Simon’s PR team was airtight–nothing ever leaked unless someone made sure it did.
There was only one explanation.
Noah had orchestrated and planned it all.
I put my phone down and turned to look at him as he drove.
“Thank you, Mr. Wells, for standing up for me.”
Noah’s expression darkened.
Reaching over, he pinched my nose hard. “Try calling me that again, and you’ll regret it tonight.”
1/3
“Mmmph…” I let out a small, defeated whimper like a scolded pet.
It wasn’t until tonight that I re
I realized Noah was a shareholder in the restaurant.
+15 BONUS
We sped home, the car slicing through the night.
The moment we stepped inside, Noah didn’t waste a second.
Hepinned me against the wall, kissing me intensely.
Buttons flew from my shirt, scattering across the floor.
The motion–sensor light at the entry flickered on, then off, then on again, struggling to keep up with us.
He kissed me endlessly.
By the time he pulled away, I was weak in his arms, unable to catch my breath.
His rough fingertips brushed over my mouth, his warm breath fanning my face as his dark eyes held mine for a long, intense
moment.
“Chloe, do you know what I was thinking about the whole drive here? I kept wondering… did Simon ever kiss you like this?”
He pushed my hair from my forehead, his lashes lowering, heavy with desire. “Just picturing you with him drives me insane. I
swear, I could kill him for it….
“So, tell me, Chloe–why did you choose him?”
Noah’s gaze bore down on me, half–lidded, carrying an almost suffocating sense of danger.
I pressed a helpless palm against him, my voice a whisper.
“Because… his side profile looks a lot like yours.
“When I heard you were engaged, I broke down. And then you disappeared. I had no way of reaching you.
“At the same time, my grandmother was gravely ill, and the weight of everything crushed me.
“My hair started falling out in clumps, and every night, I needed sleeping pills just to get a few hours of rest.
“Noah, I wanted to go overseas and find you. But my grandmother was in the hospital. She needed me.”
My shoulders trembled as tears spilled over, blurring my vision.
“And then Simon showed up. It was like I was drowning, and he was the only thing keeping me afloat. He became my anchor, my last grip on sanity. Just seeing him felt like having you close again.
“I knew it was wrong. I knew he wasn’t right for me. But I just wanted to survive. That was all–I just wanted to survive.”
2/3
Before I could say another word, Noah bent down and kissed me hard
Tears mixed between us, salty and warm, bleeding into the kiss
He choked back a sob, murmuring over and over, “I’m sorry I’m so sorry.”
