51. First Love? What bullshit!

Miller's eyes flickered once toward the oversized blazer hanging off her shoulders that she had arrived in.“I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me,” he continued dryly. “Though judging by the situation downstairs, I assume the welcoming committee didn’t exactly leave you much time to recover.”Eloise froze instantly.Even through the exhaustion clouded her brain, years of survival instinct kicked in fast. Every warning bell in her head started screaming at once.“Internal Affairs?” she repeated carefully. “Look, Agent, if this is about the mess at the airport, my husband is already dealing with it. A federal judge is involved now. We’ve done nothing wrong.”Miller gave a small smile, though there was nothing friendly about it."Oh, this has nothing to do with Prosecutor Demoor's corruption disaster," his words were very calm, and that honestly was scaring me.I'm on the very edge of calling Abraham, but he was in a meeting with the barrister, right? Besides, asking for h

52. It was not an act.

“My wife and I… are absolutely in love.” Abraham walked inside. A smug grin tugged at the corner of her lips.He was still slightly disheveled from before. His sharp green eyes swept the room once, gazing at Miller, then swiftly landed on Eloise. Immediately, his cold gaze softened. Eloise blinked. When did he return? How much did he listen? Questions swirled within her mind.He walked in slowly. “Agent Miller,” he said, his voice calm enough to be polite, but there was nothing polite underneath it.“I see, you're here entertaining my wife.” He stopped right behind his wife. His arms locked firmly around her waist and pulled her back against his chest in a way that looked as if she belonged there.Eloise froze for a second, her breath caught at the sudden closeness, but she forced herself to stay in character, even as her mind screamed at how his closeness tickled her stomach.But what he did next left her rendered speechless… Abraham lowered his head and pressed a sudden kiss to

53. Leo's mother

Eloise stared at the man in a daze. Did he just confess? She didn't understand at all. Her lips parted and then closed. She couldn't utter a single word. The entire day's exhaustion finally took over, and she felt too haggard even to use a single brain cell.Looking down at her tired eyes, the dark, predatory hunger in Abraham’s eyes instantly softened, melting into something fiercely protective.Even though he wanted to, he didn't push his advantage, and he didn't lean in to claim the kiss that was practically begging to happen between them.Instead, with a single, swift movement, he effortlessly picked her up into his arms.A soft gasp tore through her lips, her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck for balance as he carried her away. "Abraham, wait... put me down. I ca-an walk!""You can barely stand," his voice rumbled. "You need to rest."With Eloise in his arms, he stepped into the massive, dimly lit bedroom and laid her down gently. “If this goes on for a few more mi

54. You're not bad...

Leo's Mother?... Eloise glanced at the back of the cold, distant man.Does that mean there was more than just family disputes?She knows there was a deep-seated grudge between the brothers, but she didn't know how deep it was.Could Damien and his family have anything to do with Leo's mother? Did they hurt her, or something?... She thought. But her thoughts paused and broke when Abraham hung up. Immediately, she rushed to the bed and pulled the duvet over her just as he entered the room.She closed her eyes, forcing her breathing to become steady as though she had been sleeping all along.Abraham returned to bed and slipped beside her, pulling her into his arms once more. He dropped a soft kiss on her neck. "I'll not let them touch you ever again." His warm whisper rang as a silent promise in her ear. Her fingers clenched tightly as she laid there almost dead. She didn't dare to move. However, soon, his breathing on her neck turned steady. "Did he fall asleep?" she thought, but

55. Who's the woman?

“Well, I hoped you would disturb me, Mrs. Argos.” Those words hung in the air, making her choke on her own breath. Her eyes were wide, staring at him in a daze. Her heart slammed violently against her ribs. She was trapped between the unyielding wall of his chest and the hard, cold glass of the window.She wanted to turn around, to push him away, but as his thumbs lightly traced a slow, burning circle across the bare skin of her shoulders, her body betrayed her.Her body subconsciously leaned into him, bewitched by the dangerous promise of his closeness.At that moment, if he were to take her to bed, she would gladly follow. However, in the end, it couldn't happen as a knock on the door shattered their moment.The sharp knock cuts through the suffocating tension, followed by a polite voice… “Chairman, it's time,” Marcus spoke outside the door. Eloise was finally snapped out of her daze. She let out a shaky sigh, expecting Abraham to drop his hands and step back. But, he didn't

56. Unwanted Guest

‘The last one.’ Those words sounded like poison to her ears. What did she mean by that? Abraham's words from last night flashed through her mind. He had mentioned Leo's mother. Did Victoria mean Leo’s mother as well? Eloise felt her heartbeat rise to the point of fainting, yet she managed herself. She kept her chin up, her spine rigid as a steel rod, refusing to give Victoria the satisfaction of seeing her break. The air between them was thick with unspoken malice, but Eloise refused to choke on it. She looked Victoria dead in the eye, a cool, dismissive smile played on her lips. "You know, Victoria, you spend so much time trying to tarnish my name, you’ve completely missed how badly your own foundation is cracking.”Immediately Victoria’s smile vanished. “Enjoy the party. I’m done wasting my breath on you." With that final remark, Eloise turned on her heel and walked away.But as soon as Victoria was out of sight, the icy composure began to fracture. Victoria’s venomous words