Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

Jane rolled her eyes, but her hands instinctively found their way up to his broad shoulders, her fingers lightly massaging the tight muscles at the base of his neck. "You can't fire the entire finance department, William.""Watch me," he rumbled, his lips pressing a lingering, warm kiss to her collarbone through her green blazer."Boundary rule number four," Jane reminded him sternly, though her voice lacked any real bite as a soft shiver ran down her spine. "No using your secretary as a stress-relief pillow during business hours."William pulled back just enough to look at her, his sharp features softening into a full, irresistible, pouty glare. "I am the CEO, Miss Pascual. I am entitled to executive benefits.""That is definitely not in my contract," Jane laughed softly, framing his jaw with her hands.William’s expression slowly shifted, his dark eyes searching hers with a sudden, intense curiosity that made her heart skip a beat. The chaotic distraction of the financial emergency

"I know," Eleanor breathed, pressing a hand to her chest. "He buried his soul when we buried Ellaine. I thought we lost him forever to that icy, unfeeling monster he built to protect himself. But this girl... Miss Jane Pascual...""She thawed him," Sophia whispered, a huge, radiant smile breaking across her face. "The mystery girl in the floral skirt isn't some social climber or a PR stunt. She’s the woman who brought my brother back to life!""We need to know everything about her," Victoria asserted, her mind instantly switching into fiercely protective big-sister mode. "Not to push her away, but to protect them! If the media or the board finds out that the 'Heartless Titan' has a vulnerable, human heart again, they'll target her to get to him.""Exactly my thought," Eleanor agreed, her aristocratic posture straightening as her usual commanding fire returned to her voice. "Sophia, call our family’s senior private investigator. I don't want a hit piece—I want a full, discreet backgr

William blinked, his broad shoulders instantly slumping into an exaggerated, wounded posture. "What did I do?!""What did you do?!" Jane squeaked, standing up to plant her hands on her hips, her cheeks flushing a magnificent, crimson red. "You peeled my shrimp! You traded my cucumbers! And you were playing with my hair in front of your mother! You promised two feet of professional distance!""I was twirling your hair," William argued defensively, stepping into her personal space and reaching out to slide his hands possessively around her waist. "It's soft. I missed you.""No!" Jane grumbled, slapping his wrists as he attempted to lace his fingers with hers. "We are establishing boundaries, Mr. Reynold! No holding hands, no neck kisses, and stop looking at me like you want to drag me into the nearest closet!"William’s sharp jaw relaxed, his bottom lip instantly popping out into his signature, hopelessly dramatic pout. He leaned his forehead down against hers, his raspy voice droppin

By Thursday afternoon, Marie and "Nora"—the fake name Eleanor had offered—had become comfortable bench companions, sharing thermoses of tea while Leo played."He really is a blessing, Nora," Marie murmured softly, watching Leo chase a yellow butterfly through the grass. "My daughter, Jane... she went through so much to bring him into this world."Eleanor’s heart skipped a beat. She adjusted her sunhat, keeping her voice carefully neutral and empathetic. "It must be hard... raised by a single mother. His father isn't in the picture?"Marie let out a long, heavy sigh, her smile fading into a gentle, tragic melancholy. "No. And Jane never speaks of him. Five years ago, Jane was fresh from college, just starting out in the corporate world, working catering events for extra money. She went to this ultra-exclusive masked masquerade gala at a hotel downtown..."Eleanor stiffened, her fingers digging into her coffee cup. The Reynold Foundation Charity Gala of 2021. William had attended it. He

"William is a workaholic idiot who hides behind quarterly ledgers, and Jane has four years of hyper-defensive maternal paranoia built up. They need a pressure cooker.""A beautiful, romantic, inescapable pressure cooker," Sophia purred, her eyes flashing with pure mischief as she whipped out her tablet and pulled up the property layout for the Reynold Private Cove & Beach Resort in the Hamptons.The two sisters huddled over the screen, drafting a scheme so ruthlessly detailed it would have made a Wall Street takeover firm blush."Step one: The Corporate Trap," Victoria outlined, tapping a manicured nail against the screen. "Mother calls William tomorrow morning. She demands an 'emergency executive retreat' at the private estate in the Hamptons to review the fall restructuring. Naturally, as CEO, William must attend. And naturally, he cannot function for forty-eight hours without his chief executive assistant.""Step two: The Isolation Protocol," Sophia chimed in, grinning wickedly. "