All Chapters of Contracted to Deceive : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

(Gloria)She stands tall and as poised as ever, dressed in an elegant dark green gown that complements her features. Unlike Madison’s barely veiled contempt, Eleanor’s expression is smooth and not unkind.Gabriel doesn’t even look surprised. He straightens his posture, his tone polite. “Mother.”Eleanor’s lips curve into a small smile. “Gabriel, darling.” She says as her eyes sweep over him with quiet approval before settling on me.I stand my ground, willing myself to keep my expression neutral.Eleanor studies me briefly, then she looks back at Gabriel, tilting her head slightly. “You clean up well,” she says, amusement seeping through her tone. “That suit does wonders for your posture.”Gabriel huffs a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “And you look lovely, as always.”She accepts the compliment with a graceful nod before turning her attention fully to me. Her gaze is measured and observant.“Gloria,” she says smoothly, a trace of warmth in her voice. “That dress is stunning on you.”

(Gloria)The alarm doesn’t go off. Or maybe it does and I just don’t hear it, because the next thing I know, I’m bolting upright with rays of sunlight stabbing through the windowblinds and my heart slamming in my chest.Shit.I scramble off the couch with my body protesting every movement. My neck is stiff, my back feels like I spent the night in a damn wrestling match, and my head is still throbbing from yesterday. No time to shower or change clothes, so I grab my bag, and sprint out the door.The sun is merciless as I stand outside, shifting from foot to foot and cursing every damn cab in this city.Where are they? It’s like the entire population decided to call for a ride at the exact same time. My phone screen mocks me, no rides available.I groan, my head is still pounding, my body aching from sleeping on the couch, and every second that passes feels like a step closer to unemployment.Finally, a cab slows down in front of me and I literally throw myself at it, yanking the door o

I was at work so early, I half expected to find the cleaning staff still vacuuming the carpets. Maybe if I clocked in before the sun did, Gabriel would stop looking at me like I was an unreliable idiot. Not that I cared what he thought. Nope. Not at all.I dropped my bag on my desk, sighing as I leaned back in my chair. My brain still hadn’t shut up about last night. Kate and Damon. That name alone made my stomach twist. It wasn’t just some casual fling, there was something bigger happening, something shady.And I could’ve sworn Damon had glanced in my direction, like he felt someone was watching. My heart had practically leapt out of my chest. If Elena and Jordan hadn’t kept chatting, giving me the perfect cover, I might not have been so lucky.I exhaled. I needed to be smart. Gabriel had already shut me down once. If I went to him with nothing but “Your sneaky assistant is up to something,” he’d probably roll his eyes and go back to being icecold. I needed solid proof before I broug

(Gloria)I step into the home office, expecting to see Gabriel at his desk, but the chair is empty. I frown, glancing around. Where the hell did he go?I spin on my heel and walk back into the hallway, my irritation increasing with every step. This mansion is huge and way too big for one man. No wonder he’s always so stiff, he probably doesn’t even know what human interaction feels like outside of work.I spot one of the housekeepers walking by and clear my throat. “Uh, excuse me? Where’s Gabriel?”She pauses, wiping her hands on her apron. “Mr. Montclair is in his room, miss. Would you like me to show you?”I hesitate. His room? That feels… personal. But then again, I do need to talk to him about the papers, and it’s not like I can leave anyway with this storm rolling in.I nod. “Yeah, sure.”She leads me through a different hallway, the lights shifting slightly as the wind howls outside. The storm is definitely getting worse. I don’t even have reception

(Gloria)Gabriel looks down at the huge stain, then back up at me. He doesn’t look pissed, though. I should probably say something… oops, maybe? Sorry, my bad? But my brain stalls when he steps back and, just like that, pulls his shirt over his head.I blink.Oh.The fabric drops to the floor, forgotten, and I barely hear the soft sound it makes. Because what the hell. Gabriel Montclair is shirtless, right in front of me. And I was not prepared for this. His body is all hard lines, sharp edges, and just the right amount of muscle that makes my mouth go dry. He’s lean but strong, every inch of him looking like it was carved by someone who knew exactly how to ruin my ability to think.And God help me, he’s not even trying. I’m still trying to reboot my system when he turns back around, reaching for the wine bottle in my hand.Our fingers brush and a zap of electricity shoots up my arm, I swallow, suddenly hyper-aware of everything, his bare chest, the heat radiating off his body, the wa