Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire . Chapter 77: . Oh,â Isabella says. âHi.â âHi. How was the drive?â Archibald asks, releasing her. She gets a good look at him now that theyâre up close. He has a little bit of a glow about him, like heâs been spending some time in the sun this summer. âIt was fine. Traffic was bad, so I was worried about being late. Iâm gonna check in. You already did?â Archibald nods. âShouldnât take long.â She turns around to look at the check-in counter and is relieved to see thereâs hardly a line. âOkay, wait here? Iâll be right back.â After waiting in the short queue, the process of checking in is ultimately quick and easy, and once she shows her passport and gets her boarding pass, she heads back over to where Archibald is sitting. He doesnât have a suitcase with himâonly a large black backpack. âThatâs all you brought?â She asks. âHowâd you fit all your clothes in there?â He slings the backpack over his shoulder easily, trailing behind her as t
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 78:.The flight is quickâonly about an hour longâand they donât talk much, although itâs not awkward. Isabella takes care of a few last minute things she needed to wrap up for Hector before the trip, working on files sheâd saved to her phone so theyâd be accessible offline, and Archibald puts headphones in and plays a game on his phone. When they touch down in Jeju, thereâs hardly a cloud in the sky, and the sun feels brighter somehow, like the whole world is a little more saturated. They fly in low over the water, deep blue and sparkling.The resort theyâre staying at is called The Shilla, and since itâs all the way on the other side of the island, it has a dedicated shuttle that runs hourly from the airport. They follow the signs out of the airport towards the public transportation hub and wait for the next one to come. The ride is comfortable and goes by fast, too. Itâs a large bus with soft, cushioned seats and powerful air condit
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 79: .âI think we just need to accept that this is naturally going to be a little awkward,â Isabella says with a nervous laugh. âI mean, all of it. Sharing a room, sharing a bed, pretending that weâre together for the next four days. Itâs a much bigger commitment than what we did at the bar, or at the party. Itâs normal for it to be weird. What weâre doing is weird.ââI guess so. And I can see how the fucking swans could make it feel, um, weirder.ââIs that a sentence you ever anticipated you would speak during the course of your lifetime?â She asks as she walks back towards the door to grab her suitcase.âIâm afraid not.ââDonât worry about me,â She tells him, sitting down on the edge of the bed. âI just want you to have a good time. You deserve to, after how much youâve helped me. And considering we have endless amounts of free alcohol at our disposal and donât even have to leave our room to go to the pool, having a good time should be
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 80:.âIâve gotta say, Iâm glad you convinced me to keep the room,â Isabella says.âMe too. Imagine if we had to fight with all the other peopleâI mean, peasantsâover the shared hot tubs instead? That would have been unimaginable.âShe swirls the water in front of her with her hand. âImagine not having our own pool? Imagine having to wake up early every day to scavenge for a lounge chair that isnât taken yet? Iâm not built to withstand that kind of struggle. I wouldnât have survived.ââMaybe the receptionist could sense it,â Archibald says, his brow furrowing in realization. âShe gave us the complimentary upgrade because she knew it would save our lives.ââI forgot to text Dara and brag about it,â She suddenly remembers. âI love making her mad. Itâs one of my favorite pastimes. I need to send her a picture tomorrow.ââIt sounded like she really wanted to go on this trip. If it wasnât for me, I bet she would have talked you into taking her
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire . Chapter 81:.When Isabella wakes up the next morning, bright rays of sunshine are streaming through the glass wall, reflecting and shining directly into her eyes. She winces, barely awake, shifting her body slightly, trying to orient herself in the unfamiliar bed.As she moves, she realizes thereâs something unfamiliar touching her cheek. Warm, soft... skin? She opens her eyes, squinting. Sheâs greeted by the sight of a tattooed arm so close to her face that it takes a moment for her eyes to focus on it.Isabella wakes up the rest of the way with a jolt, her eyes flying open in panic.She quickly assesses the situation. Archibald still seems to be asleep, and Isabella quickly thanks every single deity sheâs ever heard of for that, because the situation theyâre in isâwell, itâs compromising, to say the least.They must have gravitated towards each other in their sleep. Isabella is much closer to the center of the bed than she remembers, and Arch
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire . Chapter 82: .Isabella raises an eyebrow, lowering her voice. âWait. Are you the one who got us upgraded?ââI can neither confirm nor deny that,â Warren says in a dramatic whisper.Isabellaâs eyes widen. âNo way. Warren, you didnât have toâââI know,â Warren says, cutting her off. âBut you deserve it. So enjoy it. Is your boyfriend enjoying himself?ââBoyfriend? Myâoh. Right. My boyfriend. Yeah, he is. Heâs just gonna have a lazy day today while Iâm occupied. Well, his version of a lazy day, which means heâs going to the gym.ââGoing to the gym on vacation,â Warren says, shaking his head. âHeâs my friend and Iâm sure heâs a nice person, no, but thatâs a red flag.âIsabella bursts into laughter. âIâm with you on that one. But no, he is a nice person. He might be coming tonight, hopefully.ââIâll look forward to it.â Warren slaps Isabella on the shoulder again. âEnjoy yourself this week, okay? Iâll try not to drag out the festivities too long tod
