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Chapter Twenty-Eight
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2025-02-23 18:15:58Weeks later, Noah found himself alone in the boardroom of one of his London hotels.
Lost in his own thoughts as he gazed out the window. Everyone else had already left the room. As he sat there, deep in thought, the door suddenly swung open, and his personal assistant, Jarrod, walked in. Noah remained unaware of Jarrod’s presence until his name was called multiple times. “Noah.” Jarrod said again. Noah swung around to face Jarrod, who had a frown on his face at Noah’s lack of awareness. “What is it?” “Sorry to disturb you. Ryan Hawkins is on line two.” Jarrod told him before backing out of the boardroom. Noah frowned. It was unlike Ryan to chase him down when he was in another country away for work. Reaching across the table, Noah lifted the phone sitting there on the boardroom table. Punching line two to answer the call. Bringing the handset to his ear. “Hi.” “Noah, thanks for taking my call, mate.” Ryan sounded relieved. “I left my mobile with reception. I just wrapped up a meeting. What is it?” “Noah, it’s William Harrington.” Then the line went quiet for a moment before his friend said. “He passed away less than an hour ago.” Noah felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t ended things well with William. Noah had liked the man well enough, but was still angry over the forced marriage to April. Even though he had understood William’s desire to protect his daughter. He just wished his last meeting with William hadn’t been the way it was. He had to tread carefully with April. Now he knew she wasn’t to blame for their marriage years ago. She had been the innocent child he had always thought her to be. “I’ll fly home as soon as I can get a flight.” Noah buzzed to let Jarrod know to come back into the room. “I’m sure April would send the Harrington private jet if you didn’t want to wait for a flight.” Ryan said in reply. Jarrod opened the door of the boardroom and walked in, iPad in hand. “I wouldn’t ask. I will just ask Jarrod to book the next available flight for me back home.” It was said to Ryan as much as Jarrod. Noah saw Jarrod understood as he nodded and went to work on his iPad. Noah was sure to book the needed flights. He then let Ryan and Jarrod know. “I’ll get him to stay and tie up any loose ends here.” Someone needed to stay, and he trusted Jarrod. Jarrod held up a thumb. “Ok, if you’re sure.” Ryan said before adding. “I’m here if you need me. Tally has already left for the hospital to be there for April.” Noah knew he should have been there. He would never stay married to April, but right now he was her husband. He had taken this trip to get away from the country. Frustrated at May for not being easy to find. Hugo had rung him with no information on any woman of May’s description being treated with a cut to the hand that night. She was as slippery as an eel. He knew she was hiding something. He just needed to figure out the obstacles in his way. One thing he was very good at was solving problems. He was determined to have May in his life. “Noah.” Came Ryan’s voice on the phone. “I’m here. I’m glad she has Tally. Let me know if I can do anything. There is no point in me calling April. She will not take my call.” “Noah there something I…” Ryan stopped talking as if considering his words. “It doesn’t matter. We can talk about it later.” Noah frowned. It was so unlike Ryan to be uncertain. “Are you sure?” “Yes, right now, it’s not important. Get home, then we will talk.” “Ok, I’ll talk to you soon.” Noah hung up and looked at Jarrod in question. “I have you on a direct flight leaving in 2 hours. You better leave now.” Jarrod looked up from his iPad, then added. “Bad news? Noah nodded. “William Harrington, my father-in-law, has died. I will need you to arrange my hotel room to be packed up. I’ll fly home as I am. There will be no time to go back to the hotel.” “I’m sorry, Noah.” Jarrod didn’t know the entire story about his marriage. He only knew Noah didn’t live with his wife. But he was one of the few that knew he was still married. Jarrod also knew Noah had slept around. It wasn’t the first time he had caught his personal assistant