All Chapters of BOUND WITH THE RUTHLESS CEO: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The work flow of Grey Empire was starting to feel familiar. I had been working in my office for three weeks now, and the routine had settled into something almost comfortable. Morning briefings, afternoon meetings, endless streams of emails and documents and strategy reports. I had learned the building's layout, memorized the names of key executives, and started to understand the amount of alliances and rivalries that kept the company running.But I wasn't just learning the business, I was studying it. Every interaction told me something. Who spoke first in meetings, who deferred to whom. Who exchanged knowing glances when certain topics came up and who avoided each other entirely. I noted all of it and filed it for later.What surprised me was how quickly people had started seeking my opinion. “Mrs. Grey, what do you think of this proposal?”“Mrs. Grey, could you look over these numbers?”“Do you have a moment to review the marketing strategy?”At first, I assumed they were just be

It has be three days…….three damn days since that file vanished, and honestly nothing had changed, except everything had.Van and I had declared war without saying another word about it. There was no more shouting matches, no more sarcastic jabs, and no more lectures about following protocol like I was some intern who'd spilled coffee on his precious contracts.Now we existed like two strangers forced to share a hospital room. We spoke when absolutely necessary and outside that it was dead silence.And you know what? Peace and silence actually looked good on us. At least when he kept his mouth shut, my blood pressure didn't spike every five minutes.I stepped out of the elevator with a cup of coffee balanced in one hand and my tablet tucked under the other arm.“Morning, Mrs. Grey.” People as I entered the executive corridor. I smiled politely, offering small nods as I passed. Then I walked into my office, and instantly stopped dead. The file was back……the damn missing confidential fi

ZARA'S POVA soft knock pulled me from sleep. I frowned and dragged the duvet over my head.“Five more minutes…” I mumbled.The knock came again. “Mrs. Grey?” Marisa's voice drifted through the door. “Are you awake?”I groaned into the pillow. “Unfortunately.” For a few blissful seconds, everything went quiet.Then… “Mrs. Grey,” Marisa called again, amusement clear in her voice. “I'm coming in.”My eyes snapped open. “Wait!!!!!” I threw the duvet aside and scrambled out of bed, nearly tangling my feet in the sheets. I ran both hands through my hair, smoothed the wrinkles from my nightdress and hurried to the door.“I'm up... I'm up.” I unlocked it just as Marisa pushed it open.“Good morning, Mrs. Grey.”“Morning, Risa.” She stepped inside, but before I could say another word, my eyes drifted past her and there were people standing in the hallway.A lot of them, some carried garment bags. Others wheeled large makeup cases behind them. One man held three shoe boxes stacked so high I wo

ZARA'S POVThe ballroom doors closed quietly behind me, shutting out the noise from the red carpet. For a brief moment, I simply stood there.The Grey Foundation Charity Gala was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, washing the marble floor in warm golden light. An orchestra played from a raised platform at the far end of the hall, the soft melody weaving effortlessly through the conversations around me. Waiters in white gloves moved gracefully between guests, balancing silver trays filled with champagne and expensive hors d'oeuvres as though they weighed nothing.Everywhere I looked, there were familiar faces. Politicians whose speeches dominated the evening news. Business moguls who owned companies worth billions. Movie stars I'd only ever seen on television.Women dressed in gowns that looked as though they belonged in museums rather than wardrobes. For the first time since stepping out of the Rolls-Royce...I felt completely out of place,

ZARA'S POVFelicia reached them first. “Mr. De Luca.” She called warmly, extending her hand. “What an honor Sire. I never imagined I'd see you at the Grey Foundation Gala.”Alessandro accepted the greeting with a polite nod. Celeste's eyes landed briefly on Felicia before she offered a courteous smile. Neither of them said a word.“I have to say,” Felicia continued completely unfazed by their silence. “Your presence has become the highlight of tonight.”Around them, guests slowly gathered, careful not to appear obvious. Nobody wanted to miss whatever was happening.“I thought retirement suited you too well for events like this,” one businessman joked.A faint smile crossed Alessandro's face. “So did I.”Soft laughter rippled through the crowd. Felicia waited patiently until the laughter died away before speaking again.“Mr. De Luca…” She intentionally made her voice slightly low. “I'm afraid something rather unpleasant has happened tonight.”“Oh?” Alessandro regarded her quietly, whil