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire . Chapter 83: .Isabella takes a deep breath, turning around in the chair and swinging her legs over to the other side so that her back is facing Archibald. Archibald leans over, picking up the bottle of sunscreen off the ground and squirting some into his hands. He rubs it between his palms to warm it up firstâvery considerate, Isabella thinksâand then two broad palms are rubbing over Isabellaâs shoulder blades, working the sunscreen into her skin.A tiny strangled noise tries to work its way out of Isabellaâs throat, but she manages to keep it in.âHow was your work stuff?â Archibald asks, thumbs rubbing over Isabellaâs shoulders. Isabella is not entirely sure if that particular motion is necessary for effective sunscreen application.âIt was fine,â Isabella says. âOh, actually, I forgot to tell you. I won a prize for us.ââYeah?â Archibald asks, squeezing more sunscreen into his hands and rubbing it into Isabellaâs lower back with firm strokes
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire . Chapter 84: .âDo you feel that way about your job? Like it has meaning?âIsabella nods. âYeah. For me, I think my primary motivation has always been to help people. Not only in my career, but, likeâin life, in general. And I know Hector is only one person, but my job pretty much consists of helping him in one million different ways, so it is fulfilling for me. Especially because I think heâs a really good human. It feels meaningful to help him. He helps a lot of other people in return.ââI noticed that about you,â Archibald murmurs. His gaze is fixed on the ocean in front of them, hair blowing softly in the warm breeze. âThe night we met, you were so hellbent on repaying me for helping you. Like you couldnât accept the help without feeling like you needed to offer help in return.ââI guess IâmâŠâ Isabella trails off. âI guess Iâm not used to being the one whoâs helped. Usually itâs me whoâs doing the helping.âArchibald hums. âThat sounds like
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 143: .It happens by accident.Archibaldâs out of town again for work but tries to call in the evenings when he can and Isabella, consequently, does her best to be available despite the three-hour time difference. Dara can roll her eyes all she wants â and does â but keeps her smart remarks, if not to a minimum, then to an average.(âItâs part of our arrangement!â Isabella protests noisily as if the forty-five minutes she spends holed up in her bedroom have anything at all to do with those initial terms of their relationship and arenât simply because she misses the man like a limb when heâs gone.Dara makes an unflattering snort and digs her elbow into Isabellaâs side, stealing a pretzel out of her bag while sheâs distracted.âUh-huh,â she says, âIs that what weâre calling it now, Ms. Codependent?ââI donât think I like you anymore.âIsabella, among other things, is a liar. A bad one.)It happens by accident because Isabellaâs bundled up
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 142: .See, if Isabellaâs life was a movie, this is where it would end.A great romantic conclusion tied up with a neat little bow, roll credits, and scene.But this isnât a movie, and this isnât where it ends.âIâm thinking about going back to school,â Isabella says one afternoon during a lunch date. She doesnât stop stirring anxiously at her gelato until Archibald reaches out to physically stop her before it turns to soup, and she wonât like it as much.âI think thatâs a good idea,â he replies.Isabella is still basically unhireable, further blacklisted professionally by the drama that came out of her fatherâs quick but messy trial that put him in jail for years and ruined any good reputation any of them might have had.(The man left a single furious, frothing voicemail on Isabellaâs phone that could be summed up as three straight minutes of death threats that included everyone from Isabella herself to the cat to the goldfish that had o
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 142: .âYou know, I almost broke up with you last night.âArchibaldâs steady calm, the largest holdover from last night, holds up even as he nods in agreement. âI know.âIsabella scowls at him.âHowâd you know? I barely knew until Iâd decided not to.ââBecause I know you. Youâve been given precious few people in life who havenât broken your trust, and I did that by going behind your back. It would have been an understandable reaction, and I wouldnât have begrudged youââIsabella slams that ocean blue tumbler down on the table with a clatter. Her eyes are bright with emotion, and her lips are turned down in an irritated scowl.âMaybe you wouldnât,â she snaps, âbut Iâd sure as shit begrudge you if you just, what, let me break up with you without so much as asking me not to? What the fuck, man.ââYou are an adult who can make your own decisionsâââYeah, but that doesnât mean I want you to just let me go when Iâm about to do something stupid!