giving him disapproving looks. Shrugging. Noah may have been in the wrong with April and he intended to let her know how sorry he was. It just wouldn’t stop the end of their marriage. “It’s not like it wasn’t unexpected.” Noah said, standing up and gathering his laptop and files from the boardroom table. “He has been sick for sometime.” Before leaving the boardroom to catch his flight. As soon as Noah’s flight landed, he headed to the Harrington estate, intending to meet with April. He waited after knocking on the front door for what seemed an eternity. Before, the door was opened by the butler. “Yes. May I help you?” Noah smirked at the older man. He knew who Noah was. “Is April here?” Well aware she could be making arrangements for her father. “No, Sir she isn’t.” Came the very stiff reply. Not really surprised by the answer or the way it was delivered. “Who is it Henry?” came a loud, arrogant voice from behind the butler Noah watched the butler, Henry, roll his eyes at the question. Noah was even more unsurprised by the door, getting yanked out of the butler’s hand so it could be opened further. He came face to face with April’s uncle David, soon followed by his wife and their daughter Porsha. Upon seeing Noah, Porsha fluttered her eyelashes and pushed out her chest. Noah was so uninterested. “Noah Crawford to see April.” The butler informed David Harrington reluctantly. “I can see that for myself, you idiot.” David shouldered the butler out of the way to fill the doorway as best as he could. “Noah, what are you doing here?” This action made Noah frown down at David. First, for calling the butler an idiot and second for roughly pushing him away. Noah was glad when the butler caught himself before falling. Noah looked at the butler, asking before he would address David’s question. “Are you ok Henry?” Henry looked a little surprised at Noah’s concern. But nodded saying. “Yes, sir.” It was only then he again looked down his nose at David. “I was here to see my wife.” Noah would have thought his presence was self explanatory. “Ex-wife,” David pointed out. “No, Wife. There has been no divorce. I would like to know what you are doing in my wife’s home when she is not in residence? Or pushing around her staff.” Noah watched the flicker of shock in his eyes. He hadn’t realized that April hadn’t been divorced yet. Was that why he was here? To take advantage of her in a vulnerable time. David tried puffing out his chest almost in a carbon copy of his daughter, but this wasn’t to show Noah his assets. It was more to throw his might around. Considering Noah was eight inches taller than the other man. “Well, if she isn’t your ex-wife yet, she soon will be. I will make sure of that.” Noah laughed at the other man. “Really? And how do you expect to do that?” “Well, as head of this family now. I will order the lawyers to draw up the necessary paperwork.” Noah’s eyebrow went up at the other man’s statement. William hadn’t been wrong about David’s intent should anything happen to him. “You are not the head of this family, David.” Noah took a step towards the older man. “You see, when I married April, I made sure I found out everything I could about her family.” David’s eyes widened. Clearly concerned about what Noah may have found out. Noah nodded. The man should be worried. “I know you burned through your inheritance and have been living off William’s generosity for years. Now you are worried that the gravy train will stop unless you can control April. Let me tell you married to her or not. I will never let that happen.” David was speechless for a second before he looked at his family. Noah could see from the look on their faces they had no clue. Well, tough shit. Part of the reason David was broke was because of his wife and daughter’s spending habits. “This has nothing to do with you. This is a family matter…” Noah cut the other man off. “William trusted me to look after April and I intend to be there for her if needed. I’m telling you to pack up your things and get out of this house. I will call the police if I call the house, say in…” Noah looked down at the watch on his wrist. “thirty minutes and Henry tells me you still haven’t gone. Do I make myself clear?” Noah didn’t wait for an answer, just turned and left.
