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Chapter 49
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2025-01-24 22:51:41
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The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride Chapter 49
The towering ballroom of the Grand Meridian Hotel glowed under the soft golden light of crystal chandeliers. Laughter and the clinking of glasses filled the air as New York’s elite mingled, their polished smiles masking hidden agendas. It was the perfect stage for appearances, the kind of event Alexander thrived in. But tonight, even his usual calm felt strained.“Relax,” I said, tugging at the sleeve of his tuxedo. “You look like you’re preparing for battle, not a charity gala.”His gray eyes flicked to mine, the tension in them softening for just a moment. “You don’t understand, Leila. This isn’t just a gala—it’s a chessboard. Every person in this room has a move to make, and most of them want to see me lose.”“Well,” I said, adjusting the diamond bracelet he’d gifted me, “it’s a good thing you’ve got me to keep you in check.”His lips twitched, almost forming a smile. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”Before I could respond, a familiar voice cut through the crowd.“Alexander!”We both t
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“You’ve been smiling all morning,” Alexander said, his voice carrying a teasing edge as he leaned against the kitchen counter. “Should I be worried?”I glanced up from my tablet, where I’d been reading through the latest updates from the project team. “Maybe,” I replied, grinning. “We just closed with another partner. That makes three this week.”He raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile. “Impressive. I guess I was right to trust you with this.”“You guess?” I shot him a mock glare. “Careful, Alexander. You’re starting to sound like someone who underestimated me.”“Never,” he said, pushing off the counter and stepping closer. “But if I had, you’ve definitely proven me wrong.”His praise sent a rush of warmth through me, but it was quickly tempered by a flicker of frustration. I appreciated his support, but a part of me couldn’t shake the feeling that he still saw this as his project, his victory.I set the tablet down and crossed my arms. “You know, it’s ok
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I stood in Alexander’s office, the morning sun casting long shadows across the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city buzzed below, oblivious to the storm brewing in this very room. Alexander sat at his desk, his expression darker than I’d ever seen it. A piece of paper lay in front of him—a resignation letter from David Lang, one of his most trusted executives.“I don’t understand,” I said, breaking the silence. “David’s been with you since the beginning. Why would he leave now?”Alexander’s jaw tightened as he leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together. “Because someone got to him,” he said, his voice low but sharp. “This isn’t a coincidence, Leila. David wouldn’t just walk away unless he was pushed.”I frowned, my chest tightening. “Pushed how? Do you think it’s Cassandra?”“It has to be,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “She’s been looking for cracks to exploit, and David… he was loyal, but he wasn’t invincible. She must’ve offered him something I couldn’t.”I stepped closer, p
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The rooftop terrace glimmered in the soft glow of string lights. The sky was a rich navy, dotted with stars that felt impossibly close, as though they had gathered to witness this moment. Alexander had spared no detail, from the elegant table set for two to the faint strains of a live cello quartet in the background. It was romantic, perfect even, and for the first time in weeks, it felt like we were finally coming up for air.“You’ve been quiet,” Alexander said, his voice low and smooth as he poured another glass of wine for me. His gray eyes, always sharp and calculating, were soft tonight, vulnerable even.I smiled, swirling the wine in my glass. “I’m just enjoying this. It’s been a while since we’ve had a night like this.”His gaze lingered on me, a flicker of guilt passing over his face. “I know. I’ve been… distracted.”“Distracted is an understatement,” I teased, though the sting of truth in my words was undeniable.He reached across the table, his hand covering mine. “Leila, I
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The hum of cameras and murmurs of journalists waiting behind the velvet ropes buzzed in my ears as I smoothed the front of my blazer for the tenth time. The press conference hadn’t even started, but it felt like we were already under the microscope. Every glance, every whisper felt like a judgment, and I wasn’t sure if I was more nervous about the questions or the fact that this was my first time facing them as Alexander Steele’s wife—not just his silent partner.“You don’t have to do this,” Alexander said beside me, his voice low and calm. The words didn’t match the tension in his jaw or the way he adjusted his cufflinks for the third time in a row.“Yes, I do,” I replied, meeting his gaze. “We said we’d face this together, remember?”His eyes softened, the steel in them melting just slightly. “They’re going to come after you too, Leila. Not just me. The questions, the accusations—it won’t be easy.”I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “Nothing about being with you has ever been e
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“You think this will scare me?” Alexander’s voice was low, lethal, as he threw the damning folder onto the polished mahogany table. The man across from him, Damien Hale, leaned back in his chair, the faintest smirk playing on his lips.“I don’t need to scare you, Alexander,” Damien said, his tone maddeningly calm. “You’re doing a fine job unraveling all on your own.”I stood by the doorway, my presence unnoticed—or ignored—by both men. The room felt heavy, oppressive, as if every shadow harbored secrets waiting to explode. My heart pounded in my chest, but I stayed silent. This was Alexander’s fight, and I wouldn’t intervene unless he needed me.Alexander leaned forward, his fists braced against the table. “What do you want, Damien? To destroy everything I’ve built? To tear down Steele Industries just because you think you should’ve had my position?”Damien’s smile widened, infuriatingly unbothered. “Oh, Alexander. It’s not about the company. It’s about you. You’ve spent your life act
