounced in his seat."That’s a swamp, Ricky, not a lake," his twin sister, Riley, chimed in, rolling her big hazel eyes with the kind of dramatic attitude she definitely inherited from me. She neatly wiped her mouth with a napkin, looking too sophisticated for a five-year-old before pointing her finger at him. "You’re getting sticky everywhere.""Am not!" Ricky protested, pouting his lower lip.I couldn't help the warm laugh that bubbled up in my chest as I stepped over to the table, leaning down to grab a damp cloth. I gently wiped the smudge off Ricky's nose and kissed his soft cheek. I turned to do the same to Riley, who gi

Cora A few days later, I was back in my safe haven. The air inside my private creative fragrance lab was thick and intoxicating, heavy with the luxurious scents of premium essential oils, jasmine extract, and freshly crushed botanicals.I stood quietly by the white marble workstation, a glass pipette in my hand, focused on a new, experimental formula. Watching the golden liquid drip slowly into a crystal beaker always had a way of grounding me. It was the one place where the noise of the corporate world completely faded away.The heavy glass doors of the lab slid open with a soft hiss, instantly shattering my peaceful focus.I didn't even have to look up to know who it was. Elodie walked into the room, her heels clicking frantically against the polished herringbone floorboards. She looked incredibly stressed, her shoulders completely tensed up as she clutched a familiar black legal folder against her chest like a shield."Madame Woods, I am so sorry to interrupt your formulation cycl