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Chapter 14 - Mondays
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2025-03-20 03:21:00(Gloria)
Monday morning comes too soon, toooo soon. I step into Montclair Advertising half expecting Gabriel to shoot me a text or a glance, anything to acknowledge our weekend encounter. But the moment I see him, all my expectations die a swift death. He’s at his desk flipping through documents, not even sparing me a glance. Cold and distant. As if he hadn’t been in my apartment, drinking my expensive wine, and staring at me like he wanted to devour me whole. Fine. Two can play this game. I square my shoulders and walk past his office toward my desk, refusing to let his indifference get to me. But the moment I sit down, my phone buzzes. Gabriel: Coffee. Black. No sugar. Now. I clench my jaw. No please, no good morning, just straight to the orders. No problem. I grab my bag and head to the break room, muttering under my breath. “You’re welcome, sir. Hope you
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Contracted to Deceive Chapter 60 - The red wedding
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Contracted to Deceive Chapter 56 - The plot thickens
(Gloria)My phone rings and I almost drop it. Eleanor Montclair.Her name stares back at me like it’s been branded on my screen. I freeze, every one of my muscles tightening. Suddenly, the idea of crying over a documentary feels like a warm up for the real horror show to come .Because if there’s one person who’s probably angrier than Gabriel right now, it’s his mother.I imagine her standing in a designer robe, swirling a glass of wine like a villain from a movie, already drafting the legal papers to sue me into poverty. I picture myself back on Elena’s couch begging for space, struggling to afford groceries, and eating cheap ramen in bulk while I try to pay back…The phone buzzes again in my palm demanding an answer.Shit. Okay.I swipe. “Hello?”No greeting and no hesitation.“I’ll pay it back,” I blurt. “Please. Just give me a payment plan or something. I… I know the contract’s over, but I swear I’ll find a way. You don’t have to take me to court or ruin my life or… ”“Gloria,” El
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(Gabriel)“Well?” I ask, the word coming out as more of a command than a question. My eyes rake over her coldly but inside, a storm is raging. She looks like a mess, unkept, terrified, and I can barely keep it together.I’m fighting every impulse not to grab her and shake the answers out of her, demanding she tell me what the hell is going on. Instead, I stand there stiffly, my fists clenched at my sides trying to control the rage that’s boiling in my veins.Kate had walked into my office earlier, slamming that tablet down in front of me with an expression that said ‘you need to see this’. The documentary was everywhere, the headline hitting me like a slap across the face: Ex-Drug Dealer’s Secret Contract to Marry Montclair CEO. The words felt like they burned into my skin.Gloria, an ex-drug dealer working with her trash of an ex, Ethan. And then the real kicker, a contract from my mother, Eleanor Montclair, to marry me for money. All over the media. I’m still trying to wrap my head
Contracted to Deceive Chapter 53 - Upheaval
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