جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

“Honestly, when you’re doing it with a guy for the first time… it literally feels like dying, coming back to life, and then dying all over again.”“It was just so embarrassing. Neither of us even dared to move!”On the night of their high school graduation party, Chloe Bishop overheard a group of female classmates huddled in a corner, whispering about losing their virginity. Her face instantly flushed bright red. Her fingers curled tightly around a hotel key card.Her boyfriend had given her the card through her younger half-sister.She wasn't naive. She knew exactly what it meant.That night, to build up her courage, she drank until she was thoroughly tipsy before stumbling up to Room 909 and pushing the door open.The moment she stepped inside, a large, warm hand clamped around her wrist and yanked her onto the king-sized bed.She remembered how impossibly broad and powerful that hand had felt—how effortlessly a single palm pinned both of her wrists above her head. It was completely

Knowing it had to be from Sara, Chloe Bishop turned down the volume, lowered her head, and held the phone close to her ear to listen discreetly.“Mommy, we already ate lunch! Brother made it! He cooked grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, mac and cheese with bacon bites, or scrambled eggs and buttered toast … burp~”She let out an adorable little hiccup before continuing, “Mommy, what did you eat for lunch?”Chloe obviously wasn't going to tell them she hadn't eaten yet, so she typed back: [The cafeteria here serves amazing food, and Mommy ate a ton! Don't worry about me.]“You gotta work hard and keep going, Mommy! Brother, don't you want to cheer Mommy on?”Adrian’s cold, aloof voice sounded from the other end. “No way.” So childish.Chloe could practically picture the disdainful scowl on her son's face as he uttered that cold “No way.”“Fine, then Sara will cheer Mommy up! Energy beam attack—pew, pew, pew! Did you get it, Mommy?”Chloe’s heart melted into absolute mush. “Mm-

For a split second, the air between them vanished.With every breath Chloe Bishop drew, her senses were filled with the man’s overwhelming, dominant presence.Xavier Grayson, meanwhile, caught a faint, delicate fragrance drifting off her skin.It was exquisite and light—no heavy perfume, no cheap artificial sweetness.For the first time in his entire life, the close proximity of a woman didn't trigger an immediate reaction of disgust.Why... why did this scent feel so strangely familiar, as if he had breathed it in somewhere before...?Both of their bodies froze instantly.Chloe Bishop was the first to snap back to her senses. She scrambled back a full step in panic."President Grayson, I am so sorry..."As she pulled away, that subtle, delicate fragrance vanished into thin air.The executives still lingering in their seats sucked in a sharp, collective breath at the sight.Even Ubba stared in disbelief. In all his years working for the boss, he had never seen Xavier Grayson get this

After gathering her belongings, Chloe Bishop left the office building and pulled out her phone to call her best friend, Ruby.Ruby was a close friend she had met while studying abroad. She knew Chloe's story inside and out, and when Chloe decided to return home with the twins, Ruby was the one who helped her secure an apartment.She was also deeply fond of the two little ones and had a sweet, affectionate bond with them.“Well, look who finally remembered to call me! Did the interview go well?”“It was successful, but—” Before Chloe could finish, Ruby cut her off excitedly.“A success is a success! Remember our deal—you have to treat me to a feast once you land the job.”“Deal. I’m off work now and heading to the supermarket to grab some ingredients. I’ll make hot pot for us at home.”“Sweet! See you in a bit!”Hanging up, Chloe walked over to the nearest subway station, rode the train home, and made her way up to the apartment.The moment she unlocked the door, a patter of tiny foots

“You’re turning twenty-eight, and you don’t even have a girlfriend on the horizon! How can we not worry?!”“Son, be honest with your mother… you don’t happen to… like men, do you?”Lita paused, swallowing hard before adding heroic resolve to her voice.“Because if you do… your father and I can force ourselves to accept it!”Xavier Grayson, accused of hiding his sexual orientation by his own parents:“...”“I do not like men.”Sitting across the table, Samuel Grayson grinned like a hyena, taking absolute delight in his older brother’s forced marriage interrogation.Catching the smug smirk on her younger son's face, Lita picked up a pristine silver spoon from the table and delivered a swift whack right to the top of his head.“Ow!” Samuel Grayson yelped, rubbing his head in betrayal. “Mom, what did you hit me for?!”“You think it’s funny watching your brother suffer? Take a good look at yourself! You’re twenty-five years old—isn’t it high time you settled down and found a serious girlfr