Breaking Mr. Cold (Giselle and Donovan) novel Chapter 8

The living room went quiet again, and Giselle remained dazed for a long moment.

She tapped open the bank notification on her phone, staring at that staggering string of zeros, but it didn't thrill her. If anything, it only weighed on her more.

Donovan had written her off with a measly ten million dollars—pocket change to a man like him. Yet for some other woman, he'd pour out his entire fortune, even his whole self, just to build a happy marriage.

The thought brought a faint tightness to Giselle's chest.

She took a slim cigarette from the coffee table drawer, lit it, and let it rest between her fingers. Then she brought it to her lips, drew a deep breath, and exhaled the smoke with a smooth, practiced ease.

Wrapped in that hazy cloud, her tension loosened. The hollow melancholy from moments before was already fading away.

…

In the days that followed, Giselle threw herself into scouting locations for her new veterinary clinic, leaving no time for those toxic people and their drama.

She'd studied veterinary medicine abroad and had always loved animals. After returning home, she launched her own veterinary clinic.

Thanks to her natural talent and sharp business sense, Giselle now ran a chain of clinics offering pet healthcare, grooming, food, and boarding—primarily serving high-end clients with deep pockets.

Whenever those wealthy socialites' pets fell ill with mysterious conditions, her expertise always saved them. Over time, she'd built a solid reputation in the industry.

One morning, after finishing a meeting with her team, Giselle was on her phone during a break when it chimed with a WhatsApp notification. It was another message from Zach.

He asked if she was free that day and invited her to go mountain biking. He even sent a photo of a high-end bike, bragging that it was his new ride and encouraging her to try it out.

Since she didn't have anything important that afternoon—and honestly, she'd been itching to hit the trails after so long—she happily agreed without hesitation.

Giselle went home to change into her professional mountain biking gear and packed some casual clothes for later. Then, she hopped in her car and plugged the address Zach had sent into her GPS.

She sped the whole way, driving like she was in some kind of race, and made it there in under half an hour.

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