My Boss's Hidden Heir (Elara and Marcus) novel Chapter 120

Chapter 120

Penelope’s POV

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Penelope sat in her home office sipping champagne and scrolling through emails on her laptop. It was early afternoon, and she was in an exceptionally good mood. Everything was falling into place perfectly.

The contract was secured in her bedroom drawer. Marcus had no idea she had it. Elara was clearly spiraling based on the reports she’d gotten from Aurora about tension in the penthouse. And Luca was proving to be a surprisingly useful ally, even if he was a bit rough around the edges.

She took another sip of champagne and smiled to herself. Maybe it was time to make copies of that contract. Multiple copies, actually. Keep one in a safe deposit box, one with her lawyer, one somewhere Marcus would never think to look.

The thought made her feel even more satisfied. Always good to have backup plans.

Penelope stood up from her desk and walked toward her bedroom, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She’d been keeping the contract in her bedside drawer, tucked inside a manila folder underneath some other papers. Not the most secure location, perhaps, but who would dare come into her penthouse uninvited?

She opened the bedroom door and walked over to the nightstand. Pulled open the drawer.

The folder was right where she’d left it. She pulled it out and set it on the bed, opening it to retrieve the

contract.

Her hand shuffled through the papers. Bank statements. Documents about her late ex husband’s will. Some medical records she’d been reviewing.

But no contract.

Penelope frowned and went through the folder again, more carefully this time. Maybe she’d put it in a different section.

Still nothing.

A cold feeling started creeping up her spine. She dumped the entire contents of the folder onto the bed, spreading everything out so she could see each document clearly.

No contract.

“What the hell?” Penelope muttered.

She opened the drawer again and pulled out everything inside. More papers, some jewelry boxes, a few books.

She went through each item methodically, her movements getting faster and more frantic with each passing

second.

The contract wasn’t there.

16:50 Mon, May 11

Chapter 120

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Penelope stood up and looked around the bedroom, her mind racing. Maybe she’d moved it. Maybe she’d put it somewhere else and forgotten.

She started opening other drawers. The dresser. The closet. The bathroom cabinets. She went through her home office, pulling out every file and folder, checking every drawer and shelf.

Nothing.

The contract was gone.

Penelope felt panic rising in her chest, hot and suffocating. This wasn’t possible. She’d had it. She’d seen it with her own eyes just a few days ago, read through the terms, looked at Marcus and Elara’s signatures at the bottom.

She went back to the bedroom and started tearing through everything again, less carefully this time. Clothes came out of drawers and landed on the floor. Papers scattered across the bed and onto the carpet. Jewelry boxes were opened and dumped out.

Still nothing.

“No, no, no,” Penelope said, her voice rising. “Where is it? Where the fuck is it?”

She grabbed her phone from where she’d left it on the nightstand and immediately called Luca. He picked up on the third ring.

“Hey, Penelope. What’s-”

“Did you take it?” Penelope demanded, not bothering with pleasantries.

“Take what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Luca. The contract. Did you come up here and take the contract?”

There was a pause on the other end. “What are you talking about? I don’t have any contract.”

“It’s gone! The marriage contract between Marcus and Elara is gone from where I kept it!”

“Well, I didn’t take it,” Luca said, sounding genuinely confused. “Why would I take it? That thing is worth money to both of us.”

Penelope started pacing across her bedroom, stepping over the mess she’d created. Her mind was working frantically, trying to piece together what could have happened.

“When’s the last time you saw it?” Luca asked.

“A few days ago. I checked on it before I went out to dinner with Aurora.”

“And it was definitely there?”

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