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Chapter 40

Penulis: Nico
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-11 04:52:47

Leah’s POV

The meeting with the models wraps up smoothly, final notes jotted down, final decisions hovering in the air. The energy in the room is lighter than before—maybe it’s relief, maybe it’s the satisfaction of progress. Either way, I exhale, finally allowing myself to loosen my grip on the clipboard.

Dwight stretches, rolling his shoulders back, his sharp eyes flicking toward me. “We’ve earned a break.”

I glance up, surprised. “A break?”

“Lunch,” he clarifies. “You need to eat. So do I. And after sitting through hours of models trying to impress us, I think we’ve more than earned it.”

Alright.

It’s not unusual for Dwight to take control like this, making decisions without waiting for input. Normally, I’d argue, insist I had work to do, that I didn’t need to be treated like some employee he was rewarding.

But today?

Today, I let him.

Because a part of me—a traitorous part—wants to go.

Wants to enjoy this moment. There’d been an easy camaraderie between us today, the sort of rapp
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  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 41

    Leah’s POV The ride back to the office is thick with silence, pressing in on me from all sides. The warmth from lunch has completely evaporated, replaced by something colder—something I can’t quite name but can feel in the way Dwight’s grip tightens around the steering wheel.I shouldn’t have said anything.Dwight’s eyes stay locked on the road, his jaw tight, his posture rigid. The easy camaraderie we had shared earlier is gone, replaced by an unbearable distance that makes my stomach twist.I shift in my seat, crossing my arms. The tension is suffocating, and I can’t take it anymore.I turn to him. “Are you going to say something, or are we just going to pretend that conversation never happened?”His fingers flex against the steering wheel. “What do you want me to say, Leah?” His voice is calm, but there’s an edge beneath it.I frown. “I don’t know. Maybe anything other than complete avoidance?”He exhales sharply, his knuckles whitening as he grips the wheel. “Why did you tell me?

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-12
  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 42

    Leah’s POVThe moment I step back into my office, I shut the door and lean against it, exhaling shakily.I don’t know what I expected from Dwight today. Maybe a little warmth, some acknowledgment that we had once been more than just colleagues navigating a business arrangement. But instead, he reminded me—bluntly—that we are nothing more than boss and employee.And that stings.Because no matter how much I tell myself I’ve moved on, that I’ve built something stable with Ethan, that I no longer care about Dwight Spencer’s opinions, his words still cut through me like a blade.My stomach twists as I push off the door, walking toward my desk with slow, measured steps. But I don’t sit. Instead, I stare out of the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the city move below me.I should be focusing on work. I should be grateful that I have an important role in a company that challenges me, excites me.But all I can think about is him.Does he regret anything? Did he ever love me the way I loved h

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-12
  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 43

    Leah’s POV I don’t wait until tomorrow to call Cece. Instead, I find myself driving to her apartment that evening.The city lights blur past me as I navigate through familiar streets, my fingers tightening around the steering wheel. Nerves press against my ribs, but I push them down. I have to do this. I have to face her.When I pull up outside her building, I hesitate, gripping the wheel a little tighter. What if she doesn’t want to see me? What if she’s still angry?I shake my head. No. Cece isn’t like that. Even if I hurt her, she wouldn’t turn me away.With a deep breath, I step out of the car and make my way up to her door. The hallway is quiet, the only sound the faint hum of a nearby streetlamp. My pulse pounds in my ears as I raise my hand and knock.For a moment, nothing.Then, footsteps.The door swings open, and there she is—Cece.She looks at me with a neutral expression at first, her arms crossed over her chest. But then her eyes flick over my face, and something softens

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-13
  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 44

