All Chapters of THE BILLIONAIRE'S FORGOTTEN BRIDE: Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

BLACKWOOD GROUP; 9 AM Adrian had barely settled into his office when Ethan knocked on his door."Come in." He stepped in holding a white envelope.."A message from Aurelia capital sir." Adrian folded his brows, taking the envelope. He opened it and went through what was written. Mrs. Vale's office has confirmed that she will be visiting Blackwood Group next week. She would like to discuss the luxury development project with Mr Blackwood personally. The meeting will be one-on-one, with the possibility of finalizing the preliminary terms. Adrian leaned back in his chair. So she would be coming here again. For some reason, the thought made him uneasy. He had expected the negotiations to remain between their respective teams. There was no reason for the two CEOs to personally handle every detail. Yet something about the upcoming meeting bothered him. Perhaps it was because Seraphina Vale had been occupying his thoughts far more than she should."Schedule

AURELIA CAPITAL; 10:15 A.M. Seraphina stood in front of the mirror in her office, adjusting the sleeve of her black tailored suit. Everything about her appearance was deliberate. Elegant, professional, untouchable. Behind her, Vivienne sat on the edge of the sofa, watching her with narrowed eyes."You're awfully quiet." Seraphina glanced at her reflection."I'm concentrating.""On the meeting?""On everything." Vivienne stood and walked toward her."You're meeting Adrian Blackwood." She paused."Again." Seraphina turned. Vivienne gave her a knowing look."You know what I mean." Seraphina picked up her handbag."I've spent twelve years preparing for this.""And that's exactly why I'm worried.""Why?""Because you've prepared for revenge. You haven't prepared for what happens if seeing him again and again brings back things you thought you'd buried.""It won't." Seraphina's expression hardened. Vivienne didn't argue. Instead, she picked up the folder from

BLACKWOOD MANOR; 7 PM Adrian stepped into the house. It had been a long day. Seraphina Vale had occupied his thoughts more than she should have. Adrian frowned at himself. It was a business meeting. Nothing more."You're late." Adrian looked up. Margaret sat comfortably on one of the sofas in the sitting room, a cup of tea resting in her hand. She had left work earlier than Adrian. Roxanne sat nearby with her laptop open, her attention divided between the screen and whatever conversation she had been having with Margaret. Roxanne looked up first. A smile touched her lips."You're home." Adrian's expression softened slightly. He walked further into the room, loosening his tie. Margaret raised an eyebrow."I assume the meeting is going well.""It is.""With Mrs. Vale, I assume." Adrian paused for only a second before looking at his mother."Yes." Roxanne closed her laptop halfway."How did it go?" Adrian walked toward the sofa and sat down o

*****THE NEXT MORNING The morning began with another meeting. Seraphina sat at the head of the long conference table, laptop open, posture perfect, expression unreadable. Across from her, Adrian sat in silence, dark eyes fixed on the screen as the lead engineer stood beside the latest geological reports. The atmosphere was noticeably more serious than the previous day."We completed additional testing early this morning," the engineer said carefully. Seraphina's gaze sharpened. "And?" He hesitated. "The situation is more complicated than we initially believed." Adrian leaned forward. "How complicated?""The unstable soil extends farther beneath the property than the original survey indicated. We cannot simply reinforce the existing foundation." Seraphina's brows drew together. "Then what do you recommend?""Additional geological testing. A complete foundation assessment. Only then can construction proceed safely.""How long?" The engineer's pause was answer en