جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

Nova-I sat at my desk, staring blankly at the screen.The code in front of me blurred, morphing into nothing but meaningless symbols. Every time I forced myself to focus, my mind snapped back to last night—playing it over and over again like a loop I couldn’t shut off.My parents had sold me.Not metaphorically. Not emotionally.Literally.Sold me into the Lottery system…with the help of my now ex-fiancé.“Ummm…earth to Nova…you here today?”A hand waved inches from my face.I blinked and looked up, forcing a small smile as Janet came into focus.“Yeah,” I said, voice slightly hoarse. “I’m here.”She frowned, clearly not convinced. “You sure? You look like you haven’t slept…or like you want to commit a felony.”A soft breath escaped me—almost a laugh. Almost.“If you only knew,” I muttered.“What was that?”“Nothing.” I shook my head. “Just…rough night.”Rough night.That was one way to put it.After I got home, Ethan had blown up my phone. Call after call. Message after message. Apo

Nicolai-Three days before…After that… interesting encounter with Nova Pierce, I had Aaron find out everything he could about her.If I was going to work with her on the nano-technology project, I needed to know exactly what kind of person she was. I wasn’t about to enter into a business arrangement blind—especially not with someone tied to something this important.Still…No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get her eyes out of my mind.Even with the clear signs of tears threatening to break through… I had never seen eyes quite like hers.Defiant, yet vulnerable. Cold, yet inviting.As if they held every answer—and every question—at the same time.…Interesting.—I was just wrapping up a Zoom meeting with one of my overseas investors when Aaron stepped into my office.“I look forward to the development, Nicolai.”“Absolutely,” I replied smoothly. “I’ll keep you updated on the progress.”“Excellent! Give my regards to your parents. We’ll speak soon.”“Of course.”I ended the call

Nova-I sat quietly in the SUV, staring out the window as we waited for Nicolai.What was taking him so long? My fingers hovered near my mouth, nails already worn from nervous biting. After everything that had just happened, the silence felt unbearable.I glanced at the rearview mirror. Aaron met my eyes briefly, calm as ever—like nothing back there could possibly go wrong.“Um… Mr. Dean,” I said hesitantly, my voice softer than I intended. “Are you sure Mr. Moreau is alright?”Aaron’s lips lifted into an easy smile as he caught my reflection.“He’s fine. Just… clarifying a few things with your family. For future reference.”Clarifying?My brows furrowed. What exactly needed clarifying? And for what future—The car door suddenly opened. My thoughts vanished. My heart jumped as Nicolai slid into the backseat beside me. The space shrank instantly, his presence filling it completely. My breath caught.He was too close.The faint scent of his cologne wrapped around me—rich, clean, and unm

Nova-I stared at Nicolai, his question lingering heavily in the air between us.Slowly, my gaze dropped to the contract resting on the table. My fingers trembled slightly as the weight of everything began to settle in.He wants to get married.The realization didn’t quite feel real.I set my fork down, suddenly no longer hungry.“May I?” I asked quietly, reaching for the contract.His eyes remained steady—locked onto me with unnerving precision.“Please,” he said. “And if you need clarification on anything, Aaron will explain it in detail.”I glanced at the man beside him.“He’s also my attorney,” Nicolai added.I nodded once and pulled the contract closer. The bold words at the top made my breath catch instantly:Marital Agreement ContractParties: Nicolai Moreau & Nova PierceMy pulse quickened. I forced myself to keep reading.Most of it was exactly what I expected from someone like him—an elite billionaire. Terms of discretion. Conduct expectations. Infidelity clauses. Clean. Cal

Nova-That Saturday, as promised, Nicolai took me shopping.Though calling it shopping felt like an understatement. We hadn’t browsed—we had practically bought out the store.Afterward, we returned to my apartment. And just like that, the illusion shattered.You don’t realize how small your life is until you’ve spent a night in a penthouse that feels like it belongs in another world. Mine suddenly seemed…insignificant. Cramped. Temporary. I lingered outside my door for half a second longer than necessary, suddenly self-conscious.Still, Nicolai stepped up beside me without hesitation.“I’d like to see where you live, Nova.”His voice was smooth, calm—like this meant nothing.Like none of this was strange.I forced a small smile as I unlocked the door. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to the way he said my name. It always sounded deliberate—measured.I had expected things to feel awkward between us after the night before. But Nicolai seemed…unchanged. Composed. Unbothered. Normal…if you