All Chapters of DOUBLE HEIR ; A LOVE IN DISGUISE : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

VICTORIA'S POV “Be a little more respectful,” I muttered, copying his voice with a sharp edge. “As if that useless woman deserves respect when she cannot even make a simple plate of eggs properly. I huffed, smiling to myself. "Once I become his wife, things will change in this house. I will not tolerate any incompetence.”I sat in my elegant dressing room, the soft afternoon light filtering through the heavy silk curtains. Anger burned hot inside my chest as I stared at my reflection in the large mirror. My perfectly manicured fingers tapped impatiently on the arm of the velvet chair. “How dare Alex defend that old maid right in front of me this morning?” The thought of it made my blood boil.I stood up and paced the room, my robe flowing behind me. I stopped in front of the tall window and looked out over the sprawling estate, the perfect gardens stretched out like a green carpet, the pool sparkled under the sun, and the grand house stood tall and proud. “All of this would soon

ELENA'S POV “Okay, Elena!” I said, taking a deep breath. “Let's do this.”The journey to a different country, a journey that pulled me far away from everything and everyone I had ever known for the last couple of years, felt like the longest, heaviest, most endless day of my entire life as I sat there in the cramped airplane seat, my hands resting gently and protectively on my belly, while the plane finally took off from the sprawling, familiar city I had known and called home for so very long.It all felt like I was running yet again from a long exhausting battle that I knew, with a quiet dread, I couldn't win. It reminded me, with a sudden clarity that made my breath a little shaky, of the time years ago when I had to run away from my home in the dead of night with nothing but the clothes I had on, the time I barely escaped death from the cold, unforgiving hands of my uncles. A night that changed my entire existence.“Let's not think of it! Let's not think of it!” I said, keeping

ELENA'S POV The next morning, sunlight streamed through the small window of my new apartment. I woke up feeling a little sore from the long journey yesterday, but my heart felt lighter than it had in weeks. Today was the first full day in this new town, and I knew I had to start looking for work right away. The money I had saved would not last forever, and I needed to take care of myself and the two little ones growing inside me.I got out of bed slowly, washed my face with cool water, and put on one of my loose, baggy tops that still hid my belly well. Then I made a simple breakfast with the few things I had brought, bread, an apple, and some tea. While I ate, I looked at the newspaper I had picked up on my way from the bus stop yesterday. It was a local paper with pages full of job listings. I spread it out on the small table and started circling lots of job opportunities.There were many options. A café needed a waitress for morning shifts, a small bookstore wanted someone to

ELENA'S POV “Elena?” he called, his blue eyes widening in surprise as he stood in the doorway of the office.I froze for a moment. The same tall, muscular man who had helped me with my suitcase yesterday was now standing right in front of me, and everyone in the office had just called him boss.My cheeks felt warm, but I managed a small smile.“Hi, Ethan,” I replied softly. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”He took a step forward, still looking shocked. “I didn’t expect to see you either. You just arrived in town few days ago. And now you’re here… at my company?”Sarah stood beside me, her eyes still wide. “You two know each other?”I nodded, feeling a little shy with all the eyes in the office turning toward us. “Yes. Ethan helped me with my suitcase some days back. I bumped into him on the street, and he was kind enough to carry it part of the way.”A few people in the office exchanged surprised looks. Someone whispered, “She knows the boss?” The room felt suddenly full of quiet c

ETHAN'S POV“Oh my goodness! Elena!” For half a second, I thought she’d spilled her coffee. My brain tried to make sense of it, but the growing puddle and the sudden tension in her posture told a different story. Shock slammed into me like a freight train, and my face had been a masterpiece of pure panic with my eyes bulging, mouth half-open, eyebrows climbing toward my hairline in total, unfiltered confusion. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks, my mind blanking on every protocol, every emergency drill I’d ever half-paid attention to. “What do I do? Call 911?”The thoughts ricocheted uselessly. I wasn’t a father, I wasn’t even her partner, I was just her boss, suddenly thrust into a situation no corporate handbook covered.Elena stared at me for a beat, then burst out laughing.It started as a surprised chuckle, then grew into genuine, breathless mirth despite the way her hand clutched the edge of the table. “Oh my God, Ethan, your face,” she gasped between laughs, wincin