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The soft murmur of voices surrounded April as she stood by her father’s coffin, holding onto Tally’s hand for support. The church was filled with mourners, some family, some distant friends of her late fathers, but April’s attention was fixed solely on the casket before her. Her father, once a pillar of strength, now lay in quiet repose, an almost peaceful expression on his face. The thought felt wrong, too final. There was so much more to say, so much left unsaid between them. The last few years of sickness had been telling on him. Even if she wished for more time. This earth could not hold him. His mind might have been sharp until the end, but his body hadn’t been. Tally, ever the rock, stood by her side, squeezing her hand lightly in support. She hadn’t known Tally long, but in the time they had spent together, Tally had become April’s anchor. April’s heart felt heavy with gratitude, and yet the weight of her secrets almost choked her. Her friends from university couldn’t be with h
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April made her way outside as soon as the service had finished. She had been relieved. It had started at the prefect time when Noah had said her name, not giving her time to talk. The courtyard was eerily quiet despite the low murmur of voices from mourners lingering nearby. The cold air wrapped around April, but she barely noticed. Her focus was on the man standing a few feet away, his gaze sharp, searching. Noah.He had followed her out after the funeral service, his long strides full of purpose. She could feel the weight of his presence, the tension radiating between them, thick and undeniable. He still didn’t know who she was, and she needed to keep it that way.April’s fingers curled into the fabric of her dress as she forced herself to remain still, composed. When she finally spoke, she kept her voice soft, careful. Not hiding her voice from him, but speaking softly instead, hoping that was enough. “Can I help you with something?” She said, spinning around to face him after she
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On the drive back to the estate, she enjoyed the quiet and solitude. April sat stiffly in the back seat of the black town car, her fingers clenched tightly in her lap as she stared out the window. The funeral had been draining, but she had little time to grieve. Her father’s will was about to be read, and she knew it wouldn’t be a quiet affair. The rest of the mourners would be heading back for drinks and food, as her father’s lawyer read William Harrington’s will in the privacy of her father’s office.David had made it clear where he stood, and she had no doubt he believed himself entitled to everything her father had built. But William Harrington had never been a man to let others dictate his decisions. If there was one thing her father had been adamant about, it was control and there would be no splitting the estate.The estate loomed ahead, its grandeur somehow colder today. As the car rolled to a stop, April exhaled slowly. Tally was already waiting for her near the entrance, stan
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The manor was filled with murmurs and the clinking of glasses as mourners settled into the grand halls and sitting rooms, drinking her father’s expensive whiskey and picking at the catered food. April moved through the crowd with a practiced ease, nodding politely when necessary but never stopping long enough for conversation. The years she had been away, she had learnt how to handle crowds. How to be polite during social gatherings. A funeral was no different.She had barely had a moment to breathe since the reading of the will. The weight of her father’s empire sat on her shoulders now, and she could already feel the vultures circling. Her uncle. His wife. Their spoiled daughter. Plus, she watched her father’s second in charge and CFO and their families.Let’s not forget the extended family that had only ever cared about William Harrington for what he could offer them. They were all here, their condolences empty, their eyes sharp with greed.Spotting Tally and Ryan near the grand fir
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April held her ground as David’s furious gaze bore into her, his entire body tense with barely contained rage. The night air felt charged, thick with the weight of unsaid threats.April arched a brow at his last words. She would not regret anything when it came to him, refusing to let him see even a flicker of fear. “Don’t worry, David. I’ve never needed your help before, and I certainly won’t start now.”His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists, and for a brief second, she thought he might actually lose control. But before he could take another step toward her, Noah moved.Quick. Decisive.One second, he was standing beside Ryan, and the next, he was in front of her, blocking David’s path entirely. His voice was calm, but there was a lethal edge beneath it.“I suggest you walk away before you say something you’ll regret.”David let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You think I’m afraid of you, boy?”Noah tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. “No. I think you should
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Noah stared at the woman in front of him.April.May.They were the same person.His chest tightened as he stared at her—the long black hair spilling over her shoulders, the striking sea-green eyes he could lose himself in. His mind reeled, scrambling to make sense of it, but the truth was already staring him in the face.The lighting in the club that night and later had been terrible. If he had seen her eyes in daylight, he would have known.He took a few more steps forward, making sure he wasn’t seeing things. No. It was plain as day now.Standing in front of him was the woman he had been trying to find for months.May Jones was April Harrington.He hadn’t slept with some stranger in a nightclub. He had slept with his wife.April’s expression shifted from surprise to guarded caution as she stood from the chaise lounge, her movements slow. She didn’t take her eyes off him. She didn’t speak right away, but he saw the tension in her frame, the way her fingers clenched at her sides.“Noa
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April’s hands curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she stared at the man in front of her. The man who had been her husband for four years. The man who had humiliated her, ignored her, and lived his life as if she had never existed.“I can get a divorce if I want one, Noah. Nothing can stop me. You think this changes anything?” she asked, voice sharp. “You think just because you found out who I am, suddenly things are different?”Noah’s jaw tightened. “I think it changes everything.”April let out a bitter laugh. “Of course you do. Because now the joke isn’t on you anymore, right?” She took a step closer, anger and hurt burning inside her. “But let me ask you this, Noah. Would anything have changed if you had known back then? Would you have treated me differently? Or would you have still taken my father’s money and done exactly what you did?”His eyes flickered with frustration. “April—”“You did take the money, didn’t you?” she pressed, her voice shaking.
