LOGINShare
Chapter 96: A Choice Made
Last Updated:
2025-10-10 03:08:59
Latest chapter
Dear Billionaire Ex, I am more than an arranged marriage Chapter 97: Building a New Life
The night of the Thorne Charity Ball had changed everything.By morning, the quiet in San Francisco felt different — lighter, freer, as if the air itself had finally let go of a long-held breath.The storm that had followed Lucian and Eva for months — the pressure, the gossip, the constant judgment — had finally broken.Lady Eleanor Thorne, proud and furious, had slipped out of the city without a word. No farewell dinners. No teary goodbyes. Her exit was like the sudden silence after thunder — shocking, but peaceful. The power she once held over Lucian’s life, over their marriage, simply vanished.Alistair Finch, all charm and smooth words, had also disappeared into the distance, his elegant manipulations now nothing but faint echoes.For the first time in what felt like forever, Lucian and Eva stood in a life that was theirs.The morning after the ball, the sun rose clear and gold over the Bay. Eva stood by the kitchen window, watching fog drift like ribbons over the Golden Gate Brid
Dear Billionaire Ex, I am more than an arranged marriage Chapter 96: A Choice Made
The ballroom had gone quiet. Too quiet.Moments ago, laughter, music, and the sound of champagne glasses filled the air. Now there was just stillness — heavy, awkward, waiting.Eva stood in the center of it, her words still hanging between them like smoke.“So tell me, Alistair,” she had said, calm but sharp, “what have you ever earned?”And that was it. That was the knife.Because everyone knew the truth — that Alistair Thorne, with his perfect smile and perfect suit and perfect life — had never lifted a hand for anything.And now he couldn’t speak. His mouth opened, but nothing came out.He looked like a man who’d just realized the world had stopped applauding.The silence stretched.People shifted in their seats. Someone coughed. Somewhere in the back, a waiter dropped a fork, and the sound echoed through the room.Eva didn’t move. She didn’t gloat. She just watched him — steady, unafraid.Lucian stood beside her, not saying a word, but something flickered in his eyes. Pride. Maybe
Dear Billionaire Ex, I am more than an arranged marriage Chapter 95: A Public Test
The Palace Hotel glittered like a jewel box that night. Crystal chandeliers bathed the marble floors in gold, violins whispered beneath the hum of a hundred conversations, and the city’s most powerful people circled one another with polite smiles and hidden knives.The Thorne Charity Gala wasn’t just another event. It was the event — San Francisco’s royal court in gowns and tailored suits. Deals were made here. Reputations were born or buried here.And tonight, Lady Eleanor Thorne intended to bury someone.From her seat at the head table, she surveyed the room like a queen appraising her subjects. She had built her life — and her family’s power — on control. On image. And her son Lucian, sitting quietly at a table far from hers, was the one crack she couldn’t ignore.She had made sure of the seating.Lucian and Eva sat near the far end of the ballroom, close enough to be seen but too far to belong. Every placement, every greeting, every whisper — all carefully designed to remind them
Dear Billionaire Ex, I am more than an arranged marriage Chapter 94: The Question of Belonging
Eva stood by the grand window of the Thorne estate, her reflection swallowed by glass and gold light. Beyond the manicured gardens, the city stretched endlessly — sharp, rich, and glittering. But all she could think was, I don’t belong here.She whispered it under her breath, almost as if saying it might make it hurt less.“Eva?” Lucian’s voice came from behind her. Smooth, deep — yet distant now, like someone speaking from another room.She turned. “You’re home early.”He set his briefcase down, loosening his tie. “Board meeting got canceled. Thought I’d surprise you.”She smiled faintly. “I think I forgot what that feels like.”Lucian paused, unsure how to respond. “Things have been… busy. You know how the quarter is.”“Yeah,” she murmured. “You always say that.”Silence hung between them — not the soft kind that used to mean comfort, but the heavy kind that said we’ve run out of words.Before either could speak again, a soft knock came at the door. The butler stepped in, holding a
Dear Billionaire Ex, I am more than an arranged marriage Chapter 93: The Unspoken Challenge
At first, nobody saw it coming.Alistair Finch didn’t arrive with fanfare — he just appeared, quiet and polite, sliding into their world like it was his all along. One week, he was a name on a partnership file. The next, he was sitting at their dinner table, laughing softly at one of Lady Eleanor’s sharp little jokes.And somehow, he never left.He wasn’t loud or obvious. He didn’t flirt. He didn’t need to.He looked at Eva a little too long. He stood a little too close. He knew how to make her laugh, how to listen — really listen — in a way that made Lucian feel like an outsider in his own life.Lucian couldn’t find anything wrong with the man. That was the worst part. There was nothing to fight against. Alistair never crossed a line, yet every gesture felt like a quiet challenge.“Did you see the photos from the fundraiser?” Eva asked one evening, scrolling through her phone as she curled up on the couch.Lucian loosened his tie, half distracted. “No. Why?”“Alistair introduced me t
Dear Billionaire Ex, I am more than an arranged marriage Chapter 92: The Heir and the Rival
The whispers started the moment she arrived.Lady Eleanor Thorne — regal, radiant, and sharp as ever — swept through the grand foyer like a storm in silk. Heads turned. Glasses paused midair. Her return to San Francisco’s social stage wasn’t just unexpected; it was seismic. But what truly unsettled everyone was the man walking beside her.Sir Alistair Finch.He carried himself like someone born to move through power — the quiet kind. Tall, composed, devastatingly handsome, with eyes that missed nothing. His every gesture seemed effortless, his charm disarming without ever seeming forced. And when Lady Eleanor introduced him as her godson, she didn’t stop there.“A widower,” she added smoothly, voice gliding over the crowd. “But such strength in loss, don’t you think? A man who’s known love and understands what it costs.”It was said gently, but everyone heard the subtext. Especially Eva.Later that evening, Eva found herself in the garden, clutching a glass of champagne, trying to bre
You may also like
Forbidden Love Stories
Avi22Nash1.1M viewsTriplets on Secret Mission
Lamour Toujours1.2M viewsWarning: My Mommy is A Savage!
Seeking A Peaceful Life2.1M viewsPursuing My Ex-Wife Isn't Easy
Inked Snow3.3M viewsRegret After Divorce: Falling In Love All Over Again
A. Leilani454 viewsWhen She Turns Her Back
Deerstream8.1K viewsIn Bed With Her Shithead Boss
Ellie Wynters172.0K viewsMarrying My Ex for Revenge
Zyma Writes28 views
