Winning the Heir Who Bullied Me novel Chapter 204

Chapter 204

Nathan glows in the Parisian sunlight–dashing, alluring, and out of place in the best way.

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His hair’s swept back in a way that both looks intentional and carelessly perfect. His navy coat is all clean, sharp lines over broad shoulders, a grey scarf loosely knotted around his neck.

And his eyes, those gorgeous twin emeralds, sparkle as they land on me, and his face breaks into a heart–stuttering smile.

I stand, barely aware of the man at my table watching us with raised eyebrows.

“You’re here,” I breathe.

He nods. “I’m here.”

My hands tremble slightly as I cup his face, his skin warm under my palms. “You’re really here.”

He covers my hand with his. “I missed you so much, baby.”

Emotion swells in my chest so fast I forget to breathe as I fling myself into his arms.

He catches me with that familiar steadiness, arms locking around me like I’ve always belonged there.

I bury my face in his shoulder and breathe him in, that familiar scent that feels like home.

For a moment, the world around us ceases to exist. I don’t care about the café, the strangers, or the man still watching us behind me.

Nathan rubs slow, warm circles on my back, murmuring something into my hair. I pull away slightly, just enough to see his face.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming,” I say, breathless. When he didn’t reply to my text this morning, I thought he was busy, not on a freaking airplane.

“Because I wanted to see that expression,” he says with a soft grin, brushing my cheek with his thumb. “Totally worth the jet lag.”

I laugh and kiss him hard. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” He sighs. Then he tilts his head to the side, and an eyebrow arches. “You’re still here?”

The guy who was hitting on me earlier finally rises, holding his hands up. “Point taken.”

He winks at me. “Maybe next time, chérie. When this one messes up, oui?”

I gape at the audacity, but Nathan just rolls his eyes, dropping into the vacated seat. “Don’t hold your breath, chéri.” He smiles up at me. “I have no intention of ever letting her go.”

A giddy giggle slips out of me as I slide into the booth next to him.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” I say. “What about Samuel and the suit?”

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18:26 Wed, Oct 22

Chapter 204

“Dismissed. The case didn’t have a single leg to stand on. Besides, he has a lot more on his plate to worry about.”

My fingers thread through his. “Like what?”

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Nathan takes a breath. “Samuel’s finished. The board stripped him of his position and honors. He’s been banned from holding any public or private leadership role for life. He’s also penniless–his accounts and assests were frozen pending a full investigation into a mountain of financial misconduct, and a dozen victims have already filed civil suits against him.

“The estate’s being seized piece by piece–some of the staff and employees testified. Easton resigned. There’s almost nothing left of the Ashford Empire. My mom left for my grandparents‘ Villa in New Mexico. He’s under constant surveillance at the Ashford estate, but it might as well be a prison. No press. No visitors. No power. And it’s only a matter of time before he goes to actual federal prison.”

“Good,” I whisper. I would prefer that he be tied to an electric chair and whipped every day for the rest of his life, but I’ll take the apocalyptic ruin of his empire.

“Lucas?”

Nathan shakes his head. “Holed up in the estate with him. A lot of those documents bear both their names–I guess being the favorite son isn’t such a good thing now.” He shrugs. “He tried to rebrand himself online, but the backlash was brutal. Death threats. Lawsuits. Gracie’s pressing charges, and her brother’s married to the D.A.’s daughter, so he’s taking it seriously as fuck. It’s only a matter of time before he lands a jail cell of his own.”

I squeeze his hand. “And you? Are you okay?”

“It’s probably sick of me to say this, but…” He smiles. “Yeah, baby, I am. For the first time in my life, I’m actually okay. I thought maybe it was because we slept together every night before you left, but the night terrors have stopped.”

A breathless laugh escapes me as I throw my arms around him. “Good. I’m so proud of you,

Nathan.”

He kisses my temple as we pull apart, and he takes my hand again. “I don’t want to talk about the past anymore. It’s time we plan our

future.”

A lump forms in my throat.

Our future.

“I’m listening,” I whisper.

“Any chance your studio apartment has room for a recently disowned heir whose trust fund doesn’t unlock for three and a half more years?”

I laugh, my throat tightening. “You’re in good hands; I have experience catering to a dependent.”

He chuckles. “I still have a year of school left, and since I don’t have the Ashford privilege working for me anymore, things have become a little stricter. I have to fly back and forth for a while. That’s why I didn’t come with any luggage.”

I frown. “You’ll be gone often? For how long?”

He winces. “About a year.”

My eyes widen. “A year? I’ll miss you all the time.”

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