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“You’ve been turning heads,” Claire said, leaning against the doorway of my office with a sly smile. Her sharp eyes scanned the room, landing on the stack of documents I’d spent the better part of the morning reviewing.I glanced up from my laptop, my fingers pausing over the keyboard. “Is that a compliment or a warning?”“Both.” She stepped inside, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. “You’re making waves, Leila. People are talking.”“Good things, I hope,” I said, though I didn’t miss the weight in her tone.Claire smirked, tilting her head. “Depends on who you ask. Some admire the way you’ve stepped into Alexander’s world like you’ve always belonged there. Others… well, let’s just say not everyone’s thrilled about the spotlight you’re sharing with him.”I leaned back in my chair, my heart sinking a little. “Who’s unhappy?”“Take your pick,” she said, shrugging. “Some of the board members think you’re overstepping. A few executives are worried about their positions now that
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“You need to see this,” Claire said, her voice urgent as she stepped into Alexander’s office, holding a slim file folder. The tension in her tone was enough to make my stomach twist. She rarely interrupted us unless it was serious.Alexander looked up from his desk, his sharp gray eyes narrowing. “What is it?”Claire set the folder down, her fingers trembling just slightly. “It’s from the internal audit you requested after the leak last week.”I leaned forward, my pulse quickening as Alexander flipped open the folder. The room felt impossibly quiet as his gaze scanned the documents, his jaw tightening with every page he turned. His silence was more unnerving than any outburst.“Alexander?” I prompted softly, standing from my chair to peer over his shoulder.He closed the folder abruptly, his expression cold and unreadable. “It’s Damien.”“Damien?” Claire echoed, confused. “But we already knew he was working against us.”“Not just Damien,” Alexander said, his voice low and hard. “He’s
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The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride Chapter 81
The First Strike The lawsuit was filed at dawn. By noon, it was on every major news outlet. By evening, the world knew that Alexander Steele had declared war. I sat in the sleek black leather chair of Alexander’s office, scrolling through endless headlines. "Steele Enterprises Takes Luxor Industries to Court—Corporate War Begins!" "Damien King Accused of Corporate Espionage—Is Cassandra Knight the Puppet Master?" "Alexander Steele’s Billion-Dollar Lawsuit: The Fight That Could Reshape the Industry." Alexander stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his hands in his pockets, his stance deceptively relaxed. But I could see the tension in his shoulders. “They wanted a war,” he said, his voice smooth but razor-sharp. “Now they have one.” I exhaled, setting my phone on the table. “You really think Damien’s going to roll over because of a lawsuit?” His lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “No. I expect him to fight. But he doesn’t have what I have.” “And what’s
The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride Chapter 80
The Return to ChaosThe moment we stepped off the jet, I knew something was wrong.Alexander’s phone vibrated. Once. Twice. Then mine. The sudden onslaught of calls and texts wasn’t normal. My stomach clenched as I glanced at the notifications stacking up like bricks.Alexander barely had time to check his screen before his face hardened, his grip tightening around his phone.“Leila.” His voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade.I looked up, my own phone buzzing in my hand. “What?”He turned the screen toward me.BREAKING NEWS: DAMIEN KING AND CASSANDRA KNIGHT UNVEIL LUXOR INDUSTRIES, A DIRECT COMPETITOR TO STEELE ENTERPRISES.My breath left my lungs. No.“Impossible,” I whispered. “He wouldn’t—”Alexander was already dialing.The second Liam answered, his voice was tight. “Boss, it’s bad.”Alexander clenched his jaw. “Tell me.”“Damien launched a direct competitor overnight. Luxor Industries. Cassandra’s funding it. They’ve already poached several of our people—incl
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The RetreatThe rhythmic crash of waves against the shore was the only sound that filled the silence between us. The villa—perched on the edge of the Mediterranean, isolated from the chaos we had just left behind—was a stark contrast to the storm raging between me and Alexander.I stood at the open balcony, watching the moonlight cast a silver glow over the endless stretch of water. The air smelled of salt and jasmine, but I barely noticed it. My thoughts were tangled in the tension still hanging in the space between us.I heard the door close softly behind me, followed by the sound of Alexander’s footsteps.“We needed this,” he said, his voice low, rough.I didn’t turn around. “Did we?”A beat of silence. Then—“Yes.”I closed my eyes for a second, exhaling slowly. “Running away won’t fix what’s broken between us, Alexander.”“We’re not running.” His voice was closer now. “We’re breathing.”I turned then, meeting his gaze. There was something vulnerable in the way he looked at me—lik
The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride Chapter 78
"You shouldn’t have gotten involved."The words sent an icy chill through me.I stared down at the unmarked envelope that had been slipped under my office door, my fingers gripping the letter inside a little too tightly. The words were typed, no signature, no clues, but the message was clear.This wasn’t a warning.It was a threat.A direct hit meant to rattle me, to shake me into submission.I swallowed, forcing down the unease curling in my stomach as I read the letter again.Stay in your lane, Mrs. Hawke. Or next time, we won’t just be watching.The air in my office felt heavy, closing in around me. The logical side of my brain told me to breathe, to think. But the other part—the one ruled by instinct—was screaming at me to run.I wasn’t naïve. I knew the kind of world I had stepped into when I married Alexander.But this?This was different.I grabbed my phone, my fingers hovering over Alexander’s contact. I hesitated.He was already on edge. Already carrying too much.And I hated
The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride Chapter 77
This isn’t over until we cut out the rot."Alexander’s voice was steel, each word carrying the weight of a war that had dragged on too long. I watched him from across the room, the tension in his jaw tightening with every second that passed.It wasn’t just business anymore.It was personal.For months, we had been dismantling Cassandra’s empire, unraveling the chaos she had left behind, piece by piece. But now, the last thread had revealed itself—someone inside Steele Industries, someone still loyal to her, pulling strings in the shadows.And they weren’t going down without a fight.Alexander’s fingers drummed against the table, his eyes locked on the confidential report in front of him."Who is it?" I asked, my voice steady despite the storm brewing in my chest.He exhaled sharply, flipping the report shut before looking up. "Jameson Hale."I felt the impact of that name like a physical blow."Hale?" My stomach twisted. "But he’s been with the company for years—long before Cassandra.
