All Chapters of Contracts of Desire: The Billionaire Romance Collection: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Nicolai-The moment Claudia said his name, my hand instinctively curled into a fist.Castillo.Again.I wasn't a man who believed in coincidences. Not when it came to people. Not when it came to motives.This was the third time Gabriel Castillo had appeared in less than two months.The Gala.The wedding.Now this.Three appearances. Three opportunities. At this point, I was beyond convinced it was intentional. I watched from across the conference room as he greeted executives, shook hands, and exchanged polished smiles with members of my staff.Every movement was calculated. Every gesture precise. The perfect elite doctor. The perfect son. The perfect gentleman. And somehow, that made me trust him even less.Rosewood.The realization clicked into place almost instantly. Rosewood wasn't just the hospital. It was his mother's maiden name. The hospital belonged to his family.Which meant Rosewood Medical Center volunteering for the trials wasn't a coincidence either. Gabriel had arranged

Nova-“So…are you ever going to tell me where we’re going?”I lowered my book and looked across the private jet at my husband.“No.”Nicolai stared at me as my lips curled.“You know,” he said as he inched closer towards my face. “I don’t think I’ve ever had someone tell me no before.”My smile grew.“Oh, I know.”And then…he did the cutest pout. It almost made me cave.“It’s my birthday.”“Exactly. Which means you’re supposed to sit there, look handsome, and let your wife spoil you.”One dark brow rose.“Well…that too will be a first.”“What will be another first?”“Being spoiled by someone other than my family.”My breath hitched as my heart beat. My husband no idea…I planned on spoiling him for the rest of my life.Over the past few months, the nano project had consumed nearly every waking moment of our lives. I spent twelve, sometimes fourteen hours at the new facility while Nicolai bounced between OmniCore, investors, hospital partners, and project development meetings.Neither o

Rosewood Medical CenterThe operating room was silent except for the steady rhythm of the monitors.Behind the observation glass, Nova stood beside Claudia and the Nano development team, her attention fixed on the patient below.Months.Months of late nights, failed simulations, recalibrations, rewritten software, toxicity studies, tissue mapping, and enough data to fill an entire server.Today, it all came down to one procedure. A thirty-six-year-old woman. One benign cyst buried inside her upper arm. And the first Nano-operated surgery in history.“Vitals stable,” a nurse announced.Gabriel Castillo stood at the operating table.“Begin Nano administration.”Nova stopped breathing. The suspension entered the patient's bloodstream. Five seconds. Ten. Twenty.Then…TARGET DETECTED.A three-dimensional image appeared across the monitors. Healthy tissue illuminated blue. The cyst glowed brilliant gold. Claudia grabbed Nova's hand.“It found it.”Nova's eyes filled.“It found it.”Below t

Nova-I stared at Ethan Adams through the glass wall of the conference room and wondered when exactly he'd become a stranger.Maybe that wasn't fair. Strangers didn't come with memories. Strangers didn't carry pieces of your childhood inside them. And Ethan had far too many of mine.“Ms. Moreau?” I glanced toward Angela, one of the executive assistants. “Mr. Adams is here for his two o'clock meeting.”“I know.”She hesitated.“Would you like me to stay nearby?”A laugh almost escaped me. Apparently, marrying Nicolai had made half of OmniCore believe I required armed protection whenever a Pierce—or Pierce-adjacent person—walked into the building.“No. I'm fine.”“Alright.”She disappeared. I exhaled before entering the conference room.Nicolai was in Clarton City with Aaron reviewing sites for OmniCore's facility expansion, which was probably the only reason Ethan had chosen today to request this meeting.Coward. Some things really didn't change. Ethan stood when I entered.“Nova.”“Mr

Nova—If someone had told me six months ago that I would willingly attend my sister’s wedding to my ex-fiancé, I probably would have laughed in their face.Actually, no...I probably would have cried. Then laughed. Then cried again. Yet, as Nicolai and I stepped into the grand wedding hall, his hand resting securely against the curve of my waist, I felt…nothing.Well, not nothing.The ballroom was beautiful. White roses cascaded from towering arrangements. Gold ribbons draped elegantly over the chairs, crystal chandeliers shimmered overhead, and a massive floral arch framed the altar.My mother had clearly spared no expense. Of course she hadn’t. This was Tanya’s wedding. Her perfect daughter marrying the man who had once promised to marry me. I glanced around slowly and realized I felt no anger. No resentment…and most of all, no ache.A smile slowly spread across my face. Holy shit...I really didn’t care anymore. Nicolai’s fingers tightened around my waist. I looked up. His eyes were