All Chapters of The Unexpected Proposal: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

CHAPTER 11: ALEX’S LAST PLEAThis is his last turn, his last opportunity to rectify the harm he has done and straighten things out.He fixes his gaze at the door, the heavy wood separating him from all she has lost. His stomach gets contracted. Though he has been here many times, he has never been like this. As the seconds an eternity, his heart thumps in his chest.He knocks at last. He flinches since the sound echoes louder than he could have predicted. He has no idea what he expects. She has been waiting for him to return so she can dash into his arms, tell him it will all be well and reassure him. Alternatively, he is preparing for the worst.The door opens creakingly.He initially notes her frigid, far-off eyes. Something he cannot place flickers momentarily, but it goes too fast."Elizabeth... "Before he can stop, his voice breaks. His words reveal him, and their quiver makes him feel less than he should be.Her lips push together in a narrow line, but her face is still unreadab

CHAPTER 13: SIMEON’S TRUE MOTIVES?Simeon smells polished wood, leather, and something chilly, something calculated from his office. Dark bookcases lined with the knowledge he has gathered over years of empire-building cover the walls. Perfectly polished, his desk feels like an altar to ambition. And just now, he sits, slanted slightly forward, his fingers steepled together, carefully observing Elizabeth. He starts first, his voice austere and businesslike, yet underlying the words is a faint edge that cannot be disregarded. You would come around, I knew. Though he doesn't say it with pride, there is satisfaction there—a guarantee in his voice that causes Elizabeth's stomach to turn over. Her body tense as her fingers linger over the desk edge before him. Her head is whirling, attempting to assemble everything before this moment. She is devoid of options. Simeon keeps going, his voice getting increasingly forceful. "Everything business from here is from here. If this is to succeed

CHAPTER 15: JEALOUSLY BEGINS.Papers and emails demanding Elizabeth's attention abound on her desk, but her eyes always stray to Karin. Elizabeth comes past, and the woman's icy look from across the room is relentless; her eyes narrow every time. Elizabeth first wrote it off as professional rivalry, a logical outcome of ascending the corporate ladder. But it's obvious now that Karin's animosity becomes more profound as the days extend into weeks. Although her remarks are sugar-coated, they always seem to have a cutting edge. Yesterday, her comment on Elizabeth's office décor was, "Do you think those plants make you look more..." Approachable?" —speaking with an innocent smile but a dark undercurrent. Today, her response is a tight-lipped smile that hardly registers Elizabeth walking into the room. Elizabeth is learning to bite her tongue even though she has no tolerance for these subdued insults. She has been trying to keep her cool and working too hard to let one unhappy woman des

CHAPTER 17: SIMEON'S SOFT SPOT.The lights of the city blur as Simeon drives; the buzz of the motor is always there between them. Elizabeth wonders whether she is imagining it or if the silence between them has more weight than it ought to as the quiet drags on. Tonight feels different, yet she had anticipated him to be cold and aloof, the man who plans every action with a cold-blooded mentality.Simeon looks over at her and grips the steering wheel tightly, his usual confident look replaced by something calmer, more meditative. His jaw is fixed, and his customary manner is covered with a layer she can not quite understand.Simeon replies suddenly, his voice low and tinged with a calm fury, "You think I don't care." "But I do.."Elizabeth's heart pauses. His soothing voice surprises her. She had not expected this, had not expected him to be so transparent, so raw.She moves in her seat to attempt to understand his words. She probes, "You care?" the question hanging between them.His e

CHAPTER 19: ELIZABETH’S FIRST BUSINESSMOVE.Elizabeth enters the modern, glass-walled conference room and clicks her heels with every stride. She resists letting the weight of the moment show on her chest. The executives are already sitting at the large table, all eyes on her as she stands at the head facing them. She tightens her hold on the presentation remote despite feeling the pulse surge.Simeon is clearly in the corner of the room; his eyes fixated on her, tracking every action like a predator. He has placed her at the centre of the corporate world, which has devoured and spit out many times. This is her time to prove herself, not only a conference.When Simeon asked her to give this, his voice had added, "You know what's at stake." You either sink or you swim.She inhales deeply and then exhales gently, her fingers caressing the cool, smooth tabletop. Her voice is calm and controlled, even if she is furious. The figures, forecasts, and data all fit quite nicely. She is not la