CHAPTER 862. MY LITTLE BELOVED. A TOXIC BOYFRIENDGigi woke up feeling the warmth of Niko’s body beside her. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room, and her first thought was about that involuntary sensation pressing against her lower back. Embarrassment flooded her instantly, and she squeezed her eyes shut, as if that could make her disappear. But there she was, in Niko’s bed, completely naked, wrapped in his arms.Still half-asleep, Niko felt her slight movement and pulled her closer, pressing her against his chest.“Good morning, little one,” he murmured, his voice husky with sleep, but with that teasing edge that always made her shiver.Gigi bit her lip, too embarrassed to even look at him.“Are you okay?” he asked without opening his eyes. “Why are you awake? It must be really early…”“I… wasn’t sleepy,” she mumbled at last, burying her face in the pillow, feeling her cheeks burn.Niko chuckled softly and rolled over, shifting to hover above
CHAPTER 863. MY LITTLE BELOVED. Days of DiscoveriesThe days that followed felt like a bubble for Gigi and Niko, isolated from the world and locked away in the apartment. They spent most of their time in bed, on the couch, or in the kitchen, enjoying this strange new stage in which Niko found himself laughing more than ever.And it was impossible not to, because to his surprise, he discovered that Gigi was even more curious than he had imagined. Sometimes, as he stepped out of the bathroom, he could feel her gaze fixed on him, a small, playful smile on her lips. Other times, out of nowhere, she would climb onto his lap and kiss him without warning, as if she simply couldn't wait another second."And here I thought I'd have to be convincing you," Niko told her one morning when Gigi pounced on him right after breakfast, her lips urgently seeking his."I can't help it," she giggled as she pushed the dirty breakfast plates aside and climbed onto the table. "Sorry, I just like you too much
CHAPTER 864. MY LITTLE BELOVED. Challenges and BetrayalsGigi watched the frustration on Niko’s face as he went over the documents again and again, as if trying to confirm his suspicion. Finally, after a few minutes of tense silence, he let the papers fall onto his desk and ran a hand through his hair, visibly upset.“The one causing you trouble… it’s Van Beek, isn’t it?” she asked, and he let out a deep sigh before answering.“Van Beek,” he muttered, as if the name alone explained everything. “That bastard must have offered one of his miracle deals, and my potential partner’s eyes probably popped out of his head and he gave in.”“Niko, if he’s behind this…” Gigi said thoughtfully. “Couldn’t it be revenge because you broke off your deal with him?”Niko remained silent, his expression hardening. Then he stood up from his chair and began pacing the office, clearly not intending to tell Gigi the real reason he had rejected that deal.“The reason I wanted to do business with him was becau
CHAPTER 865. MY LITTLE BELOVED. A Little GeniusVan Beek smirked, enjoying every second of the exchange, crossing one arm over the other with an irritating calmness."The worst kind of pressure, Niko. My partner and I have formed a very powerful alliance, and we will do whatever it takes to push you out of the market. You know how things work— influence, resources, connections. When you have all of that, it's easy to make competitors... disappear. And believe me, you'll be the first."Niko stared at him with a mix of disbelief and restrained fury. Did Van Beek really think he could intimidate him like that? Sure, the situation was complicated, but he wasn’t the kind of man to be cornered without a fight."Do you really think you’re going to push me out of business with this little alliance of yours?" he replied, keeping his voice calm despite the rage boiling inside him. "You’re offering me thirty cents on the euro I’ve invested. That’s ridiculous! If I accept your deal, I’ll lose a f
CHAPTER 1. More than one way to break a heart**JANUARY SEATTLE**"How could you do this?!" Zack Keller's furious roar stopped his girlfriend right at the door as soon as he saw her arrive.Giselle saw a piece of paper in his hand and had no idea what he was talking about, but she had never seen him so upset as he was at that moment."I don't know what you're talking about...""Of course you do! You aborted my child! You lost it on purpose!" he accused her angrily. "Did you at least have the damn intention of telling me anything?!"The woman in front of him turned pale."How... how do you know...?"Zack threw the paper in her direction and looked at her with disappointment."Do you forget you're on my company's health insurance?" he spat, approaching her. "As soon as your last name appeared in the payment records, they notified me. Imagine my joy when I found out the insurance had paid for a pregnancy test and then for an ultrasound!"Giselle stepped away from him, her face red with e
CHAPTER 2. Something is Very Wrong...**NOVEMBER. VANCOUVER**"Andrea! To my office! Now!"The shout from her boss, a middle manager at SportUnike, made her jump in her seat, anxious because she knew he was in a very bad mood that day."Is this a damn joke?" he growled, throwing a folder of documents at her face. "I clearly told you I needed the budget reports for the water sports division from last month!"Andrea's eyes widened."But... Mr. Trembley... I'm sure you said you wanted this month's reports...""Don't argue with me, you useless idiot!" her boss snapped. At fifty years old, Peter Trembley was as unpleasant as his bulging belly, but Andrea had to endure him because she had barely managed to get a job as his assistant, and she and her daughter depended on it to survive. "Don't you realize what's happening? SportUnike is gone! A Swiss bastard bought it, and now we'll just be a part of his company! Do you know what that means?"Andrea knew. The arrival of a new owner had create
CHAPTER 3. A Possible AllyBut if Zack thought something was wrong with the company, his instincts went on high alert when he went down to the parking lot and saw the woman leaning against one of the walls. She was trying to change from high heels to low sneakers, but her hands were shaking.He was tempted to go talk to her, but something in him still resisted getting involved in other people's problems. He had a new company to run; if he wanted Andrea to feel better, he just had to fix his company, not the woman's personal life.Finally, he saw her adjust her coat and step out into the cold street.He watched from a distance and saw she didn't take a taxi or a bus, so she probably lived nearby. He had no idea how wrong he was because Andrea didn't live remotely close; she simply couldn't afford any form of transportation.For forty minutes, the young woman walked through the cold of a Canadian winter, and by the time she finally reached her building, it was almost dark."Good evening
CHAPTER 4: This is War!Trembley's face visibly reddened, and the hardness in his eyes remained."Waiting for Andrea?" he growled. "Are you trying to be funny, or do you not know that interpersonal relationships are prohibited in this company?""Well, I'm a slow learner, but I tend to imitate," Zack replied sarcastically. "Maybe I got confused when I saw you climbing on her like a lizard needing sunlight."The old man clenched his teeth and released Andrea abruptly before walking up to Zack."Don't get in my way, kid. You're just a newcomer, and I can...""What? Fire me?" Zack interrupted with a cold voice. "Well... you can try, but you'll find my job here doesn't depend on you. I belong to the team of the company owner, and only he can fire me. I'm sure he wouldn't look kindly on a manager trying to dismiss me without justified cause."Trembley clenched his fists and glared at Zack with a malevolent, defiant expression."Maybe your job is safe," he spat, "but hers leaves much to be