Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 71 - Chapitre 80

Knox stood motionless for several long seconds, his eyes locked on Kendra’s face as if searching for something he already knew he would not find. The silence between them stretched painfully, broken only by the soft rustle of leaves as an evening breeze moved through the garden. Somewhere in the distance a night bird called once and fell quiet again.At last he gave a slow nod.“If that’s your way of telling me you aren’t ready,” he said quietly, a faint smile forcing its way onto his lips, “then I’ll gladly wait for you.”Kendra heard the disappointment threaded through every word. He took a single step backward, putting a careful distance between them, as though the space itself might protect her from the weight of what he felt.Her heart clenched.“Don’t wait for me,” she said almost at once, her voice trembling. “And don’t love me because—”“Save it.” He cut her off softly, lifting one hand before she could finish. A sad smile lingered on his face, but it never reached his eyes.

"What have I done to myself?" Richard’s voice cracked in the dim silence of the closet. He stood there, staring at the empty space where his world had just shattered. The closet door hung open like a wound. He stepped out slowly, shoulders slumped, the weight of betrayal pressing down on his chest until every breath felt like fire.No sign of Freya. Her perfume lingering faintly in the air like a ghost that refused to leave. He clenched his fist so tightly that his nails dug crescents into his palm. The sting was nothing compared to the burn in his heart. How could she? Freya was the woman he had lifted from nothing, the one he believed would never betray him. She had been his safe place, his constant. Now that illusion lay in pieces at his feet.He pulled out his phone with shaking hands and dialed a number. The line clicked after one ring.“I want everything about Freya,” he said, voice low and rough. “Where she goes, who she’s seeing, every single detail. Don’t miss anything.”

Then she softened her voice. “Let’s just stop talking about them. I’m feeling really sleepy.”Emily hesitated at first, then shifted on the bed, making no move to leave yet. “Before I go...Can we talk about the contract a little more? I keep thinking about it. About what it means. About whether I’m doing the right thing.” Kendra’s heartbeat jumped. She forced herself to meet Emily’s eyes. “Of course. Tell me.” Emily pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “Knox’s family was very clear when we signed the papers. One year. No emotional expectations. Separate rooms if we want them. Public appearances together when needed…family dinners, business events, the occasional photo so people believe it’s real. In exchange, I get the funding for the surgical program I want to start, and he gets…whatever it is he needs from looking married. Stability, I guess. Or a way to keep certain people away.” She paused, searching Kendra’s face. “He told me he doesn’t expect love. That if

(ONE WEEK LATER)Kendra was still deep in sleep when her phone erupted into a shrill ring beside her pillow. The sound cut through the fog of her dreams like a knife, dragging her unwillingly back into the waking world. She groaned, the noise scraping against her already frayed nerves, and rubbed both hands over her face before forcing herself upright. Her head throbbed, a dull reminder of the restless night she had endured.“Who’s calling me at this hour?” she mumbled, voice rough with sleep. Squinting against the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, she reached for the phone and checked the screen.It was Elena calling.Kendra exhaled a long, weary sigh and answered.“Good morning, ma’am,” Elena’s voice came through, crisp and professional as always.“Morning,” Kendra replied, already swinging her legs over the side of the bed.“Miss Reens, we have an urgent businessman with us and he’d like to meet you.”Kendra’s fingers tightened around the phone. “Tell him I’m n

She broke the kiss slowly, almost reluctantly, the soft sound of their mouths parting hanging in the quiet of the car. Her hand settled against his chest, fingers splayed over the firm plane of muscle beneath his shirt, and she shook her head once, firm and final.“It’s not too late now, Kendra,” Knox said, his voice low and urgent. His hand still hovered near her face, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away completely. “I can call off the engagement, please just admit.”“No.” The word came out quieter than she intended, but it carried the weight of absolute refusal. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt. We can’t work out. I…I won’t be able to love you now.” She swallowed, forcing her gaze to stay locked on his even though every instinct screamed at her to look away. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”Knox’s jaw flexed. He searched her face as if looking for a crack in the wall she had just rebuilt between them. “You’re the one clearly making this hard for yourself. Wh