The CEO's Unspoken Love Novel

Chapter 32 Eleanor POV I stood frozen on the terrace, watching the confrontation unfold. Derek's face had transformed into something I barely recognized-cold and commanding as he talked to the boy. The protective gesture caught me completely off-guard. This wasn't the Derek I knew, the one who had spent two years pretending I didn't exist. When he placed his hand at my waist and announced our departure, I felt a flutter of confusion. His touch was both familiar and foreign- we'd been strangers sharing a name for so long that this sudden closeness felt like an intrusion, yet somehow right.

As we approached Ryan Stone, I composed myself, determined not to show how rattled I was by Derek's unexpected behavior. *Derek! I was just telling everyone about your remarkable success in London. Care to share a few details?" Ryan's voice carried across the small gathering. "Another time, perhaps, Derek replied with practiced smoothness. "I'm afraid Eleanor and I need to make an early exit. She's had a small accident with her dress." 1 I kept my expression neutral, though inwardly I was puzzled.

Derek could have easily left me to handle this myself-it would have been more in character for the man who had married me out of obligation. Catherine appeared beside us, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Leaving so soon? Surely a little spill isn't reason enough to depart from such an important gathering. Eleanor could simply dab it out somewhere." I tensed, preparing for Derek to cave to his mother's wishes as he usually did. Instead, he met her gaze with unusual firmness. "Mother, we insist." His tone left no room for argument. I stepped forward, sensing the tension.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt everyone's evening, but we do need to leave early." Thomas broke the awkward moment with a joke at Derek's expense. "Look at that! Derek finally knows what marriage responsibility looks like." Everyone laughed, but I was too busy processing what was happening to join in. Derek's hand remained at the small of my back as we made our exit, his touch burning through the thin fabric of my dress. I was hyperaware of his fingers, of the slight pressure guiding me toward the car. Inside the vehicle, I stared out the window, trying to make sense of the evening.

Boston's lights blurred past, reflecting my confused thoughts. Why had Derek defended me? Why was he suddenly acting like... like he cared? 1 "You didn't have to do that," I finally said, turning to face him. "I can handle my own problems." Derek's face was half-illuminated by passing streetlights, making his expression difficult to read. "Don't misunderstand. The Wells family 1/2 doesn't need that kind of gossip, and I was tired of the pointless socializing anyway." Of course. It was about the Wells name, not about me. I should have known better than to imagine anything else.

I couldn't help studying him, though. Something was different. The Derek who left for London would never have intervened, would never have defied his mother so directly. "What are you staring at?" he asked. "Nothing," I replied softly, unwilling to voice my thoughts. "Tell me the truth. I don't like being lied to." "You've changed," I admitted finally. "I can't put my finger on exactly what's different, but you're not the same Derek who left two years ago." He shifted uncomfortably, and I sensed I'd hit a nerve. Quickly, he changed the subject.

"That was quite a creative solution you came up with tonight," he said, watching me intently. "When Ryan wouldn't stop with his invasive questions about children." Heat flooded my cheeks as I remembered my impulsive comment about Derek's "performance." "You know perfectly well that Ryan kept pressing about when we're having children.

You weren't helping me deflect, so I had to say something." "So you'd rather have all of Boston's upper crust believe I can't perform than admit our marriage is ending?" "Interesting that you're more concerned about your ability' being questioned than our failing marriage," I countered, finding strength in the observation. To my surprise, Derek leaned closer. The car suddenly felt impossibly small. I caught his scent-expensive cologne mixed with something uniquely him that I'd tried so hard to forget. "Don't worry about my 'abilities," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, velvet tone.

"They're perfectly intact. Would you like proof?" Comments Brenda Martinez this is the same chapter as the last one 7 days ago 4 5 Comments > 15 4 SHARE 2/2 Ruby Walker Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby's writing style is bold and irresistible-perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.