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The Billionaire I couldn't hate.
img img The Billionaire I couldn't hate. img Chapter 2 A JOB TOO GOOD TO IGNORE.
2 Chapters
Chapter 6 CONVERSATION AFTER LESSON. img
Chapter 7 LAYERS UNSEEN. img
Chapter 8 SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL. img
Chapter 9 THE QUIETNESS BETWEEN THEM. img
Chapter 10 LUNCH WASN'T PART OF THE PLAN. img
Chapter 11 WHEN FAMILIAR SEEMS DANGEROUS. img
Chapter 12 UNASKED QUESTIONS. img
Chapter 13 THE VERSION HE ALLOWS ME TO SEE. img
Chapter 14 NOT JUST AN EMPLOYER. img
Chapter 15 MOMENTS THAT LINGER. img
Chapter 16 ECHOES OF THE PAST. img
Chapter 17 SHADOWS AT THE EDGE. img
Chapter 18 CLOSER THAN DISTANCE. img
Chapter 19 THE FIRST CRACK. img
Chapter 20 WHEN THE WALLS CLOSE IN. img
Chapter 21 LINES THAT CANNOT BE UNDRAWN. img
Chapter 22 THE PRICE OF VISIBILITY. img
Chapter 23 THE MAN FROM THE PAST. img
Chapter 24 WHEN THE WORLD TURNS LOUD. img
Chapter 25 THE ACCUSATIONS. img
Chapter 26 THE ISOLATION GAME. img
Chapter 27 THE EDGE OF TRUST. img
Chapter 28 THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE. img
Chapter 29 WHAT SHE DIDN'T ASK. img
Chapter 30 THE QUESTION BETWEEN US. img
Chapter 31 WHEN SILENCE BECOMES DANGEROUS. img
Chapter 32 THE MEMORY THAT REFUSED TO STAY BURIED. img
Chapter 33 WHEN THE TRUTH WENT PUBLIC. img
Chapter 34 THE NIGHT TRUTH CHANGED HANDS. img
Chapter 35 THE DAY SHE CHOSE THE FIRE. img
Chapter 36 THE INHERITANCE NO ONE SPOKE OF. img
Chapter 37 THE ARCHITECTURE OF POWER. img
Chapter 38 SHADOWS IN THE BOARDROOM. img
Chapter 39 ECHOES OF BETRAYAL. img
Chapter 40 THE COST OF CONTROL. img
Chapter 41 THE TRANSFER OF POWER. img
Chapter 42 THE WEIGHT OF WHAT WAS NEVER OURS. img
Chapter 43 THE COORDINATES THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST. img
Chapter 44 WHAT THE LIGHTS REVEALED. img
Chapter 45 THE CALL YOU DON'T ANSWER. img
Chapter 46 THE DOOR THAT SHOULDN'T OPEN. img
Chapter 47 THE SHADOW THAT KNOWS YOUR NAME. img
Chapter 48 THE CHOICE NOONE SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE. img
Chapter 49 THE PLACE WHERE LIES WERE BURIED. img
Chapter 50 THE TRUTH THAT WAITED IN THE DARK. img
Chapter 51 THE PRICE OF KNOWING. img
Chapter 52 THE ENEMY INSIDE THE WALLS. img
Chapter 53 THE ROOM WITHOUT WINDOWS. img
Chapter 54 EYES IN THE WALLS. img
Chapter 55 TEN MINUTES TO NOWHERE. img
Chapter 56 THE GHOST AT THE GATE. img
Chapter 57 THE MAN WHO CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD. img
Chapter 58 WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT. img
Chapter 59 THE CHOICE THAT BREAKS THE BOARD. img
Chapter 60 THE HOUSE THAT TURNED ON THEM. img
Chapter 61 THE DOOR THAT OPENED FIRST. img
Chapter 62 THE DEPTHS THAT REMEMBER. img
Chapter 63 THE FACE BEHIND THE SILENCE. img
Chapter 64 THE SPLIT IN THE BOARD. img
Chapter 65 THE SWITCH THAT LIED. img
Chapter 66 WHEN THE BROAD BREAKS BACK. img
Chapter 67 THE COLLAPSE THAT KEEPS BREATHING. img
Chapter 68 THE SILENCE BETWEEN HEARTBEATS. img
Chapter 69 THE PAST THAT KNOCKED. img
Chapter 70 WHEN REGRET ISN'T ENOUGH. img
Chapter 71 THE PRICE OF WHAT HE STOLE. img
Chapter 72 THE SILENCE BETWEEN US. img
Chapter 73 THE FIRST CRACK IN THE EMPIRE. img
Chapter 74 THE HOUSE THAT WATCHES. img
Chapter 75 THE MAN WHO BUILT THE LOCKS. img
Chapter 76 THE TRIGGER BETWEEN US. img
Chapter 77 THE THINGS WE BURY. img
Chapter 78 THE ADDRESS YOU NEVER EXPECTED. img
Chapter 79 WHEN THE DEAD RETURN. img
Chapter 80 THE TRUTH NATHANIEL BURIED. img
Chapter 81 THE BLOODLINE UNDER FIRE. img
Chapter 82 THE MAN WHO SHOULD BE DEAD. img
Chapter 83 THE BETRAYAL IN THE BLOOD. img
Chapter 84 THE GHOST IN THE FAMILY. img
Chapter 85 BROTHER FROM THE GRAVE. img
Chapter 86 THE TRUTH SHE WAS NEVER MEANT TO KNOW.. img
Chapter 87 THE CAGE OF TRUTH. img
Chapter 88 THE GIRL IN THE GLASSROOM. img
Chapter 89 FIRE IN THE LABYRINTH. img
Chapter 90 THE DOOR THAT SHOULD NOT OPEN. img
Chapter 91 THE GHOST IN THE FLESH. img
Chapter 92 THE TRUTH THEY BURIED. img
Chapter 93 THE WOMAN FROM THE DEAD. img
Chapter 94 THE AWAKENING. img
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Chapter 2 A JOB TOO GOOD TO IGNORE.

