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Chapter 19

last update publish date: 2026-05-27 20:17:59

Cora

A few days later, I was back in my safe haven. The air inside my private creative fragrance lab was thick and intoxicating, heavy with the luxurious scents of premium essential oils, jasmine extract, and freshly crushed botanicals.

I stood quietly by the white marble workstation, a glass pipette in my hand, focused on a new, experimental formula. Watching the golden liquid drip slowly into a crystal beaker always had a way of grounding me. It was the one place where the noise of the corpo
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  • Too Late To Claim The Bride   Chapter 42

    Cora The fallout from the charity gala was absolutely delicious.The next morning, the New York business tabloids were completely covered in blurry, high-resolution pictures of Leon shoving his wealthy cousin into a tower of shattering champagne flutes, the headline openly mocking the crumbling discipline of Halefield Luxury.I sat comfortably behind the wide marble desk in my private penthouse office, the morning sun streaming through the glass panes and casting a bright glow over my tailored silk blouse.Leon was forced to crawl back to my territory for the scheduled review meeting, looking completely exhausted and entirely broken down as he stood near the leather armchairs.He had dark, heavy circles under his green eyes, his skin looking incredibly pale and his hair slightly messy, looking like a man who hadn't slept a single minute since the orchestra stopped playing.According to Chloe’s internal legal contacts, his father had given him a brutal, public scolding in the main lob

  • Too Late To Claim The Bride   Chapter 41

    Leon I was forced to attend a charity gala organized by my father's primary investment firm, my mind completely checked out as I scanned the elite crowd filling the grand ballroom.The room was a dizzying blur of glittering crystal chandeliers, expensive silk tuxedos, and women dripping in millions of dollars worth of diamonds, but the luxury just made me feel entirely empty inside.I stood near the edge of the marble pillars, a glass of dark bourbon idling in my hand, my fingers gripping the crystal so tightly that my knuckles turned a sharp, pale shade of white.My stepbrother Marcus was standing right near the grand staircase, a loud, obnoxious laugh escaping his throat as he hovered around a group of our company's top potential investors.He was loudly bragging to them about how he was already planning the company's full restructuring, openly treating my position like a temporary seat he was destined to inherit."Leon managed to secure the signature, yes, but the internal margins

  • Too Late To Claim The Bride   Chapter 40

    Cora The happy, buzzing energy of the morning transferred smoothly to a high-end, private fashion boutique in the heart of Soho, the wide glass windows letting the bright New York sun stream across the plush velvet carpets.Annie and I were lounging comfortably on an oversized cream sofa, sipping premium champagne from crystal flutes while we picked out elegant dresses for Chloe's upcoming destination wedding in Europe.The atmosphere inside the exclusive store was completely relaxed, the boutique owner personally bringing out the newest seasonal collections while practically bowing to me with every single breath she took.Ricky and Riley were completely in their element, running in playful circles around the heavy velvet changing room curtains, both of them wearing oversized designer sunglasses they had snatched off a low display table."Maman, look at me! I am a movie star!" Ricky laughed hysterically, his dark curls bouncing wildly as he struck a dramatic pose on a small gilded st

  • Too Late To Claim The Bride   Chapter 39

    Leon I spent the rest of the afternoon staring completely blankly at the dark wood wall of my executive office, the silence in the room feeling heavy and suffocating.My skin was still tingling from the freezing fury Cora had radiated inside that elevator, the raw intensity of her hazel eyes burned so deeply into my mind that I could still feel the phantom heat of her breath hitting my face.She had stood inches away from me, completely unbothered by my rage, looking down on me as if I were nothing more than an inconvenient speck of dust on her expensive designer shoes.My phone buzzed aggressively on the glass desk for the fourth time in the last hour, the bright screen lighting up with Candice’s name.I let out a ragged, exhausted sigh and dragged the phone to my ear, not even bothering to give a proper greeting. "What is it, Candice?""Leon, finally! You are literally ruining my entire evening right now," Candice’s high-pitched voice immediately whined through the speaker, her ton

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    Cora The office air was thick enough to choke on, smelling faintly of the expensive white floral arrangements Leon had wasted his quarterly budget on just to impress me.I didn't even blink as I glided right past him at the entrance doors, my heels clicking with a steady, lethal rhythm against his polished marble floorboards.I left him standing out there on his own ridiculous red carpet like a complete fool, his arms half-extended and his jaw slightly open in front of his whispering staff.The low, frantic murmurs of his employees echoed softly against the high ceilings of the atrium, but I kept my eyes locked straight ahead, completely ignoring the drama.I strutted straight into the grand executive boardroom on the top floor, my movements completely natural and full of an independent power.Chloe walked right by my side as my legal shadow, her sharp heels matching my pace while she carried the heavy leather folders containing our official counter-metrics.I didn't wait for a host

  • Too Late To Claim The Bride   Chapter 37

    Leon The grand headquarters of Halefield Luxury looked immaculate under the bright morning sun, the soaring glass atrium reflecting the clean New York sky like a massive mirror. The entire main lobby had been completely transformed over the last twelve hours. The air smelled rich and expensive from the hundreds of premium white floral arrangements my team had positioned along the marble pillars, masking the usual sterile scent of polished stone and air conditioning.A pristine red carpet was rolled out across the entire length of the polished floor, stretching all the way from the security desks straight out to the public pavement. Every single department head, executive assistant, and junior designer stood in a straight, rigid line along the edges of the carpet, their faces tight with a mixture of how tired they were and discipline. They had been drilled on the protocol since six in the morning.I stood near the heavy glass entrance doors, adjusting the cuffs of my custom suit jacke

  • Too Late To Claim The Bride   Chapter 15

    Cora The morning sun came through the blinds in my office. It made sharp lines across my huge glass desk.The room smelled like jasmine and fresh paper. It was a calm place that always made me feel better right away. I sat back in my leather chair. My hands were perfectly steady. I held a nice pen

  • Too Late To Claim The Bride   Chapter 14

    Leon I stood frozen by the doors. The heavy glass door clicked shut behind Julian and the woman who just ruined my entire reality.My heart was hammering so hard it felt like it would burst right through my tuxedo jacket. Blood rushed to my ears. It was a loud static noise that blocked out everyth

  • Too Late To Claim The Bride   Chapter 12:

    Leon I felt pure fury and bitter desperation burning in my chest. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think.Just ten minutes ago, I had been standing inside that gorgeous lobby. Then, four huge security guards politely but firmly put their hands on my shoulders.They walked me right out the doors, lik

  • Too Late To Claim The Bride   Chapter 11

    Cora My nice Paris apartment usually looked super perfect. But this morning, it was a total disaster, like a bomb went off in the living room.I was rushing around the bright room. I bent down to grab a plastic toy dinosaur. I almost stepped on a kid book about a bear in space.Tiny children's jac

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