    Leah’s POV I shift under the covers, trying to get comfortable on Cece’s couch. The warmth of the blankets and the steady hum of the night outside should be enough to lull me to sleep, but my mind refuses to settle.The conversation with Cece helped—I feel lighter, less alone—but there’s still a dull ache in my chest, one I can’t quite shake. No matter how much I try to push it away, the weight of everything that happened at the gala presses down on me. And then, the strange thing I had going on with Dwight. One minute, he'd be comfortable with me and the next, he'd go all cold and distant on me.I exhale and turn onto my side, staring at the dim glow of the city lights filtering through the curtains. Maybe, if I focus on the steady rhythm of my own breathing, I’ll finally get some sleep.Just as my eyes start to close, my phone buzzes from the coffee table.I frown, reaching for it, my heart already beating faster than it should.The screen illuminates the dark room.Ethan.A sharp

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-14
  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 45

    Leah’s POV Monday arrives faster than I expect, dragging me back into the relentless rhythm of work. As I step into the office, the weight of everything—my fractured relationship with Ethan, the unease in my chest whenever Mr. Spencer is near—settles heavily on my shoulders. But I push it down. This is my job. This is what I do. And I refuse to let personal feelings interfere.The morning moves quickly, emails stacking up, tasks piling on. But the moment I see the meeting reminder flash across my screen, my stomach tightens.Conference Room A. 11:00 AM. Campaign Planning with Mr. Spencer.I inhale deeply, straightening my posture. There’s no avoiding him—not when our companies are tied so closely together for this project. And certainly not when I still have a role to fulfill.By the time I step into the conference room, most of the team is already seated. Mr. Spencer is at the head of the long table, his expression unreadable as he scrolls through something on his tablet."Miss Carr

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-14
  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 46

    Leah’s POV The moment I step into my office, I know what I have to do. There’s no hesitation, no second-guessing. I grab my phone and dial my father’s number, my hands steady even as my heart pounds.It doesn’t even ring twice before he picks up."Leah," he greets, his voice firm. "What is it?"I exhale sharply. "I’m quitting, Dad."There’s a pause. Then, with absolute authority, he says, "No, you’re not."A humorless laugh escapes me. "Yes, I am. I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.""You can’t do what anymore?" His voice is dangerously low, the way it gets when he’s reining in his temper. "Your job? Your responsibilities? The project you agreed to oversee?""The torture," I snap. "Because that’s what this is. Working under you, working with him, constantly pretending I don’t feel like I’m suffocating. I’ve tried, Dad. I’ve tried to be the perfect daughter, the obedient businesswoman who falls in line with your plans, but I’m done trying.""You are being emotional," he states, as if t

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15
  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 47

    Leah’s POV I slip into the driver’s seat, fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turn white. The car feels like a lifeline, an anchor in a sea of chaos. The engine roars to life beneath me, and for a split second, I’m caught in the rhythm of it—the deep hum, the smooth vibration of the car’s power. But that moment of calm is fleeting. As soon as I pull out of the parking lot, the weight of everything presses in on me again. The building shrinks in my rearview mirror, but I don’t feel lighter. I don’t feel free. I feel exhausted.The pressure in my chest hasn’t lessened. It’s suffocating—the kind of pressure you get from holding your breath too long, as if at any moment, something will crack. A shiver runs through me, not from the cold, but from the sheer force of what I just did. I should be relieved, right? I should feel like a weight’s been lifted. But right now, I only feel hollow.I press the button on the steering wheel and dial Cece’s number. My thumb h

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-16
  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 48

    Leah's POVCece pulls me into a tight hug, her arms around me like she’s trying to hold me together, and I close my eyes, letting her comfort me for just a moment."You deserve this, Leah," she says, her voice steady but warm. "Don’t let guilt creep in. Just… enjoy it."I pull away with a soft laugh, the sound unsteady. "I’ll try. Even though I just disobeyed my dad for the first time ever."Cece gives a short laugh. "Hey. This is the good type of rebellion. He’s got to understand that you’re human, that you’ve got feelings too. And if this is the only way he learns, then so be it."I pull her into a tighter hug, my chest tightening with something I can’t quite explain. Tears spring to my eyes, and I don’t fight them. "I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that."We pull apart just as my phone vibrates from the nightstand. The name on the screen makes my stomach twist into knots.My father.I let the call ring out, watching the screen until it fades into silence. Cece glances at

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-16

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  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 124

