All Chapters of The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

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

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

“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

“You’re avoiding me,” I said, my voice trembling as I stood in the doorway of Alexander’s home office. The room was dimly lit, his silhouette cast against the floor-to-ceiling windows as he stared out at the city.He didn’t turn around, his shoulders tense beneath the crisp lines of his suit. “I’m not avoiding you.”“You haven’t looked me in the eye since this morning,” I shot back, stepping into the room. “And every time I try to talk to you, you shut me out.”“I’m dealing with it, Leila,” he said, his tone clipped. “You don’t need to worry about me.”“I don’t need to?” I echoed, my chest tightening. “You’re my husband, Alexander. Of course I worry about you.”He turned then, his gray eyes stormy, the weight of the world etched into every line of his face. “You don’t understand, Leila. If I let you in—if you see everything I’m dealing with—you’ll realize I’m not the man you think I am.”His words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What are you talking about?”“I’m supposed to protect y

The air in the conference room felt heavy, as though the walls were closing in, trapping us in the tension that had been building for weeks. Alexander stood at the head of the long table, his presence commanding, but the storm brewing behind his eyes betrayed his calm facade. I sat beside him, my hand resting lightly on his knee beneath the table, a silent reassurance that he wasn’t alone.“They’ll be here soon,” Alexander said, his voice low and steady, though his clenched fists on the table told a different story.“And when they walk in?” I asked, keeping my tone soft but resolute. “What’s the plan?”His gaze flicked to me, the vulnerability he rarely showed breaking through for just a moment. “We hold our ground. We don’t let them think for a second that they’ve won.”“Good,” I said, sitting straighter. “Because they haven’t.”Before he could respond, the door swung open, and Damien Hale strolled in, his smirk as sharp as ever. Behind him was Cassandra Bennett, her heels clicking a