Chapter 209: Bruises and Indifference
The silence that followed wasn’t normal.
It didn’t feel like confusion. It felt controlled. Measured.
Like everyone in that room had collectively decided, without a word, that this moment needed to
be contained before it could spiral further.
Cruz didn’t react immediately.
Years of training under pressure-reading rooms, controlling emotion, holding a role without
breaking character-kept his expression steady even as the situation tightened around him.
But internally, he had already adjusted.
This wasn’t something he could handle emotionally.
The only way through this was to stay in character.
To respond the way Nicholas Ashcroft would.
Like a man born with too much money, too much privilege, and far too little reason to care about
the people he paid for.
Arrogant. Detached.
The type of billionaire who treated encounters like transactions easily forgotten the moment they
ended.
Cruz exhaled quietly, then straightened.
His gaze swept over the woman from head to toe, studying her carefully.
Her posture had shifted slightly from before. The embarrassment was still there, visible in the
flush on her cheeks, but a dangerous kind of confidence had taken its place.
Unfortunately for her-Cruz knew exactly what kind of man Ashcroft was supposed to be. And this
was not a situation to handle gently.
Emotion had no place here.
Only control. Only power.
His expression cooled completely.
Then, slowly, a faint smirk appeared on his face. Sharp and mocking. The kind that made the difference in status painfully obvious without him needing to say it directly.
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.