Semua Bab TO LOVE OR TO NOT: THE BILLIONAIRE'S CONTRACTED HEIR: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Soft gasps. Shallow pants. Heavy, ragged breaths.It took a moment for Cassandra’s vision to stop spinning when she finally came to. Her eyelids felt like lead, but as they fluttered open, the sheer scale of her unfamiliar surroundings forced her wide awake.A sharp gasp escaped her lips. She was in a living room that looked less like a home and more like a fever dream carved from a fairytale book.She was sprawled on a plush, ivory sofa in a space so vast it made her head swim. To her left, floor-to-ceiling glass walls replaced standard masonry, providing a breathtaking, panoramic view of the California night sky. Outside, the moon cast silver and golden hues over a rolling stretch of perfectly manicured greenery and exotic flowers—a botanical garden that put her windowsill succulents to shame.Inside, the architecture was all sharp lines and expensive textures: marble floors that shone like mirrors, a minimalist fireplace taller than she was, and a spiraling glass staircase that seem

From the floor-to-ceiling windows of his study, Ethan Gray watched the monitor of his security feed with a fascination he couldn't quite suppress. Outside the towering iron gates, the petite brunette was pacing about like a caged animal. Oh, she was so adorable.She was, objectively, a masterpiece of contradictions. Even through the grain of the camera, her beauty was undeniable—thick, chocolate-brown hair that tumbled over her shoulders in messy waves, and a frame so slight it seemed like a strong breeze might carry her away. But it was her eyes—those soft wide, expressive chocolate-brown eyes—that seemed to intrigue him the most.“It’s not an act! Listen to me, Ethan Gray. I was on my way to a clinic to get rid of the baby when your thugs grabbed me.”She was such a spitfire. Fearless. It was fascinating. But then, earlier, when she had screamed these words at him, she hadn't looked like she was lying. There had been this raw, jagged sincerity in her voice… But then his cynicism kick

Cassandra didn't realize how much her world had changed until she was standing before the grand entrance hall of JK University. Usually, the sight of the ivy-covered stone brought her a sense of peace —a reminder of the scholarship she'd worked really hard for. Today, it felt like the entrance to some kind of stage, one in which she must play the lead character.As if bypassing the flock of paparazzi that had been laying wait for her just outside the school gate wasn't enough!“Is that her? She looks so… plain,” a girl in head-to-toe Prada muttered, not even bothering to lower her voice.“I can't believe she is getting married to Ethan Gray. There is nothing special about her anyway. Is the man blind?” Another chimed in.“I heard she seduced him at a private club. Total gold-digger move. She is probably trapping him using the pregnancy and Ethan Gray is just too noble to evade responsibility.” Yet another chimed in, leaning against a locker. The judgy stares. The hushed murmurs. The

The hospital room was a stretch of sterile white walls. The rhythmic thrum of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room. Cassandra wrung out a clean towel in a basin of warm water, her movements gentle as she dabbed it across her mother’s pale forehead.“You’re going to be fine, Mom, I promise.”She leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to her mother’s brow, before adjusting the heavy duvet over her body and sinking into the plastic chair by the bedside.The surgery had been a grueling four-hour marathon, but the lead surgeon had emerged with a weary smile. The glioblastoma, a localized but aggressive tumor had been successfully resected. Using neuro-navigation and intraoperative MRI, they had managed to clear the mass without damaging the motor cortex.“The success rate for a total resection like this is roughly 80%,” the doctor had explained earlier. “The anesthesia was heavy, but once the sedative wears off, we expect her to recuperate well. The rest is up to her strength.

Nicole stared at Cassandra in disbelief. “Okay, first of all, that's not entirely true.”The wind was blowing hard now on both their faces, compelling their hairs to sway and dance.“Oh, but is.”Nicole groaned, rolling her eyes. “You are impossible.”Cassandra smiled into her coffee. Nicole shook her head.“You know word is he didn't just remove those stories.”Now this got Cassandra's attention. “What do you mean?”Nicole leaned closer. “I heard he blacklisted every media outlet and gossip blog that posted those articles. He even sued them. They are done for in the news industry. Done.”Cassandra blinked. Ethan had done that? All of it? For her?Nicole nudged her shoulder. “See? Pretend husband-to-be or not, he did something nice for you.”Cassandra remained quiet. Images flashed through her mind. The cruel headlines. The hateful comments. The articles mocking her. Then all of it disappearing overnight.Maybe… Maybe Ethan had actually felt bad… Maybe beneath all that arrogance and ic