    EPILOGUE Leah's POV I sit quietly by Dwight’s hospital bed, my fingers gently wrapped around his, the steady beeping of the heart monitor grounding me. After two surgeries, he’s finally resting.When I’d been told that Dwight was shot, I had felt my entire world crashing down. I’d cried all the way to the hospital, and it’d taken three men to keep me out of the operating room.But miraculously, he’s alive. Still here. Still breathing. Still mine. And yet, it all feels surreal—the whirlwind of the past few days catching up in uneven bursts. Ethan’s arrest, Gerald’s disgrace, the truth about Glimmr being Dwight’s all along becoming public. But nothing compares to the ache that comes from the one betrayal I never saw coming—my uncle’s.I had trusted him. Loved him. Thought of him as a steady force in my life. But behind all the warmth and concern was a man plotting to control me—using my heartbreak, pushing me toward Ethan, and scheming to seize Veloura for himself. He’d sat there at t

  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 123

    Dwight's POVThe road coils like a serpent beneath my tires, black and endless. Trees lean in on either side like silent witnesses, their twisted branches clawing at the pale sky. Gerald’s directions run through my head again and again, carved into memory. The House of Silence—what a sick, ironic name. My grip tightens on the wheel as I push forward, heart hammering in a rhythm I haven’t known in years.I tap my earpiece.“Parker.”Static, then his clipped voice. “Sir.”“I have done it. Coordinates check out." I tap on my screen, sending a screenshot of the map Gerald had handed me.“Mr. Spencer, wait. I’m pulling in backup. Don’t go in alone. I mean it.”“I don’t have time. He could be doing God knows what to that young woman right now. He needs to be stopped.” I couldn't let them do to her what they'd done to me.“Dwight—”“There’s no time, Parker. You won’t make it before it’s too late.”He curses under his breath. “At least wait nearby. Don’t breach. I’ll be there in fifteen.”But

  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 122

    Ethan’s POVShe looked like porcelain under the low light.Pale, trembling, slick with sweat. Her chest heaved as she lay on the stained cot in the far corner, wrists bound to the headboard with nylon straps, ankles tied tight. Her hair—light brown, maybe even blonde in the right light—was matted against her temples, soaked. And those eyes. Translucent blue, darting like a cornered rabbit, searching for a way out that didn’t exist.“I don’t know what I did,” she sobbed. Her voice cracked like something brittle. “Please, please let me go…”I didn’t move. I just watched her from the shadows, still as a breath held underwater. She tried to sit up, trembling, her arms pulling at the restraints with a sound like Velcro peeling from skin.“I’ll give you everything,” she cried. “My paychecks—every single one. I swear. Just don’t hurt me. My boyfriend… he doesn’t have money. He can’t pay ransom. Please…”God. She was alive. Alive in the way most people forgot how to be. The kind of aliveness

  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 121

    Dwight's POV Gerald Carrington lived in a two-story villa tucked behind a quiet cul-de-sac on the city’s west end. The neighborhood had a curated calm about it — hedges trimmed to military precision, pavement scrubbed of all disorder. Unlike his brother Felix’s sprawling estate with its sweeping gates and Greek statues, Gerald’s home was the kind of place that whispered wealth rather than screamed it. Tasteful. Secluded. Expensive, but not decadent.I parked three blocks down and approached on foot, dressed in dark jeans and a charcoal sweater. No cologne. No jewelry. Nothing that caught the light.Judith had delivered the address an hour ago. She’d also found a layout of the house — a scanned blueprint buried in some renovation permits from two years back. I studied it on the ride over, memorizing the entry points, camera placements, the blind spots between hedges and roof angles.I wasn’t here for a polite conversation.I was here for answers.The backyard was mostly covered — two