Isabella didn't expect to think about him after she left.

Yet all the way home, the image of Nathaniel lingered-his calm voice, the way his eyes seemed to notice things most people missed, the unexpected warmth beneath his reserved manner.

She told herself it was nothing.

Just another employer. Another job she couldn't afford to lose.

Still, when she unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped into the dim space, the silence felt heavier than usual. She dropped her bag on the chair and leaned against the door for a moment, exhaling slowly.

This was her life now.

Small rooms. Careful budgeting. Constant planning.

She glanced at her phone.

No messages.

Her father hadn't replied in days.

Isabella pushed the thought away and headed to the kitchen, boiling water for instant noodles. As she waited, her eyes drifted to the window. From here, she could see the glow of the city-bright, distant, unreachable.

She used to live among that light.

Now she only watched it.

The next evening, she arrived ten minutes early again.

The Blackwood house greeted her with the same quiet elegance. No loud music. No chaos. Just controlled stillness.

This time, Nathaniel opened the door wearing a soft gray sweater instead of a shirt and slacks. The sight surprised her in a way she wasn't prepared for.

"You're early again," he said.

She smiled faintly. "I like to be consistent."

"So do I."

He stepped aside, letting her in. The scent of coffee lingered in the air.

"Elliot is finishing homework," he said. "Would you like tea?"

"That would be nice," she replied.

In the kitchen, she noticed small details she'd missed before-the neat arrangement of mugs, the way everything had its place. It didn't feel like a house meant for comfort. It felt like one designed for control.

"You live here alone with Elliot?" she asked carefully.

"Yes."

No explanation. No elaboration.

She didn't push.

They sat across from each other at the island counter, tea steaming between them. The silence wasn't awkward, but it wasn't empty either. It was the kind that made her aware of herself-how she sat, how she spoke.

"You're very good with him," Nathaniel said.

"He's smart," she replied. "He just needs someone who listens."

Something unreadable crossed his face.

"That's rare," he said quietly.

Before she could respond, Elliot appeared, backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Hi," he said to Isabella, less grumpy than the day before.

"Ready to conquer history?" she asked.

He groaned. "I guess."

As they settled into the lesson, Isabella noticed Nathaniel lingering nearby, pretending to read while listening closely.

Elliot surprised her again, he asked questions, engaged, even laughed once.

When the session ended, he packed up slowly.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" he asked.

Isabella blinked, caught off guard.

"If your dad wants me to," she said gently.

Elliot glanced at Nathaniel. "I want her to."

Nathaniel nodded once. "Then it's settled."

After Elliot left the room, Isabella gathered her notes.

"You don't have to decide so quickly," she said.

"I already have," Nathaniel replied.

Their eyes met again.

She felt it this time, a subtle pull, like something unspoken hovering between them.

"I'll walk you out," he said.

Outside, the evening air was cool. The city hummed quietly around them.

"You didn't ask many questions," Nathaniel said suddenly.

"About?"

"About me. Most people do."

Isabella hesitated. "I learnt that people share when they're ready. Not when they're asked."

That earned her a long look.

"You're different," he said.

She laughed softly. "I doubt that."

"No," he said calmly. "You are."

The words stayed with her as she walked away.

Later that night, Isabella sat at her small desk, counting money and calculating expenses. The tutoring job paid well-too well.

She should be grateful.

Yet something about it unsettled her.

She opened her laptop and searched the address.

Nothing unusual came up.

Still, she closed it quickly.

Curiosity had ruined her life once. She wouldn't let it again.

Nathaniel stood in his study long after the house had gone quiet.

Isabella Vale.

He'd known her name the moment he saw her application. Known exactly who she was. Where she came from.

And what had been taken from her.

Yet when she stood before him, nervous but composed, he felt something he hadn't expected.

Guilt.

He told himself it was irrational.

Necessary decisions had consequences. That was business.

Still, when she smiled at Elliot, when she spoke about honesty-something cracked.

He hadn't planned to let her stay.

But now?

He wasn't sure he could let her go.

The following days fell into a rhythm.

Isabella tutored Elliot. Nathaniel observed from a distance. Conversations grew easier. Laughter came more often.

She started to feel... safe.

And that frightened her more than anything else.

Because safety was an illusion.

And Isabella Hart had already lost too much to trust it again.

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