THE CEO’s CONTRACT SUGAR BABY のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

“Thank you, Ms. Sinclair. I’m quiet…” Before Roman could say anything more, another voice cut through the conversation with a smooth and commanding tone. “It’s quite a beautiful place you have here, congratulations.” I froze, The voice couldn’t be mistaken—the kind that had once sent shivers down my spine and it made my heart race—the voice that once made every fibre of my being fall at his command. Every fibre of my being screamed at me to stay calm and not to react. Fuckkk! I didn’t think he was going to be here; how could I face him? Without thinking, I just turned away and walked towards the nearest bathroom to escape. I didn’t even bother to excuse myself, and I was sure that Landon was startled, but I just needed to get away. My heart pounded in my chest as I pushed open the door and slipped inside. As soon as I closed the door, I could barely hear the noise of the event, and it was a relief. I needed to breathe; why wouldn’t the universe just leave me alone? Why bring

VICTORIA’S POV It’s been two days since my last severe episode. If Aiden hadn’t come on time to pull me out of the pain and delusional state I was in, then I could have overdosed and died right there, alone in the center of my own living room. If anyone had told me I would be losing my mind, with the probability of being confined to a psychiatric home forever in my twenties, then I could have bet my future that it wouldn’t be possible. Everything was worse for me; right after my brother was born, I should have known that my problems just skyrocketed by 100 percent. I mean, how didn’t I see it coming? My father had claimed that my brother was his first child, and I was three freaking years older than he was. That was the first red flag I ignored, and it was costing me my life. Aiden had been with me for two days, never leaving my side, sleeping right beside me on the floor in the living room, and holding my hand because I couldn’t sleep in my room. How could I? The walls were t

***************** The day had been nothing short of exciting, but it sure came with something pretty annoying. Seeing Valerie again wasn’t even what ticked me off; it was what Genevieve said that kept replaying like a broken record in my head. And I didn’t want to think about it, but it was hard not to. So while I was trying so hard to forget him, getting rid of almost everything I owned that reminded me of him, he was focusing all his energy on Genevieve? All I wanted to think about was just the cheers, the excitement, and the rush of adrenaline I felt as Landon’s team dominated the field— I wouldn’t let Damian’s issue sink into my head again. I was never a big fan of sports, but I could hardly believe how well Landon had played, and even now, as we sat at one of the tables in the grand dining hall, the energy from the game was still in the air. The executives had invited the winning teams for the day to an exclusive dinner with CEOs and other important business figures, and

DAMIAN’S POV As the crowd erupted in a deafening roar as the winning goal was scored, I could hear other executives around me cheering and clinking their glasses together as they celebrated their successful bets. I had bet on the same team, the Steel Hawks or whatever their name was, and now that they won, I felt fulfilled a bit.. Because betting to me was never about the money, it meant nothing to me. I wouldn’t take their filthy bet money; where would my dignity go? The power of being right, of knowing that my word is, will, and will continue to be law, was all that mattered to me. As the celebration continued, I sipped slowly from my champagne; my eyes scanned the crowd. The energy couldn’t be missed; the air was just busting with excitement. Just as I was about to look away, something caught my attention. A player—one of the star athletes—was running towards the stands. The camera followed his every move, then it panned up to the stands, where I saw her.

LEXIE’S POV I sat down in the conference room as I tried my best to focus on the decision at hand, but my thoughts kept drifting . The room was filled with the usual suspects: Mr. Anthony, who was my boss—the chief editor, the marketing director, Margaret, and Stephen, the head of sales. And seated across us was Mr. Walsh; he was our client and a very popular author. He had chosen to publish his new book with us at Milton, and we couldn’t be more excited, particularly me. It would be my first time working with a big author, and it meant so much to my career. Even if the new life I had managed to enjoy and create for myself was starting to fall apart thanks to Damian, I could still hold on to my job. “Lexie here is one of our best,” Anthony said, nodding towards me. “She has such an impeccable eye for detail and an instinct for what readers feel is the new trending thing. Your book will be in good hands, Mr. Walsh.” I managed a small smile to acknowledge Anthony’s compl