Alle Kapitel von Owned by the Man I Rejected : Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 29

Monday morning arrived with the kind of chaos Wolfe Global seemed to specialize in.The investor presentation was only days away.Every department was under pressure.Emails arrived faster than anyone could answer them.Meetings appeared on calendars without warning.And somewhere in the middle of it all, Elena Hart was trying to survive.By nine-thirty, she had already handled three scheduling conflicts, corrected two reporting errors, and rescued a presentation from what Maya described as “a completely preventable disaster.”“You deserve a raise.”Elena glanced up.“You say that every week.”“Because every week I become more correct.”Elena laughed and returned to her work.Across the office, Ethan watched the exchange with a smile.It was strange.A few months ago, Elena had simply been another employee.Now he found himself looking for her without meaning to.Not because she demanded attention.Because she never did.She worked.Helped people.Went home.Then came back and did it

Three days before the investor presentation, Wolfe Global seemed to inhale all at once.The lobby was really crowded than Elena had ever seen before. Visitors checking in at the reception, department heads rushing to meetings, and assistants crossed the marble floor with tablets balanced against stacks of documents. Even the café downstairs had a line of people waiting all to the elevators.Pressure had settled over the building.Not the chaotic kind.The disciplined kind.The sort that came before something important.Elena fixed the strap of her laptop bag as she stepped out of the elevator onto the executive floor.“Morning.”Maya appeared beside her carrying two coffees.“I bought you one before you could pretend breakfast isn’t necessary.”Elena accepted the cup with a grateful smile.“One day you’ll stop treating me like a project.”“I sincerely hope not.”They reached Elena’s desk together.Maya lowered her voice.“Richard Wolfe is sitting in on today’s rehearsal.”Elena paused

By Thursday morning, Wolfe Global had settled into a rhythm that only appeared calm from the outside.Inside, every department was racing against Friday’s investor presentation.Phones rang almost constantly.Meeting rooms remained occupied.Assistants hurried through the executive floor with folders tucked beneath their arms, while managers revised reports for what felt like the tenth time.No one wanted to be responsible for a mistake.Especially with Richard Wolfe personally overseeing preparations.Elena had barely finished her first cup of coffee when Maya appeared beside her desk.“You’ve been summoned.”Elena looked up from her laptop.“That sounds ominous.”“It probably is.”Maya lowered her voice.“Lawson Capital just confirmed they’ll be here in an hour.”“I thought tomorrow was the presentation.”“It is.”“This is something else.”Before Elena could ask another question, the phone on her desk rang.“Miss Hart,” the receptionist said. “Mr. Wolfe would like you in the executi

The apartment door had barely closed behind Elena when Liam folded his arms dramatically.“You’re late.”She slipped off her damp shoes and smiled.“I noticed.”“You said you’d be home before nine.”“I also said New York traffic has never listened to me.”“That excuse is getting old.”“So am I.”“You’re twenty-four.”“I’ve had a long day.”He reached for the grocery bag she carried without being asked.“Mom kept looking out the window.”The smile on Elena’s face softened.“I told her not to wait.”“She didn’t listen.”“She never does.”Warmth greeted her before she reached the living room.Not just from the heater.From home.The apartment wasn’t large. The furniture had been in the family for years, and the wallpaper near the peeling dining area. Their dining table had room for four, though only three chairs matched.None of it embarrassed Elena.It was home.Her mother looked up from the couch, relief replacing the worry she’d tried so hard to hide.“You’re finally here.”“I am.”“Y