The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride Chapter 76
You need to make a decision, Alexander."The weight of those words hung in the air, thick and unrelenting.I sat stiffly in the boardroom, my fingers tightening around the armrests of my chair as I watched Alexander across the table. His posture was as rigid as steel, his face an unreadable mask, but the sharp tick of his jaw gave him away.They were cornering him.And I was the reason why.The men seated around us—billionaire investors, executives who prided themselves on running the empire with an iron fist—didn’t even bother to hide their distaste for me."She’s become a liability," Charles Weaver said, his voice smooth, cutting. "The press is running wild with stories about her influence, and investors are questioning your judgment."Another man, Richard Caldwell, nodded. "The company cannot afford more instability. The most strategic move would be to separate personal affairs from business."Separate.Like I was just another mistake he needed to erase.I swallowed hard, willing m
The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride Chapter 75
"What are you not telling me?"The question escaped before I could stop it. My voice trembled, it was a quiet demand that sliced through the charged silence between us.Alexander’s fingers tightened around the glass in his hand, his knuckles whitening. The city skyline stretched behind him, but he wasn’t looking at it. He was looking at me.And I knew.Something had shifted.Something had been kept from me.And the moment I opened that file earlier today, my entire world tilted on its axis.He set his drink down, exhaling slowly, measuredly. "Leila, you don’t—""Don’t say I don’t understand," I cut him off, stepping forward, my heart pounding so hard I felt it in my fingertips. "Because I do. I just don’t know why."His jaw flexed. He ran a hand through his hair, a rare sign of unease. Alexander Hawke didn’t fidget. He didn’t hesitate. But right now, he was a man at war with himself."Tell me the truth," I whispered. "No more secrets. No more half-truths. I deserve to know."His silen
The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride Chapter 74
"This isn’t a disaster—it’s a dumpster fire with a VIP ticket to hell." The words hit like a wrecking ball, shattering the last fragile hope I had that we could control this mess. I sat stiffly at the long mahogany table, my fingers curled around my pen so tightly my knuckles ached. The air in the boardroom felt thick, suffocating, charged with the kind of energy that came when billions of dollars were at stake. Across from me, Alexander leaned forward, his hands flat on the table, his expression carved from stone. His suit was crisp, his presence as commanding as ever, but I could see the tension rippling beneath his skin. He was holding on by a thread, his patience dangerously close to snapping. “Fix this, Leila,”* he growled, his voice a low rumble of impending thunder. *“Or I’ll start burying bodies instead of problems.” I exhaled slowly. *Stay calm. Stay in control.“We can fix this.” My voice was steady, though my pulse was anything but. Alexander’s gaze locked onto mi
The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride Chapter 73
The Breaking Point“I’m not asking for permission, Alexander.”The words hung in the air, thick and unyielding, daring him to challenge them.Alexander sat behind his desk, his fingers interlocked, his expression unreadable—except for the tension that gripped his frame, stretching taut like a wire about to snap.His gaze locked onto mine, sharp as ever, but something else lurked beneath it—something wary, something he was trying to hide.“You think this is about permission?” His voice was low, controlled, but I knew better than to mistake that calm for anything other than barely contained frustration.I crossed my arms, forcing myself to hold my ground. “That’s exactly what this is about. Every time I take a step forward, you pull me back. Every time I try to take control of my own life, you remind me why I shouldn’t.”His jaw clenched, and for a moment, he said nothing. Then, slowly, deliberately, he stood. His presence filled the room, but I didn’t let myself shrink beneath it.“Lei
