All Chapters of Your Lips to Mine #2: The Billionaire's Secret Garden: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

There’s something peaceful about tending to a garden that only you truly understand—the rhythm of the earth, the hum of life in every bloom, and the quiet satisfaction that comes from nurturing something from the ground up. My tulip garden was my escape, my sanctuary from the world. It was a gift from my mother, who had carefully cultivated each flower before passing on the knowledge and love for it to me. I knelt down beside my prized *Midnight Flame* tulips, gently trimming away the excess leaves, making sure each delicate petal would bloom perfectly by morning. The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow across the garden, and for a moment, I could almost forget the stress of the outside world. For a while now, I had been battling the land developers trying to buy out this corner of Eldenbrook. They wanted to replace the small, quiet flower shop with some trendy boutique or office complex. But this shop was my family’s heart and soul, and I refused to let anyone take that from me.M

The days that followed were a blur of orders and deliveries, the steady rhythm of my routine acting as a shield against thoughts of Alexander. I had told myself I wouldn’t let him disrupt my life, and for the most part, I had kept my focus on the things that mattered—my flowers, my garden, the little community around me. I had no room for men like him. Not now. Not ever.But then, as if fate had a cruel sense of humor, he showed up again.It was late afternoon when I heard the familiar jingle of the shop door. I glanced up, already dreading the sight of him, and there he was—tall, commanding, dressed in that signature sharp suit that made him look like he belonged to a world I could never touch. Alexander Kane. As usual, there was something about him that made my pulse quicken despite my best intentions to ignore it.He stood just inside the door, his gaze sweeping over the shop before landing on me. There was no smile this time, no pleasantries. Just that cool, calculated look, like

The days that followed Alexander's visit to the shop felt like I was walking through a fog, my mind constantly torn between the pressure of my shop’s future and the impossible offer he’d made. The universe was giving me one problem after another, as if it couldn’t decide if it wanted me to sink or swim.The phone call from Mr. Langley had been the first blow. The rent increase was more than just an inconvenience; it was a threat to everything I had worked for. The shop had been my safe haven, my escape from a world that often seemed indifferent to those who didn’t have power or influence. But now, that sanctuary was slipping away from me, and I had no idea how to stop it. Thirty percent more. How was I supposed to handle that?I spent the night pacing my tiny apartment, my brain too jumbled to come up with a solution. No matter how hard I tried to focus, my mind kept drifting back to Alexander, and the more I thought about it, the more his offer seemed like the only option. I could al

I hadn’t slept much since Alexander’s visit. His words echoed in my mind like a persistent hum I couldn’t turn off. “I’m trying to help you.” Those words were tangled with the memory of his intense eyes, eyes that seemed to see too much. But help from a man like Alexander Kane came with strings, didn’t it? I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out what those strings might be. The shop was quiet that morning. Normally, I loved the solitude—just me, the flowers, and the soft hum of my favorite playlist in the background. Today, though, the silence felt heavy. Each time the bell over the door jingled, I hoped for a distraction. A regular customer, Mrs. Howard, stopped by to pick up a bouquet for her granddaughter’s birthday. She chatted about cake flavors and party themes, and I nodded along, though I barely heard a word she said. When she left, I sighed and returned to the tulips. My hands moved on autopilot as I arranged them into neat bundles. Their bright colors usually brought me pea

The next few days felt like an endless stretch of fog, each moment heavy with the weight of indecision. The shop, once a sanctuary of calm and routine, now felt like a battleground where my thoughts were at war. Every corner, every flower, every vase of tulips seemed to remind me of what was at stake. I had spent countless hours tending to the shop, arranging the flowers, greeting customers, all while my mind remained occupied with Alexander’s offer. It wasn’t just the financial stability that tugged at me, though that was a large part of it—it was the trust, or the lack thereof, that I felt in that offer. A partnership with Alexander Kane felt like stepping into a world that I wasn’t entirely ready for, and I wasn’t sure if I ever would be. As I arranged a bouquet of white lilies for a wedding, the bell above the door rang. I looked up, expecting the usual rush of customers, but instead, it was Kane himself, stepping into the shop again. His presence still had that same effect on