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Noah pulled up to Ryan and Tally’s house, cutting the engine. He sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel, his gut twisting. Something was off. He had heard it in Ryan’s voice when he called earlier today.“Come over for dinner,” Ryan had said. “There’s something we need to talk about. Something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you sooner.” And that was the problem.They were close, always had been. Ryan could tell him anything, and yet here Noah was, parked outside his friend’s house, gut churning with unease. It had been two days since William’s funeral. If Ryan had waited this long, it meant whatever he had to say wasn’t just important—it was something Noah wasn’t going to like.Exhaling sharply, Noah pushed open the car door.Before he could even knock, the front door swung open. Tally stood there, arms crossed, her expression too careful, too controlled.That was the second sign something was wrong.“Hey, Noah.” Her voice was soft, deliberate.His brows
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The smell of espresso and fresh toasted bread filled the kitchen the next morning. There had been no time for more because they had overslept. April grinned at the reason they had overslept. Noah had been… hungry for her during the night.April sat barefoot at the breakfast bar, wearing Noah’s crisp button-down shirt. She sipped her coffee while scrolling through her emails to check for any urgent tasks that needed attention that morning. Although she had showered and washed her hair, she had not yet put on her work clothes. She had always fantasized about wearing one of his business shirts as a nightie or robe.Noah stood at the stove, shirtless and smug, flipping pancakes like a man who had absolutely no shame in how good he looked, half-naked in a domestic setting.She didn’t trust it.“What?” he asked, catching her watching him with narrowed eyes.“You’re being weird.” He was a jackass. She just needed to figure out if he was her jackass.“I’m making pancakes.”“Exactly. You made s
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April lay tangled in the sheets, her breathing still uneven, skin slick with sweat, body thrumming from the high he’d dragged out of her. Noah was beside her, propped on one elbow, watching her like he was trying to memorize her face.She hated how much she liked that look.Silence stretched between them… not uncomfortable, but full. Heavy. They’d never had the post-sex autopsy before. In some ways, April was glad. She hadn’t wanted to rake over the past. But she also knew they needed to. It hung over them like a storm cloud, waiting to burst. She just wondered which of them would break the silence first.“Why are you looking at me like that?” she murmured, eyes on the ceiling.“Like what?” His voice was low, threaded with something she didn’t trust herself to name.“Like you’re seeing me for the first time.”“I feel like I am,” he said. “Or maybe… maybe I just wasn’t allowed to see you properly before.”April turned her head toward him, her expression unreadable. “You saw enough back
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“Sometimes, you don’t realize you’ve found home until your body stops wanting to leave.” By Unknown.April barely had time to breathe after Noah’s kiss before he was pulling her tighter against him, lifting her onto the counter like she weighed nothing. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, and he slid his hands down to grip her thighs, his mouth still devouring hers like he couldn’t get enough.His body was warm, solid, and everywhere. His lips trailed from her mouth down her throat, biting lightly at the base before soothing it with his tongue. April gasped, arching into him.He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “Tell me to stop. Because I will if needed.”She couldn’t. Wouldn’t ask him to stop.Her silence was permission.With a low, satisfied growl, Noah pulled her long sleeve dress over her head, baring her to him without ceremony. His eyes darkened as he took her in. “You’re so fucking beautiful, April.”Before she could come up with a comeback, his mouth was
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“Sometimes, home isn’t a place. It’s a person you’re still pretending not to need.” By Unknown.April unlocked her front door and stepped into the familiar sanctuary of her home. The familiar scent of it hit her immediately, grounding her. Her space.Except… now it wasn’t just hers.That was about to change. Noah Crawford would be living here for three months. Was she truly ready for that?She set her bag down and glanced around the spacious living room. Everything was as it should be, minimalist, elegant, quiet. Her housekeeper had been in that morning. Not a single cushion was out of place. It looked like a spread from a home magazine.And still, April felt jittery. Anticipation thrummed beneath her skin like an itch she couldn’t scratch.Noah would be here any moment.The thought was both unnerving… and thrilling. She hated that part. Hated that her stomach fluttered at the idea of him in her kitchen, in her hallway, in her bed.No. Not yet. She wasn’t going to think of that. She di
