The CEO’s Unspoken Love (Eleanor and Derek) novel Chapter 145

Chapter 145

Derek POV

I watched Eleanor storm out of the bar, her figure disappearing through the crowd like a ghost slipping through my fingers. The

silence that fell over our table was deafening. Thomas cleared his throat awkwardly, while Olivia’s eyes bored into me with undisguised contempt. Fort sat there looking torn between following Eleanor and staying to finish what we’d started.

The weight of Eleanor’s words hung in the air: ‘I am not some trophy to be fought over.”

My jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth. I grabbed my whiskey, draining it in one burning swallow before slamming the glass down hard enough that a hairline fracture appeared along its edge. The amber droplets scattered across the polished wood like tiny

fallen stars.

“Nice going, Wells,” Olivia muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Real smooth.”

I ignored her, snatching my Burberry coat from the back of the chair. Without a word, I pushed through Ascension’s Thursday night crowd, brushing past Boston’s elite who parted before me like water. I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries or the knowing glances that followed me-everyone recognizing the younger Wells brother in one of his moods.

The January air hit me like a slap when I burst through the door. I spotted Eleanor immediately, her slender figure half a block

away, arm raised to hail a cab.

“Eleanor!” I called out, my voice carrying through the frigid night.

She didn’t turn around.

I closed the distance between us in long strides, reaching for her wrist just as a taxi pulled to the curb. Her skin felt impossibly

delicate beneath my fingers.

“Again?” I asked, keeping my voice level despite the storm inside me. “You’re angry again?”

She pulled her arm free, still not meeting my eyes. “I’m not angry. I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”

That familiar scent of flowers clung to her hair-lilies and something else I couldn’t name but would recognize anywhere as distinctly Eleanor. She moved to open the cab door, but I stepped between her and the vehicle.

“You’re upset because I was hard on Fort.” It wasn’t a question.

Her eyes finally met mine, bright with indignation. “You humiliated him in front of everyone. You were cruel for no reason.”

No reason?” I laughed, the sound brittle in the cold air. “The man practically had his arm around you.”

You embarrassed him and gave him a hard time,” she said, her breath forming small clouds between us. And we both know you did

it because of me.

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Chapter 145

Her words-because of me-sent an unexpected thrill through me. The implication that we were still connected, that my actions were

still influenced by her, gave me a satisfaction I hadn’t anticipated. This possessiveness was new and somewhat alarming; I’d never

considered myself a possessive man before.

That’s a Wells family matter,” I said coldly, falling back on the distance of formality. “Fort doesn’t belong in our world.

Eleanor’s laugh was sharp enough to cut. Our world? There is no ‘our world anymore, Derek. We’ve signed the divorce papers. This

isn’t a Wells family matter because I’m no longer part of the Wells family,” She looked straight into my eyes, unflinching. I’m a free

woman now. And if I want to, I can cut all ties with the Wells family entirely.”

Something cold and desperate clawed at my chest. “You think you can just walk away from me?” My voice dropped to a dangerous

whisper. “You can’t escape my world, Eleanor. Never.”

“You don’t get to decide that,” she countered. “James, at least, doesn’t make crude jokes about my employees in public.”

The mention of Fort’s name on her lips sparked a fresh wave of anger, but beneath it was something else-shame. She was right. I’d

crossed a line.

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The CEO’s Unspoken Love