Just Before My Wedding: Trapped By My Ruthless Boss novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80

KISAREL.

For a moment, no one moved. Not even the air in the room.

Oceans stood in Elgin’s living room like he had been invited by God and did not need permission from anyone else. His dark coat sat perfectly on his shoulders, and his face cold and unreadable.

The men behind him looked like they had never smiled since birth.

My heart dropped straight into my stomach at his words.

“What?”

His gaze stayed on me. “You heard me.”

I blinked at him, still shaking from everything that had happened.

“How did you get my text?” I asked.

His

eyes

narrowed slightly. “You sent it.”

“No.” My voice came out panicked. “No, I didn’t. I texted Elgin.”

Oceans looked past me, then at the men behind him.

“Check the street,” he said, and three of them moved immediately.

“Cameras. Cab. Corners. Every gate with a feed.” His voice was flat. “Find him.”

They left without a word.

Elgin’s brows shot up. “Ah. Lovely. My house has become a command center. Should I offer tea to maining assassin-

looking gentleman or does he only drink intimidation?”

The fourth man stayed by the door like furniture with a pulse.

Oceans ignored him.

I hated how cold he looked. I hated how controlled he was when I could barely keep my hands from trembling

“I didn’t text you.” I said again, but this time, something uncertain crawled under my voice.

Oceans‘ gaze dropped to my hand. “Check”

My fingers tightened around my phone.

No.

No, no, no

I unlocked it with hands that did not feel like mine and opened my messages. Elgin’s chat was there, but the last message between us was from earlier when he

ad asked if I was still alive or had been kidnapped by my new beautiful friend.

My stomach sank

I scrolled up

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Then I saw another text.

Oceans.

The message sat in his chat, clear and stupid and damning.

“Damn it.” I whispered. “It was a mistake.” I whispered.

“It got to me.”

My face burned instantly. Embarrassment slammed into me so hard I almost forgot to be scared.

“Time is of the essence, Kiss.” Oceans said after giving me a moment to absorb whatever embarrassment I was feeling.

“No,” I said, but it came out softer than I wanted. “I’m not moving

into your house.”

His jaw barely shifted.

“I don’t have time for this.”

“Monsieur Stark, with all due respect

and I am using the phrase very generously this is not a rescue. This is a hostile

relocation, and it’s uncalled for.” Elgin said, flinging his hands in the air.

“Elgin,” I whispered.

“No, chérie.” His voice softened. “You came in here terrified. You are still shaking. And he just wants you to…” he sighed and rolled his eyes.

Oceans ignored him and looked back at me.

“Pack. It’s not up for negotiation.”

I pressed my lips together so hard they hurt. “Please don’t do this.

my life being moved without He nodded at his men and I watched them carry everything out like I was watching pieces of my permission – the ridiculous number of designer bags Oceans had thrown into my world because apparently saying no to him was the same thing as daring him.

Oceans‘ eyes moved briefly to Elgin. “He can come with you to the apartment, like I said before. Now, or later. I don’t care.”

Elgin’s brows lifted. “Oh, how generous. I have been granted temporary citizenship in the kingdom of forced relocation.”

Oceans didn’t say another word. He just turned toward the door and headed outside. “Let’s move.”

“Arel.” Elgin whispered, with a gasp the moment we stepped into the living room. “I wanted to hate this place. I came prepared. I had a speech. A very powerful speech. But, mon Dieu… this house is making my morals negotiate.”

He turned slowly to take in the space, with one hand pressed dramatically to his chest.

I rolled my eyes at him.

This living room alone is bigger than my emotional availability,” he said. “And that is saying something, cherie, because I

contain multitudes.

Oceans stood near the entrance, speaking quietly to sue of his men

Elgin moved toward the window and looked out. “The view is offensive. Truly. It is so beautiful it feels personally rude.

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Then he turned back, eyes scanning the room. “But there is something missing here.”

1 frowned. “Elgin.”

“No, no. Let me think.” He tilted his head, studying the living room with serious attention. “It needs a grand olive tree by that corner. Not a fake one. A real, tall, sculptural one. It will soften all this cold billionaire silence.”

Oceans turned his attention to the other man by his side. “You heard him.”

The man straightened. “Yes, sir.”

“Make it happen.”

The man left immediately.

Elgin’s mouth parted, but for once, words seemed to abandon him.

