Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

"Happy anniversary, babe."I smiled as I hit send and dropped my phone back into my purse. The elevator rose smoothly toward the eighteenth floor. I caught my reflection in the mirrored walls. My dark hair fell in soft waves over my shoulders. The pale blue dress Mia helped me pick hugged my curves just right.That afternoon, she’d spent almost an hour talking me into dressing up. "Trust me," she’d said, grinning. "A man doesn’t book a fancy hotel suite for your anniversary unless he’s got something huge planned."Something huge. Just thinking about it warmed my cheeks.For weeks, Daniel had been off. Distracted on calls. Secretive about his plans. Always saying work was killing him. Normally, it would’ve pissed me off. But tonight it all clicked. He’d been planning a surprise.At least that’s what I told myself.I held the bouquet of roses tighter against my chest and smiled. Four years. Four years of love, patience, and believing we had a real future. Daniel wasn’t rich. He wasn’t s

The words hung between us like a promise and a dare. “Come with me.”I didn’t even think. I just nodded, my lips still tingling from his kiss. Adrian threw some cash on the bar, grabbed my hand with a firm grip, and led me out into the cool night air. His touch was possessive, like he was claiming me already. My heart hammered against my ribs as we stepped outside. The sleek black car was waiting at the curb, engine purring softly. The driver didn’t say a word as we slid into the back seat.Adrian pulled me onto his lap almost immediately. His mouth crashed into mine again, hotter and deeper than the kiss at the bar. His hands roamed down my back, gripping my hips as I straddled him. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows while I rocked against the hard bulge beneath me. Every brush of his fingers sent sparks through my body. I had never felt this bold, this reckless. But tonight, after everything, I didn’t want to hold back.“God, Aria,” he murmured against my lips, his voic

Adrian Blackwood stared at me like he had seen a ghost. The crowded charity hall suddenly felt too loud, too bright, and way too small. My arms tightened instinctively around Ethan as our eyes locked across the room. My son babbled happily, pointing at the sparkling chandeliers overhead, completely unaware that his mother’s entire world was tilting on its axis once again.I wanted to run. To turn around, disappear into the sea of expensive suits and glittering dresses, and pretend this moment wasn’t happening. But my feet stayed rooted to the polished marble floor. Two years of carefully built walls suddenly felt paper-thin, like they could shatter with one wrong breath.Adrian excused himself from the group of important-looking businessmen surrounding him. He started walking toward me with purposeful strides. Every step made my heart pound harder in my chest. He looked even more commanding than I remembered — taller, broader in the shoulders, dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit

The spoon slipped from my fingers and clattered loudly onto the kitchen floor, sending scrambled eggs everywhere. Ethan looked up at me with those big, innocent eyes, his little face scrunching with worry. “Mommy? Okay?”I forced a smile and bent down to pick him up, holding him close so he wouldn’t see how badly my hands were shaking. “Mommy’s fine, baby. Just being clumsy today.”But I wasn’t fine. The investigator’s words kept echoing in my head like a bad dream. Marcus Bennett was deeply involved with Sterling Corp… the company responsible for destroying the Blackwood family.I didn’t even know what Sterling Corp was. My father had never spoken much about his old job. But the way that man said it made my stomach twist.After putting Ethan down for his nap, I locked myself in the bathroom and dialed my father’s number with trembling fingers. He picked up on the third ring.“Hey, sweetheart. Everything alright?”At first, I tried to sound casual. But when I mentioned Adrian Blackwoo

Adrian couldn’t stop thinking about her.Three days after the confrontation in his office, he sat at his desk staring at the same report for the tenth time. Aria’s face when he accused her family kept flashing in his mind. The hurt in her eyes. The way she said she didn’t know anything. It looked real.He told himself it was just an act. Bennetts were good at acting.Still, he picked up his phone and almost called her. He stopped himself and tossed the phone aside.“Richard,” he said through the intercom. “I want a deeper investigation into Isabella Bennett. Everything. And keep digging on Aria too. Quietly.”“Yes, sir.”Aria was barely holding it together.Every time her phone buzzed, she hoped it was Adrian. Every time it wasn’t, the disappointment grew. She had gone to his office to demand answers and left feeling more confused than ever. The anger in his voice still echoed in her head.That afternoon, she took Ethan to the small park near their apartment. The sun was warm, and Eth