All Chapters of The Billionaire's Pawn : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

A Gentle Touch Naomi's POV The soft hum of the city outside was a stark contrast to the quiet calm of the apartment. I watched the world below pass by without me as I stood by the window. Elijah had secured a quiet, anonymous place, but the silence only made the pandemonium inside of me worse. I was free, wasn’t I? Free to breathe, to paint, to rebuild. Yet freedom felt heavier than I had imagined. I was startled out of my reverie by a knock on the door. “Come in,” I called, my voice barely above a whisper. Elijah stepped in, a folder tucked under his arm. “How are you settling in?” “It’s… nice,” I said, forcing a smile. Despite nodding, he didn't seem persuaded. “Nice doesn’t exactly scream ‘home.’” “It’s not supposed to,” I muttered, turning back to the window. “It’s just supposed to be safe.” A silence fell between us, but Elijah wasn’t the type to push. I appreciated that. “You know,” he said after a moment, “safety and comfort don’t have to be mutually exclu

Camille’s New PlanCamille's POV The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air while I was relaxing in my leather armchair and watching the city skyline sparkle like jewels through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse. The world below me buzzed with life, but my thoughts were consumed with only two people: Naomi and Roman. My perfectly manicured nails tapped against the glass table in a beat of frustration and resolve.He's slipping, you know." Elijah's smooth voice interrupted my thoughts as he walked in. Even though his outfit was perfectly made, but his expression carried the edge of someone who knew exactly how to wield his power. I didn’t bother to glance up.“Roman always slips when it comes to Naomi. That’s his weakness.” In order to let the ruby liquid catch the dimlight, I swirled the wine in my glass. “But a weakness is only useful if we know how to exploit it.”Elijah narrowed his eyes and sat down opposite me. "I've already placed her in a secure place.She

Fractured TrustNaomi's POVLong after the gala was over, Roman's worrs continued to torment me, a reminder of the past I was unable to leave behind. I was shaken by the encounter, and my resolve was fracturing like spiderwebs. And I couldn't help but question whether independence was worth the cost as I lay in bed that night, gazing up at the ceiling. The deep silence was broken by the piercing vibration of my phone buzzing on the nightstand. Roman's name appeared on the screen as I tentatively reached for it. A hundred ideas rushed through my head as my chest constricted. What could he possibly want now? I answered against my better judgment. "Naomi," he said in a smooth, quiet voice that was tinged with stress. I tightened my hold on the phone. "Roman, what do you want?" He said, "You left too soon." "We weren't done yet." I gave a sour laugh. "Done? We're never done, Roman. That is the issue.” A pause fell, the sort that weighed heavily on unsaid words. “You’ve m

The Locked Room RevealedRoman's POVThe whiskey burned on its way down, but it did little to dull the storm raging in my head. I'd spent a lifetime pretending that past scars didn't exist, but Margaret's words had pierced me deeply. My father's shadow, which I had struggled so hard to avoid, loomed greater than before. But there was truly no way out. No matter how far you ran, the past had a way of getting back at you. I jerked to my feet, causing the glass in my hand to shudder. With a purposeful clink, I put it down and gazed at the big oak door outside my office at the far end of the hallway. The locked room. It had been sealed and unopened for years, a memorial to a life I would never go back to. On one occasion, Naomi had asked about it, her inquisitive eyes resting too long on the brass handle. I later regretted the coldness with which I had shut her down, but I never apologized. Now, something hazardous had been triggered by Margaret's arrival. A need to face the roo

Elijah’s True Face Naomi's POV As I sat at the tiny café table and gazed into the frothy swirl of my unfinished cappuccino, the gentle hum of the espresso machine filled the room. The calm atmosphere seemed like a flimsy façade that could break at any time. With his well-tailored suit and unwavering charisma, Elijah sat opposite me. "Naomi, you have to trust me" he continued in a calm, low voice. "Trust you?" I chuckled dryly and looked up into his eyes. “You mean the way you’ve conveniently left out important details? The way you always manage to say just enough to keep me questioning everything?” Although his demeanor remained unwavering, there was a slight, barely noticeable fracture in his eyes. “I’ve done nothing but try to help you. Roman is dangerous, Naomi. You know that better than anyone.”"And you're not?" The distance between us briefly felt like a battlefield as the words escaped my lips before I could stop them. With his hands clasped on the table, Elijah leane