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Chapter 6: Shadows of the Past
Last Updated:
2025-01-21 02:39:25Related chapters
Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 7: The Unrepentant Husband
Stephanie stood in the doorway of Leon's office, her eyes fixed on the scene before her. Leon was sitting behind his desk, a smirk on his face, while his ex-wife Adriana was standing next to him, a triumphant look on her face.Stephanie's anger and hurt were palpable as she confronted Leon about his infidelity. "How could you, Leon?" she demanded, her voice shaking with rage. "How could you cheat on me like this?"Leon shrugged, his smirk never wavering. "You're overreacting, Stephanie," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "It was just a little mistake. It didn't mean anything."Stephanie's eyes widened in outrage. "A little mistake?" she repeated, her voice rising. "You call cheating on me with your ex-wife a little mistake?"Leon leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together. "Look, Stephanie, I know you're upset, but you need to calm down and think about this rationally. I'm not going to apologize for something that didn't mean anything."Stephanie felt like
Last Updated : 2025-01-24Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 8: Gilded Cage
The Phoenix mansion loomed ahead, its wrought-iron gates snarling like the jaws of a beast as the car rolled up the winding driveway. Stephanie clutched the silk folds of her dress, the fabric suddenly heavy against her skin. Three days into her marriage, and the estate’s grandeur already felt like a gilded trap—every chandelier too bright, every polished surface too cold. Leon’s hand rested on her knee, his touch absentminded, as if she were an afterthought. “Remember,” he said, not looking at her, “smile when they speak to you. Say nothing unless asked.” Stephanie bit her tongue. Like a doll on display*, she thought. --- The dining hall was a cathedral of cruelty. Crystal glasses clinked under the glare of a dozen icy stares as Leon’s family settled around the table. Genevieve Phoenix, Leon’s mother, presided at the head, her silver-blonde hair coiled into a flawless chignon. Her eyes raked over Stephanie like she was inspecting spoiled meat. “So,” Genevieve drawled, swirl
Last Updated : 2025-01-27Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 9: Shadows of the Past
The Phoenix mansion felt colder than ever. Stephanie stood in what was supposed to be her private office—a sunlit room Leon had promised she could redesign. But the staff had spent the morning dismantling her efforts, their loyalty to Genevieve etched into every dismissive glance. “The curtains are vintage Italian silk, madam,” the head housekeeper sniffed, yanking down Stephanie’s choice of cream linen. “We can’t have them replaced with… *bargain bin rags*.” Stephanie’s nails dug into her palms. “I’m your employer’s wife —” “And I’ve served this family for twenty years.” The woman smirked. “Tempers fade. Blood doesn’t.” Left alone in the striped room, Stephanie slumped into the leather chair Leon rarely used. Her reflection in the gilded mirror mocked her—a doll in a dollhouse, powerless to change even the wallpaper. A knock shattered the silence. “Mrs. Phoenix?” A maid hovered in the doorway, avoiding her gaze. “There’s a… *guest*.” Adriana stood in the foyer, draped i
Last Updated : 2025-01-27Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 10: Fractured Trust
Stephanie stared at the pregnancy test balanced on the edge of the marble sink, its twin pink lines glowing like a verdict. The bathroom’s gold fixtures blurred as tears pooled in her eyes. *Four weeks*. Four weeks since Leon had cornered her in his study, his breath was hot with scotch and regret. Four weeks since he’d pinned her to the desk, his hands possessive, his apologies lost in the heat of their collision. She pressed a trembling hand to her stomach. *His heir*. The word curdled in her mind. Genevieve’s threats slithered back—*we’ll handle it quietly*—but beneath the fear, a fragile hope flickered. *What if this changes everything?* --- The dining hall felt colder than usual. Stephanie had spent hours draping the table in Leon’s favorite crimson silk, lighting vanilla candles he’d once joked reminded him of her skin. The filet mignon sat congealing on fine china, the clock ticking past 9 p.m. Her phone buzzed. **Leon:** *Emergency meeting. Don’t wait up.* Stephani
Last Updated : 2025-01-27Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 11: The Affair
