جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 50

*Grace’s POV*I stood in the doorway of the West Wing guest bedroom, completely speechless. It had been less than twenty-four hours since our fathers had completely destroyed the plumbing. Yet, the room looked absolutely pristine. The miniature lake in the hallway was entirely gone. The ruined hardwood floors had been aggressively ripped up and flawlessly replaced with polished mahogany. The antique Persian rugs were dry, vacuumed, and perfectly centered. There was not a single, lingering trace of water damage anywhere to be found. Alexander’s operatives had fixed my bedroom in record time. They operated with a ruthless, terrifying efficiency that extended even to interior repairs. Which meant I was no longer forced to sleep in the Master Suite. I retreated into my room and shut the heavy door behind me. I leaned my back against the wood, letting out a long, shaky exhale. Mia’s chaotic advice echoed loudly in my brain, bouncing around my skull. *Establish dominance. Take his sh

*Grace’s POV* I woke up before the sun even crested the horizon. The heavy, suffocating memory of the walk-in closet instantly crushed my chest. I could still feel the phantom heat of Alexander’s calloused hands wrapping around my bare thighs. I could still hear his dark, breathless warning echoing in my ears. *“Seduction will not make me forget the deadline, Grace.”* I rolled over and buried my face in my pillow. Today was day three. I had exactly five days left to tell my husband hat his own grandmother was demanding I give him a child. I felt physically sick. But the knot twisting in my stomach wasn't just about the terrifying ultimatum. Today was my twenty-third birthday. It was a day that always carried a heavy, hollow ache in my chest. My mother had loved birthdays. She used to bake me a vanilla cake from scratch

*Grace’s POV*I stood in the hallway, clutching the box of study notes Daniel had given me. My dad was staring out the window, his expression entirely stripped of its usual, warm cheerfulness. He looked incredibly serious. "Dad?" I asked hesitantly, setting the box down on the entryway table. "Is something wrong?"He turned to face me. He looked at the box, then looked at the massive diamond engagement ring resting heavily on my left hand. "I know that boy," my dad said quietly. "Daniel. He used to help you study before the wedding. He seems like a polite, decent young man.""He is," I agreed quickly, eager to dismiss the awkwardness of the encounter. "He just brought me some pediatric notes to help me catch up. It was harmless."My dad let out a long, heavy sigh. He walked over and placed both of his hands gently on my shoulders. "Grace, listen to me," he said, his voice dropping into a solemn, fiercely protective tone. "I know this marriage has been a massive adjustment for you.

*Grace’s POV*The morning after Alexander intercepted the text message, I thought the situation was completely resolved. The General had issued a highly classified military threat. The contact was permanently blocked. I assumed Daniel would simply fade back into normal campus life, thoroughly terrified by the Supreme Commander. I vastly underestimated the sheer, foolish delusion of a twenty-four-year-old boy. It was exactly 1400 hours. Two o'clock in the afternoon. I was sitting in the sunroom, desperately trying to focus on my pediatric internship notes. But my brain kept flashing back to the dark library. I kept seeing the possessive, pitch-black look in Alexander’s eyes when he whispered, *“I protect what is mine.”*Suddenly, the heavy oak doors of the sunroom clicked open. Miller, the Head of Estate Security, stepped inside. He stood at perfect, rigid attention. 

*Grace’s POV* It wasn't a sweet, gentle kiss. It was an absolute explosion. The moment Alexander’s lips crashed down onto mine, every single rational thought in my brain completely vaporized. The sheer, devastating force of the impact knocked the breath entirely out of my lungs. He didn't ask for permission. He didn't hesitate. He consumed me. His large, calloused hands remained firmly bracketed on either side of my jaw, holding my face tilted up to his. His grip was fiercely possessive, anchoring me in place as his mouth moved over mine with a raw, desperate hunger that he had been holding back. I gasped against his lips, utterly shocked by the suddenness of the assault. That tiny, fractured sound was all he needed. Alexander immediately deepened the kiss. His tongue swept into my mouth, claiming every single inch of