  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 120

    DWIGHT'S POVThe office around me — my own private quarters at Glimmr — felt too big, too empty, too quiet. Every tick of the clock on the wall sounded like a drumbeat inside my skull.I couldn't sit still.Couldn't stop moving.Pacing back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows like a caged animal.My hands itched to do something — to tear something apart, to find Ava, to end whatever nightmare she was living through because of me.Ava had trusted me.Worked for me.Smiled at me, grateful for opportunities and promises.And I had failed her.Just like I had once failed myself, locked in that dark, cold hell three years ago.I dragged my fingers through my hair, jaw locked so tight it ached.Where was Parker?Where was the goddamn call?My phone buzzed sharply on the desk.I lunged for it like a drowning man reaching for a rope.“Talk to me,” I barked, not bothering with hellos.Parker’s voice crackled through, low and urgent.“We hit Ethan’s place. Just finished. He's not

  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 119

    Dwight's POV The tires screeched against the pavement as I pulled out of the driveway, my hand clenching the steering wheel so hard the leather groaned beneath my grip. The night sky stretched endless above me, but I barely saw it. All I could see was Ava's face. Bright, smiling Ava, who was now missing — God knew where — because somewhere, somehow, I'd let my guard down.Not again. I wouldn't lose another innocent to this madness. I swore it.I jabbed the button on the dashboard, calling Parker first.He answered on the first ring. "Boss?""I need you to move," I barked, weaving through traffic like a man possessed. "Ava's missing. Her fiancé called the office — she never showed up back there after leaving my house."A sharp intake of breath. "Shit. You think it's connected?""I know it is." My gut was screaming, every instinct sharpened to a fine, deadly edge. "I need you to pull every favor, use every contact you have. Track her phone, hack into traffic cams, do whatever it take

  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 118

    Dwight's POVIt was dark out. Leah lay half-sprawled across my chest, the silky strands of her hair tickling my skin. Our clothes were scattered haphazardly across the room, abandoned in our urgency. The heavy rug under us cushioned our bodies, still slick and languid from the intensity of our lovemaking. I still couldn't believe the feelings that coursed through me as I'd made love to her. It was better than all the times I had allowed myself to imagine... to fantasize.It had been pure magic. Messy, but perfect. And having her here in my arms filled me with the duty of contentment that had been missing for three years. I could have stayed like that forever. Her breath warm against my skin. Her heart beating in slow, contented rhythms against mine. Her fingers moved idly over my chest, tracing lazy patterns. Every touch sent aftershocks through my nerves, subtle reminders of how close we had just been, how perfect she felt wrapped around me...And then her fingers stilled. She brushe

  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 117

    Dwight's POV The clock on the wall ticked mockingly at me, but I barely noticed it anymore.I sat behind my desk, staring at the documents spread out before me, but none of the words made it past the thick wall of energy thrumming in my veins. It was all background noise. Filler. Nothing compared to the singular, burning thought anchoring me:Leah.Home. Waiting for me.The thought wrapped itself around every nerve ending, making it almost impossible to sit still. I knew it wouldn’t last—this arrangement was temporary. But even knowing that, I couldn't stop the anticipation that practically vibrated in my blood. The pull toward her was too strong, too fierce to deny.I remembered the kiss we shared. God, I remembered every detail. The tentative way I had brushed my mouth against hers. The way she had frozen for a breathless second before melting against me, kissing me back like it was the only thing keeping her alive. That kiss had shattered something inside me. It wasn

  • Billionaire's Regrets:He Hurt Me But Wants Me Back   Chapter 116

    Leah’s POVAfter Ava left, the house felt much bigger.Much quieter.And somehow, even though I knew I was safe, the silence made me feel small.I sprawled on the plush sofa in the sunken living room, laptop abandoned beside me, staring out at the endless stretch of green beyond the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. The afternoon sun slanted in golden beams across the polished floors, painting everything in warm, sleepy light.I could still hear Ava’s cheerful goodbye ringing in my ears."Call me if you need anything, okay?"I had promised I would. But really, there was nothing Ava—or anyone—could do for me now.I needed time. Space.Maybe even forgiveness.The soft shuffle of footsteps pulled me out of my thoughts. I sat up just as the house chef—a kind-eyed woman named Marla—approached, wiping her hands on a white apron."Miss Carrington," she said with a polite nod, "would you like anything for lunch? I made a chicken and asparagus salad. Fresh bread too."My stomach gave an unexpe

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