Chapter 127 Elodie’s Pov~ The starting price for the emerald jewelry was one and a half million. Someone immediately jumped in. “Two million p> I raised my paddle, my voice still steady despite how my entire core was beginning to tremble. “Two point three million p> “Two point five million
Chapter 126 Elodie’s POV~ This time, Rex didn’t counter. The auctioneer’s gavel came down with a sharp crack. “Sold! To the lady in blue for fifty million dollars p> The room erupted in applause and whispers, everyone turning to look at Sienna like she was royalty. And maybe, in this
Chapter 125 Elodie’s POV~ Sienna was wearing a blue satin gown that shimmered under the lights like water. The fabric clung to her in all the right places, and her jewelry that were diamonds, probably, sparkled so brightly I could see them from where I sat. She looked like she’d
Chapter 124 Elodie’s POV~ “But I don’t have an invitation p> Cara hesitated, biting her lip. “The invitations for this auction went out half a month ago. It’s not easy to get one now, but if you really want to go p> She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t have
Chapter 123 Elodie’s POV~ Even if Dante and I weren’t officially divorced yet or even if we already were, I’d still have to invite the Bellini family. Nonna and my grandmother had been friends for decades. It was the polite thing to do. The expected thing. Whether they actually showed
Chapter 122 Dante had already turned his attention back to the book, his fingers tracing the edge of a page. Then, almost absently, he said, “Your annotations are quite good p> It was a simple and straightforward compliment. But Elodie didn’t acknowledge it. She grabbed the hairdryer without a word
Chapter 121 Elodie’s pov~ Since my desk was positioned right where the camera could catch the door, I realized immediately that Dante had walked in. I adjusted the angle quickly, tilting the laptop just enough to keep him out of frame. But it wasn’t fast enough. The camera had already
Chapter 120 Dante stood without another word and walked toward the stairs. The silence that followed was thick, and awkward. Everyone at the table exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of it. After a beat, Levi broke the tension with a grin. “Well… it’s definitely more sincere when Dante
Chapter 119 Elodie’s POV~ After four hours of nonstop work, my brain felt like it was going to short-circuit. The screen had started blurring together, and even Johnny’s voice was beginning to sound like white noise. “Alright, let’s take a break,” he said, and I could hear the exhaustion in
Chapter 118 Liora didn’t want her mom to come down. She really didn’t. If Elodie joined them, there would be tension. Awkwardness. The kind of heavy silence that would settle over a table like fog, making it hard to breathe. Her mom and Aunt Sienna in the same room never
Chapter 117 Before Nonna could say anything more, she noticed Dante emerging from the corridor, already changed out of his bathrobe and back into casual clothes. Nonna had been hoping, praying, really that something would happen between him and Elodie in that intimate little pool. Some spark. Some connection. Something
Chapter 116 Elodie’s POV I felt my stomach twist. “Nonna, I already brought my own p> “Don’t worry, tesoro. It’s nothing inappropriate. Open it and see for yourself p> I lifted the lid slowly, like the box might bite me. And there the Lingerie was. My face went hot immediately.
Chapter 115 Elodie’s POV~ Johnny went still beside me. Then he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper like Nolan could somehow still hear us. “Professor… why does Dante want to meet with you? Can you tell us p> There was a pause on the other end. Brief. Detached.
Chapter 114 ELODIE’S POV~ I heard his footsteps behind me and turned around, the property deed still clutched in my hand. “I saw this,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “Thank you p> He stopped a few feet away, his tie already loosened, the top button of his shirt undone.
Chapter 113 ELODIE’S POV~ I was halfway through closing my laptop when Nonna’s voice came again through the speaker, warm but laced with something I couldn’t quite place. “Will you be home for dinner, tesoro p> My fingers stilled on the keyboard. There was a pause that was too long,
Chapter 112 ELODIE’S POV~ As soon as the realization settled in, a wave of sharp bitterness rose in my throat, that was unwelcomed. The air in the car suddenly felt thick, and suffocating. I needed fresh air, needed to breathe but my hand hovered over the window button, trembling slightly.
Chapter 111 ELODIE’S POV~ A wave of embarrassment hit me, but I forced myself to stay calm. We were still married, after all. And even though things had been strained between us lately, it wasn’t like we hadn’t shared a bed plenty of times before. I’d never actively tried to
Chapter 110 ELODIE’S POV~ I barely had time to process what he’d said before the line went dead. I stood there in the hallway, my phone still pressed to my ear, staring at the blank screen. Typical Dante. Dante never wasted words, never lingered on a call longer than absolutely
Chapter 109 ELODIE’S POV~ “Mm. Let’s go p> I entered the room first, and when Dante followed, I said, “Close the door p> I didn’t want our argument, if it came to that, to disturb Liora. Come to think of it, though we’d been married for years, our relationship was
Chapter 108 ELODIE’S POV~ When I heard Sienna answer the phone, I wasn’t surprised. I should have been, maybe. But I wasn’t. After all, Dante and Sienna had become so close that there was no longer any distinction between them. His phone was her phone. His space was her space.