All Chapters of Bound By The CEO's Deal: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Following his late-night rendezvous with the powerful figure steering Grand Horizon Group—the dominant titan of the South—Conal felt like a drowning man who had just managed to grasp a golden lifeline.By offering the core blueprints of the South Sea Project as bait, he had successfully secured a nod of cooperation from this new partner. However, the Southern faction’s sole condition for injecting the initial wave of capital was absolute and non-negotiable: if Conal wanted the money, he had to cut all economic ties and terminate every active contract with Power Group immediately.This mandate aligned perfectly with Conal’s own brewing malice. He had long grown sick of suffocating under the stringent, suffocating clauses imposed by Aiden Power.Believing he now stood on the unshakeable bedrock of Grand Horizon Group, his innate greed flared up once more. Conal decided to double-cross his opponent. The sheer terror that had forced him to agree to surrender his entire fortune while corne

The lachrymose morning sunlight streamed through the glass windows, casting a warm, golden glow across the living room.Aiden snapped awake. The splitting headache from the night before had completely vanished, replaced by a strange, light, and refreshing clarity. But the moment his skin brushed against the soft silk under his cheek and his senses were filled with the faint, lingering scent of jasmine, he froze. Aiden realized he was still resting his head on Alma’s lap.For a fleeting second, he thought it was all just a wild, impossible dream. How could someone like him—accustomed to solitude, bearing the crushing darkness of a cruel twist of fate—deserve such a peaceful night? But the genuine warmth radiating from her body shattered his doubts. Memories of her cool hands and gentle whispers came rushing back, sending a powerful wave of emotion, mixed with a pang of heartache, surging through his chest.What caught his eyes now was Alma’s delicate face from an inverted perspective.

The words "crippled" hit Alma like a brutal sentence, shattering the last of her stubborn defiance.Watching Aiden’s dark silhouette loom over her, she no longer had the strength to run, nor the pride to build another defense. Helplessness surged up her throat, choking her. Alma cast her eyes down, hiding the tears that threatened to spill over. Her fingers clamped together so tightly that her knuckles turned stark white, her nails digging deep into her palms. The room fell into a freezing silence before her voice finally broke through—feeble and trembling."I understand..."Her tone softened, heavy with both resignation and resentment. "Aiden... I didn't mean to cause a scene. I just... I don't want to be a casualty. And I certainly don't want to be a burden to you.""A burden?"Aiden repeated the word, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. He didn't erupt the way she expected. Instead, the air in the room suddenly turned to ice."You think you have the right to be a burde

Alma let out a soft exhale, taking her time as she stepped off the mat in the stretching room. Her bare feet met the cool marble floor, her toes curling slightly to anchor herself, taking in the full sense of stability and balance she had lost for so long. She tentatively rolled her left shoulder. It moved in a smooth, seamless circle—a range of motion she wouldn't have dared dream of three weeks ago. The bone-deep, stabbing pain that used to flare up with any sudden movement was entirely gone. This afternoon’s physical therapy session had been her last, and the nurse had offered a warm smile before leaving, confirming a complete recovery.Walking over to the tea table, Alma pressed the power button on the television remote, simply needing some background noise to drown out a silence so heavy she could hear the ticking of the wall clock. On the screen, a brilliant red banner scrolled across an urgent financial bulletin: “THE RACE FOR THE EUROPEAN MEGA-PROJECT: POWER GROUP IN A SUFFOCA

"Conal, what do you want?" Alma spat, her eyes flashing with pure disgust."I just want to talk to you for a second.""I have nothing to say to you. Get lost!"Alma’s face hardened as she decisively stepped to the side, intending to brush past him. But before she could take half a step, Conal lunged forward. He spread his arms wide, blocking her like a solid wall and forcing her back against the tempered glass railing. His brazen face loomed so close that Alma instinctively tightened her grip on her evening clutch, every nerve on high alert.Looking at the woman he had once discarded—now breathtakingly gorgeous and elegant under the ambient lights spilling from the ballroom—a wave of bitter jealousy clawed at Conal's chest. Forcing a fake, caring expression, he softened his voice."Have you been doing well lately? That Aiden guy... how is he treating you?""As you can see," Alma replied clippedly. She coldly turned her face away, gazing out at the night sky and treating him like thin