The anonymous text burned into Stephanie’s retina like a branding iron. **Unknown:** *He’s at her penthouse. 8th Ave, Suite 3400. You deserve the truth.* Attached was a photo of Leon’s black Bentley idling outside Adriana’s luxury high-rise, timestamped *9:03 p.m.* Stephanie’s hands shook as she stared at the screen, the walls of the empty mansion closing in around her. Leon had left hours ago, muttering about a "shareholder emergency." Now moonlight spilled through the windows, casting long, skeletal shadows across the marble floors. *Check. Or walk away.* She grabbed her keys. --- Adriana’s penthouse loomed over the city, its glass facade reflecting the skyline like a jagged smile. Stephanie rode the elevator in a trance, her reflection warped in the polished steel—pale, hollow-eyed, foolish. The doors slid open to a private foyer, the sound of laughter seeping through the cracked door of Suite 3400. *Moans*. Stephanie froze. A woman’s breathy gasp, a man’s low groan
Last Updated : 2025-01-27Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 12: The Contract
The mansion’s grand clock chimed midnight, its hollow echoes reverberating through the marble halls. Stephanie sat at the edge of her gilded bed, her fingers trembling as they traced the embossed patterns of the marriage contract she’d signed months ago—a document she’d naively believed was a formality. Moonlight sliced through the velvet curtains, casting jagged shadows over the words she now scrutinized, though their true meaning had always been just beyond her grasp. A sharp rap at the door shattered the silence. Before she could rise, it swung open, revealing Leon’s mother, Marguerite Vanclair, her silhouette framed like a blade in the doorway. Her ice-blonde hair was coiled into a flawless chignon, her charcoal suit tailored to intimidate. The air thickened with the cloying scent of jasmine perfume. “You,” Marguerite spat, striding forward, her stiletto heels striking the floor like gunshots. “Did you think we wouldn’t find out about your little *performance* at the gala?”
Last Updated : 2025-01-28Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 13: Silent Rebellion
The Vanclair mansion’s library was a mausoleum of leather-bound books and unspoken secrets. Stephanie sat stiffly in a wingback chair, her fingers tracing the gilded edge of a family photo album Leon had forced her to display for that afternoon’s “casual” interview with a society magazine. The interviewer had left an hour ago, charmed by Leon’s rehearsed anecdotes about “marital bliss,” but the cloying scent of his cologne still clung to the air. “Smile wider,” he’d whispered through gritted teeth when the photographer raised his lens. *“Or I’ll cancel your obstetric appointment next week.”She’d obeyed, her cheeks aching. Now, alone, she reached for the locket at her throat—a cheap silver heart she’d owned since childhood, the only thing the Vanclairs hadn’t confiscated. Inside, she’d hidden a slip of paper with Jake’s latest instructions: Meet me at the boathouse. Midnight.The locket snapped shut as the library door creaked open. “Still here?” Leon lingered in the doorway, hi
Last Updated : 2025-01-28Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 14: The Escape Plan
The digital clock on Stephanie’s nightstand blinked *3:47 AM* in blood-red numerals. She lay perfectly still, her hand resting on the swell of her abdomen, counting the baby’s kicks like seconds ticking down on a bomb. *Two days.* Jake’s last message burned in her mind: *“Safe house secured. Be ready to move.”* But the Vanclair estate had become a fortress—cameras in every corner, guards patrolling the gardens, and Leon’s suspicion sharpening into something violent. She slid out of bed, her bare feet silent on the cold marble. In the ensuite bathroom, she locked the door and crouched beside the vanity, her trembling fingers prying up a loose floor tile. Beneath it lay her lifeline: a burner phone, a stack of forged medical documents, and a lockpick hidden inside a tampon applicator. Jake’s voice echoed in her memory from their last coded call: *“Fake the appointment. They’ll expect a trap—so give them a better one.”* ---**9:15 AM** “I need to see Dr. Voss *now*,” Stephanie gasp
Last Updated : 2025-01-28
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Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 18: Dew of Regrets