Then he slowly turned to me with wide eyes. “Oh.” He blinked. “An intentional man.”

I stared at Oceans.

I did not know what to do with him. I never knew what to do with him.

One minute he was terrifying. The next, he was buying trees because Elgin said the room needed one.

That did not make him softer.

It only made him worse.

Because it meant he heard everything. He noticed everything. And when he decided something should happen, the world bent too fast around him.

Oceans finally removed his coat and handed it to one of the men without looking away from me.

Then his eyes moved to Elgin.

“Excuse us.

Elgin’s brows rose. “Pardon?”

“I need to speak with her.”

Elgin looked at me, then at Oceans, then back at me again.

I knew he wanted to refuse. I could see it forming in his face.

But he also knew this was not the moment to push too hard.

He sighed dramatically. “Fine. I will go upstairs and inspect whether my room has the emotional support balcony i deserve.” He pointed two fingers at Oceans, very seriously. “If she screams in a way that is not recreational, I am coming back down.”

My eyes widened “Elgin”

“What? I am setting boundaries on your behalf.” He kissed the air near my cheek and lowered his voice. “Call me if you need

me, cherie.”

Then be went upstairs, muttering something in French about gorgeous apartments being wasted on emotionally constipated men.

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The moment he disappeared, the living room hushed.

Oceans dismissed the remaining men with a small movement of his hand.

The moment they left and the door shut close, my pulse changed immediately.

He moved slowly toward me.

I stepped back instinctively.

His eyes flicked to the movement, and back to my face.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked but I didn’t have a response.

He stopped close enough that I could smell his expensive cologne.

Kiss.”

My eyes closed for half a second.

That name should not have the power it had.

Before I could tell him to stop, and before I could remind him that I was angry and scared and confused, and overwhelmed, his mouth came down on mine.

The kiss was so consuming that it stole every thought out of my head.

His fingers held the side of my neck, his thumb near my pulse, and his mouth moved against mine like he was angry at how long he had gone without it.

I made a small sound that should have been protest but did not survive long enough

to become one.

that I didn’t even know

I know I should have pushed him away. But, maybe it was how the whole night unfolded, or the fact what I wanted more, but, my hands went to his shirt instead, gripping the fabric like my body had made a decision my dignity had not approved.

He kissed me deeper, and God help me, I kissed him back.

I kissed him like fear had broken open something else inside me. Like all the panic from the road, all the humiliation from the text, all the confusion from the gifts had nowhere else to go and chose his mouth as the worst possible destination.

Suddenly, he pulled away abruptly, and my breath caught.

I drew in a shaky breath and forced myself to step back. His hand fell away, but hi

His eyes were a shade darker.

“What is wrong with you?” he asked again, in a lower tone.

I stared at him, my lips still tingling.

gaze did

“I feel like we need to slow down,” I said, and his face went so still I almost lost my nerve.

But I kept going because if I stopped now, I would never say it.

I shook

head and sighed, gesturing around the room. “And these gifts? What was that? I returned them because I meant it I didn’t ask for any of i

His gaze rooved slowly to the bags lined

against on the floor, and then back to me.

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You think this is too much?”

He looked at the bags again, then gestured toward them with a slight movement of his hand. “The next ones won’t fit in this

room.”

I scoffed and took a step back. “That’s my point!” I half–yelled. “This is becoming too much. You are becoming too much Everything is too much.” My voice trembled, but I refused to look away. “The gifts. The orders. The men. This apartment. You don’t ask, Oceans. You just decide. And I’m tired of waking up inside decisions I didn’t make.”

His expression did not change, but something sharpened behind his eyes.

“You don’t get to fucking hide because the truth scares you.”

“I am not hiding.”

“You are.”

My hands curled into fists at my sides, but even that felt weak. “I’m trying to breathe. Everything is too much. You are too

much, Oceans.”

He stared at me for a long second.

“I told you I had fallen for you because it was already done.” His voice was low, stripped of anything soft. “It wasn’t a contemplation. Kiss.”

My heartbeat stumbled,

“Oceans…”

“No.” His eyes dropped to my mouth for half a second before returning to mine. “Listen carefully.”

I did.

Because when Oceans Stark spoke like that, something in the room obeyed.

“Thave already fallen, Kiss.” His voice was terrifyingly steady. “Completely. There is no going back from that. Not for me.”

My throat burned.

…and definitely not for you.”

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