Todos os capítulos de CONTRACTED BY MY ONE NIGHT BILLIONAIRE: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 6

The kitchen light flickered like it was mocking her.Evelyn Hart stood frozen in the doorway of the tiny apartment, her backpack still hanging from one shoulder, the smell of burnt toast and cheap disinfectant clinging to the air. Her father’s bedroom door was half-open. She could hear the soft, uneven wheeze of the oxygen machine. Twenty years old and already bone-tired, she had just finished a double shift at the diner and three hours of lab practicals. All she wanted was five minutes of quiet.Miranda didn’t give her even one.“You’re late.” The words cut through the small space like a blade. Her stepmother sat at the cracked Formica table, cigarette smoke curling around her perfectly painted nails. “The hospital called again. Final notice. If the remaining balance isn’t paid by Friday, they take Richard off the surgical list. Permanently.”Evelyn’s fingers tightened around the strap of her backpack until her knuckles went white. “I already transferred everything I had last week.”

The hospital administrator’s voice was polite and final.“Miss Hart, the funds you transferred never cleared into the surgical account. We’ve received no payment matching that amount. I’m afraid the procedure remains on hold.”Evelyn stood outside the billing office, phone pressed to her ear, the fluorescent lights of the corridor making everything feel unreal. “I sent it two days ago. Sixty thousand. I have the confirmation number.”“I’m looking at the account right now. Nothing has posted. You may want to check with your bank.”The line went dead.She lowered the phone slowly. Around her, nurses moved with quiet efficiency, monitors beeped, life continued for other people’s families. Her own felt like it was being dismantled one quiet theft at a time.By the time she reached the apartment, Miranda was waiting with a glass of wine and a smile that never reached her eyes.“Back so soon?” Miranda swirled the liquid. “Did they schedule the surgery?”Evelyn dropped her backpack on the fl

The first public event came three nights later.Evelyn stood in front of the full-length mirror in the Upper East Side apartment, staring at a woman she barely recognized. The gown was deep emerald silk, simple but devastating, the kind of dress that whispered money without screaming it. Soft waves fell over one shoulder. Makeup was minimal, just enough to make her hazel eyes look larger, her mouth a soft rose.She felt like a fraud.The intercom buzzed. Damian’s voice came through, low and steady. “I’m downstairs.”In the private elevator, he waited in a black tuxedo that made him look carved from shadow and control. Ice-blue eyes swept over her once, slow and thorough.“You look beautiful,” he said.The words were quiet. Dangerous.“I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s life,” she answered.His mouth curved, almost a smile. “Tonight you wear it with me.”The charity gala was held in a ballroom that glittered like it had been dipped in gold. Cameras flashed the moment they stepped o