Leon stood in the center of Stephanie’s empty apartment, the silence gnawing at him. The space felt hollow, stripped of the warmth she’d once brought to it. Her lavender-scented candles were gone. The photos of sunsets she’d tacked to the fridge had vanished. All that remained was a single coffee mug in the sink, a ghost of her presence. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his gray eyes scanning the room for the hundredth time, as if she might materialize if he stared hard enough. He hadn’t meant to come here. But after three weeks of her absence, the weight of his mistakes had driven him to her doorstep. He knelt beside the trash bin, sifting through discarded takeout containers and crumpled receipts, his throat tightening when his fingers brushed against a small plastic bottle. He pulled it out, squinting at the label. *Prenatal vitamins*. The words punched through him like a blade. A memory flashed—Stephanie’s breathless laugh the morning after their one-night stand, her
Used by my billionaire boss CHAPTER 18: TIDES OF BETRAYAL
Adriana’s pistol glinted in the moonlight, the barrel aimed at Stephanie’s swollen belly. “You didn’t really think you could hide from me, did you?” she sneered, her red lips twisting into a smirk. “Leon’s little runaway secretary, playing house in this *pathetic* town.” Stephanie’s hands shook, but she stepped forward, shielding her stomach. “If you hurt my baby, Leon will destroy you.” Adriana laughed, the sound sharp as broken glass. “Oh, sweetheart. He’ll thank me. That brat’s the only reason he’s still chasing you.” She cocked the gun. “But don’t worry—I’ll make it quick. For old times’ sake.” A shadow lunged from the alley. Mia tackled Adriana, knocking the gun into the snow. “*Run, Clara!*” she screamed. Stephanie stumbled backward as the two women grappled, Adriana’s manicured nails slashing at Mia’s face. The gun lay just inches away. Stephanie dove for it, her fingers brushing cold metal— *Crack!* A shot rang out. Mia collapsed, clutching her shoulder. “*No!*”
Used by my billionaire boss CHAPTER 16: NEW LIFE, OLD SHADOWS
Coastal Haven, Maine — Present Day The salt-tinged air of Harbor’s Edge stung Stephanie’s cheeks as she trudged up the gravel path to the Seashell Inn, her new workplace. The small coastal town was a far cry from Leon’s glass-and-steel empire in New York—here, the ocean roared louder than paparazzi, and the only flashing lights came from the lighthouse piercing the fog. She adjusted the scratchy wool scarf over her hair, a makeshift disguise, though no one in this sleepy town would recognize “Clara Evans,” the name Jake had forged for her. “Morning, Clara!” Mia Callahan, the inn’s heavily pregnant owner, waved from the porch, her auburn curls bouncing. “Brought you a blueberry muffin. Fresh from the oven.” Stephanie forced a smile. Mia’s kindness was a lifeline, but it also felt like a betrayal. *She doesn’t know I’m lying to her. That I’m not Clara.* “Thanks, Mia. You didn’t have to—” “Nonsense. You’re eating for two now.” Mia patted Stephanie’s barely visible bump, her green
Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 15: Gone
The cellar air was thick with the metallic tang of blood and gunpowder. Stephanie’s back pressed against the damp stone wall, her eyes darting between Leon’s trembling gun and Adriana’s cruel smirk. The PI’s voice still hissed through Leon’s phone, tinny and urgent: *“Sir, the medical records—she’s pregnant. The child is definitely yours.”* For a heartbeat, the world froze. Leon’s grip on his weapon faltered, his gaze snapping to Stephanie’s abdomen. Adriana seized the moment. “You *idiot*,” she spat, swinging her own gun toward Leon. “You let her trap you with a *bastard*—” Stephanie moved. She lunged for the cellar stairs, her body a blur of desperation. A gunshot roared, the bullet ricocheting off the iron railing as she scrambled upward. Behind her, Leon and Adriana’s shouts tangled into a cacophony of betrayal. *Run. Don’t look back.* ---The vineyard’s skeletal vines whipped past as Jake’s truck careened down the dirt road, headlights off. Stephanie clutched the door h
Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 14: The Escape Plan
The digital clock on Stephanie’s nightstand blinked *3:47 AM* in blood-red numerals. She lay perfectly still, her hand resting on the swell of her abdomen, counting the baby’s kicks like seconds ticking down on a bomb. *Two days.* Jake’s last message burned in her mind: *“Safe house secured. Be ready to move.”* But the Vanclair estate had become a fortress—cameras in every corner, guards patrolling the gardens, and Leon’s suspicion sharpening into something violent. She slid out of bed, her bare feet silent on the cold marble. In the ensuite bathroom, she locked the door and crouched beside the vanity, her trembling fingers prying up a loose floor tile. Beneath it lay her lifeline: a burner phone, a stack of forged medical documents, and a lockpick hidden inside a tampon applicator. Jake’s voice echoed in her memory from their last coded call: *“Fake the appointment. They’ll expect a trap—so give them a better one.”* ---**9:15 AM** “I need to see Dr. Voss *now*,” Stephanie gasp
Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 13: Silent Rebellion
The Vanclair mansion’s library was a mausoleum of leather-bound books and unspoken secrets. Stephanie sat stiffly in a wingback chair, her fingers tracing the gilded edge of a family photo album Leon had forced her to display for that afternoon’s “casual” interview with a society magazine. The interviewer had left an hour ago, charmed by Leon’s rehearsed anecdotes about “marital bliss,” but the cloying scent of his cologne still clung to the air. “Smile wider,” he’d whispered through gritted teeth when the photographer raised his lens. *“Or I’ll cancel your obstetric appointment next week.”She’d obeyed, her cheeks aching. Now, alone, she reached for the locket at her throat—a cheap silver heart she’d owned since childhood, the only thing the Vanclairs hadn’t confiscated. Inside, she’d hidden a slip of paper with Jake’s latest instructions: Meet me at the boathouse. Midnight.The locket snapped shut as the library door creaked open. “Still here?” Leon lingered in the doorway, hi
Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 12: The Contract
The mansion’s grand clock chimed midnight, its hollow echoes reverberating through the marble halls. Stephanie sat at the edge of her gilded bed, her fingers trembling as they traced the embossed patterns of the marriage contract she’d signed months ago—a document she’d naively believed was a formality. Moonlight sliced through the velvet curtains, casting jagged shadows over the words she now scrutinized, though their true meaning had always been just beyond her grasp. A sharp rap at the door shattered the silence. Before she could rise, it swung open, revealing Leon’s mother, Marguerite Vanclair, her silhouette framed like a blade in the doorway. Her ice-blonde hair was coiled into a flawless chignon, her charcoal suit tailored to intimidate. The air thickened with the cloying scent of jasmine perfume. “You,” Marguerite spat, striding forward, her stiletto heels striking the floor like gunshots. “Did you think we wouldn’t find out about your little *performance* at the gala?”
Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 11: The Affair
The anonymous text burned into Stephanie’s retina like a branding iron. **Unknown:** *He’s at her penthouse. 8th Ave, Suite 3400. You deserve the truth.* Attached was a photo of Leon’s black Bentley idling outside Adriana’s luxury high-rise, timestamped *9:03 p.m.* Stephanie’s hands shook as she stared at the screen, the walls of the empty mansion closing in around her. Leon had left hours ago, muttering about a "shareholder emergency." Now moonlight spilled through the windows, casting long, skeletal shadows across the marble floors. *Check. Or walk away.* She grabbed her keys. --- Adriana’s penthouse loomed over the city, its glass facade reflecting the skyline like a jagged smile. Stephanie rode the elevator in a trance, her reflection warped in the polished steel—pale, hollow-eyed, foolish. The doors slid open to a private foyer, the sound of laughter seeping through the cracked door of Suite 3400. *Moans*. Stephanie froze. A woman’s breathy gasp, a man’s low groan
Used by my billionaire boss Chapter 10: Fractured Trust
Stephanie stared at the pregnancy test balanced on the edge of the marble sink, its twin pink lines glowing like a verdict. The bathroom’s gold fixtures blurred as tears pooled in her eyes. *Four weeks*. Four weeks since Leon had cornered her in his study, his breath was hot with scotch and regret. Four weeks since he’d pinned her to the desk, his hands possessive, his apologies lost in the heat of their collision. She pressed a trembling hand to her stomach. *His heir*. The word curdled in her mind. Genevieve’s threats slithered back—*we’ll handle it quietly*—but beneath the fear, a fragile hope flickered. *What if this changes everything?* --- The dining hall felt colder than usual. Stephanie had spent hours draping the table in Leon’s favorite crimson silk, lighting vanilla candles he’d once joked reminded him of her skin. The filet mignon sat congealing on fine china, the clock ticking past 9 p.m. Her phone buzzed. **Leon:** *Emergency meeting. Don’t wait up.* Stephani