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 140:.There is coffee, kept hot in the kind of insulated tumbler that costs too much and coordinates with the beachy colors of the house. Isabella has a suspicion that it was bought specifically for her, because Archibald is a crazy person who thinks about that kind of stuff. It doesnât stop her from drinking it.âTell me what you did,â Isabella orders before she can talk herself out of it and in spite of the very large part of her that doesnât actually want to know. âSomething something something about buying out the board?â she elaborates with a pointed stare. Because Chantelle, of all people, wouldnât be bailing unless the ship is sinking. The ship might already be sunk if sheâs that willing to abandon what she sees as her birthright. A birthright that sheâs always seen as a competition, even though sheâd won right out the gate and Isabellaâs so stupid that it took literally being disowned to see that she never stood a chance.âOh, th
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 139: .Isabella and Alan had settled many a disagreement with an angry tussle in bed that was worth the drop afterward for being able to get a little of her own back, to feel seen and heard. Except that Archibald already makes her feel seen and heard, and right now Isabella just sort of wants one of them to hurt, and sheâs not sure who.âStop, stop, enough,â Archibald orders, kinder than Isabella deserves, and wipes the beginnings of tears out of the corners of Isabellaâs eyes before she even realizes that sheâs about to cry. âI know, baby. I know.ââYou donât know anything.â It comes out way less cool and way more pathetic when Isabellaâs voice cracks on what is definitely an overtired, strung-out sob. âYou donât know anything.ââI know that youâre exhausted and running on fumes and that youâd rather have the kind of sex thatâs not good for you and that you donât even want than get what you need,â Archibald tells her. âIâd say I know pl
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 138: .The only tears Chantelleâs ever shed have been of the crocodilian variety, as purposeful a tactic as any insult. Even after sheâd forced herself to learn how to stop, sheâd never managed to wield emotion like a weapon. At times like this, Isabella sort of wishes that she had.Isabella trembles and wraps her arms around herself, chilled even underneath the blanket. The edges are getting wet with saltwater and crusted with sand, and she would bite anyone who might try to take it from her.Archibald doesnât touch her, but Isabella can feel him practically vibrating with the way he wants to. Right now, Isabella would be happy to bite him, too.âI donât think youâre stupid.ââWell, it sure feels like it.âArchibald literally wrings his hands in open distress, and even now, it doesnât feel remotely like a win. Isabellaâs gotten exactly what sheâs asked forâspace and someone else being the one to hurt, but it doesnât lessen her own, not e
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 137:.It's still pitch black outside, but Isabella finds herself at the edge of the water anyway. The ocean doesnât give a damn about Isabellaâs battered foundation and rolls happily up the night-cooled sand, leaving only foam and bits of seashell behind.Isabella sits at the shoreline and tucks her knees up under her chin.She wonders, miserably, where Chantelle plans to go.God, she hopes her sister gets as far away as she can.Isabella's spent her whole life loyal, but Chantelle? Sheâs fanatical to a degree that Isabella could never quite manage, and she wonders if putting her loyalty into a cage match with her relentless drive to protect herself finally did what nothing else couldâcrack that fanaticism. Sheâll never know; itâs not her place now, and even if it was, Chantelle would never let her.God, she hopes Chantelle got as far away as she possibly can.Mai, with much derision, refers to it as Isabella's "better place theory." Mom
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 136: .âOh, please. Because your boytoy just woke up and bought half our board and their corresponding shares out from under us for some weekend summer fun? I didnât think you had it in you, but I guess you had to grow a spine sometime.âIsabellaâs brain goes blank. Chantelleâs words land with all the delicacy and grace of anvils, pinning her down under their weight like a butterfly in a box.âI didnâtâyouâre wrong,â she protests.âSure, okay. Keep telling yourself that. Anyway, donât bother saving this number; Iâm ditching the phone once my plane boards. Congratulations on your win, Izzy. We always knew youâd ruin the family, but I didnât think itâd be like this. Have a good rest of your life, I guess.âThereâs a click and then a dial tone. Isabella tries to call back, but it goes straight to a generic voicemail that she knows wonât ever be checked. At best itâs a burner phone; at worst itâs Chantelleâs regular phone that sheâs willing t
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 135: .Thereâs the temptation after breakfast to go back to bed and find another way to entertain themselves, but Archibald shuffles her to go shower instead.âItâs about ten miles to get into town,â he says when Isabella protests in an appropriately dignified manner, definitely not pouting at having to put pants on. âYouâll like it.â Isabella does pout, then, and is rewarded for her bad behavior by being hoisted up onto the bathroom counter and thoroughly kissed until sheâll say yes to just about anything. And she does say yes, eventually, and delays the inevitable by about ten minutes by sticking her hands down the back of Archibaldâs pajamas.Isabellaâs never had this kind of domesticity in a relationship before, and it should feel strange but it doesnât, just scaffolds its way up the norms built in by months of getting to know each other. It doesnât feel weird at all for Isabella to snag Archibald by the wrist and tug him into the sho