Semua Bab The CEO's Revenge Bride: Bab 1 - Bab 8

The room became so quiet that Ethan could hear the rain striking the windows behind him.He blinked once.Then again.Surely he had misheard."I'm sorry," he said slowly. "Come again?"The attorney looked visibly uncomfortable."Those are the terms established by Mr. Calloway."Several board members suddenly became very interested in studying the tabletop.Ethan laughed.Actually laughed."That's funny."Nobody joined him.The silence that followed was far more alarming than the statement itself.The attorney continued."The beneficiary's spouse must not have existing children. The beneficiary must produce a biological heir within one year. Said heir must be confirmed through medical documentation and genetic verification. The beneficiary must also remain legally married throughout the duration of the one-year period."Each sentence landed harder than the last.When the attorney finally closed the document, the room remained silent.Ethan stared at him."What?"The attorney swallowed.

Interesting. .That suggested someone important.Or someone who thought he was important."What about you?""I work for a hotel company.""Doing what?""Administrative work."There was a brief pause before he responded."You sound smarter than that."Charlotte felt herself smile."You don't even know me.""I know enough."The compliment shouldn't have affected her.Yet somehow it did.Perhaps because it didn't sound rehearsed or flirtatious. It sounded honest.The conversation continued effortlessly after that. Minutes blended together until Charlotte lost track of time entirely. They talked about work, ambitions, travel, and the goals they rarely shared with other people. Before she realized it, she was discussing her dream of one day managing a luxury resort of her own.The man listened.Actually listened.That alone made him different from most people she had met.At one point their hands accidentally brushed across the table. Charlotte immediately pulled back, embarrassed by the c

Charlotte spent the next two days convincing herself that Friday night had been a bizarre accident that would eventually fade into an embarrassing memory.Unfortunately, the universe seemed determined to make that impossible.Every time she entered a room, Ethan was already there. Every time she looked up from her computer, she caught him watching her through the glass walls of his office. He wasn't staring in an inappropriate way, nor was he acting differently enough for anyone else to notice, but Charlotte noticed. She noticed because she spent most of her day trying not to think about him, and failing spectacularly.By Wednesday afternoon, she was reviewing occupancy reports for three properties in California when her desk phone rang."Charlotte speaking.""Ethan would like to see you in his office."She closed her eyes.Of course he would."Thank you."The call ended.Charlotte stared at the receiver for several seconds before standing. She smoothed the front of her navy blouse an

The ink on the first draft of the prenuptial agreement was barely dry when Charlotte found herself sitting in the quiet darkness of Ethan’s office after hours. The rest of the forty-eight floor was entirely empty, the glowing lights of the Manhattan skyline casting long, geometric shadows across the mahogany desk that separated them."There is one more condition," Ethan said. He leaned forward, cutting through the dim warmth of the single desk lamp. His blue eyes were fixed on her, completely stripped of their usual corporate armor, revealing a cold, calculated intensity. "And this one isn't for the lawyers to draft. This is a pact between the two of us."Charlotte paused, her pen hovering just a fraction of an inch above the signature line. The heavy silence of the office made her acutely aware of her own breathing. "What kind of condition?""Nobody can ever know about this contract," Ethan said, his voice dropping to a low, commanding whisper that sent a chill straight down her spin