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“Sometimes, the only person you can trust with your demons is the one who’s danced with them before.” By Unknown.April didn’t move for a long time after the door closed behind Gail.She just sat there, staring at the city skyline like it might offer answers she didn’t have. The weight on her chest was different now. Less grief, more fury.She wanted to scream. Or cry. Or throw something.Instead, she reached for her mobile phone.There were maybe five people in her life who she trusted without question. None of them had the resources or connections she needed right now. And the one person who did?She hated that it was him.Still, her fingers moved before her brain could stop them. The line rang twice.“Look who finally remembered my number,” Noah’s voice came through, low and amused.April immediately rolled her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. This isn’t a booty call.” Remembering his hands on her this morning outside her place.“Shame. I was hoping you were calling for another... per
CEO Wants His Wife Back In His Bed Chapter Forty-Eight
“One of the biggest lies ever told is that blood makes you family. Blood makes you related. Loyalty, love, and trust make you family.” By Unknown.When Neil had first said someone was waiting in her office, April had half-assumed it was Noah. A last-minute booty call, maybe. The man had a habit of showing up without notice and lighting her world on fire, only to leave her hot and bothered after like this morning.But it wasn’t Noah. It was her mother.She stared at Neil, unmoving. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it was trying to claw its way out of her chest. “I’m sorry… what?” She needed him to repeat it, just in case the universe was pulling a sick joke.Neil didn’t flinch. “She’s waiting in your office.”April blinked. “You’re sure? My mother?”“She said her name’s Gail Harrington.” His expression was concerned, maybe even a little sympathetic, though there was something close to apology in the way he said it. “I can have her removed, if you’d prefer.”“No,” April muttered. “
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“Some people can’t take a hint. Others turn the hint into a weapon.” By Unknown.Noah stepped into the lobby of Crawford HQ and immediately regretted not taking the service entrance.There she was… Kayla.Fuck.Perched behind the front desk like she owned the damn building, she flashed him that same too-sweet smile she always wore when she thought he might finally cave.Her blouse was tighter today, her hair styled just a little more than usual. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was trying again. Maybe he could get HR to fire her for sexual harassment.“Noah,” she said brightly, as if they hadn’t already had this conversation before.“Morning.” He didn’t break stride, heading straight for the elevator bay.“I didn’t see you come in yesterday,” she called after him, standing now, like she might follow.Wow, no kidding. He wasn’t always in the office, sometimes he worked remotely. “That’s because I wasn’t here,” he replied, pressing the elevator button. He didn’t turn around.The
CEO Wants His Wife Back In His Bed Chapter Forty-Six
“Sometimes the biggest step toward a future is simply choosing where to begin.” By Unknown.The smell of fresh coffee drifting in from the next room stirred April. She sat up fast… shit, what time was it? She needed to get to the office. Throwing off the covers, she was halfway to the door where the coffee smell was coming from, before remembering she still needed a shower.Yes, he had used a condom this morning... but last night? Not so much. Bareback sex was pretty messy. Hot, but still messy.She grabbed her phone on the way to the bathroom. 7:27 a.m. Thank God.She moved fast, taking the quickest shower known to mankind, still managing to wash her hair. There was a hairbrush and a new toothbrush sitting on the vanity. Of course there was. Noah had thought of everything.She wasn’t about to throw on yesterday’s clothes just yet, though. Instead, she slipped into Noah’s robe. It drowned her and washed her underwear out in the sink. She’d wear her dress home, but the wet underwear? Ab
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“Love is war. You have to be willing to fight for it… or surrender completely.” By Unknown.April’s eyes narrowed, her body tense beneath the sheet she had wrapped tightly around herself. “What condition?”His jaw flexed, like he was bracing for her reaction. “Give our marriage a three-month trial.”April blinked, sure she’d misheard him. “Excuse me?” He couldn’t be serious.“You heard me.” He sat up fully, the sheet falling to his waist, revealing far too much golden skin and muscle for April’s brain to compute properly. “Three months. We live as husband and wife. No lawyers, no threats, no running. We talk and work on our marriage.”April stared at him, stunned into silence. Then she laughed a sharp, bitter, and humorless laugh. “You’re insane.”“Maybe.” He didn’t flinch. “But I’m serious. Three months. If at the end of it you still want out, I’ll sign the papers. No argument. I’ll make it quick and painless.”She gaped at him. “You’re blackmailing me into staying married to you?
