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Chapter Thirty One
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2025-04-23 05:10:22
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Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Thirty Two
I sat by the large window in the living room, staring out at the rolling hills beyond, but I wasn’t really seeing any of it. My thoughts were too tangled in the mess of everything that had happened in the past few days, in the strange, unsettling dance between me and Dylan.I ran my fingers through my hair, the weight of it dragging my thoughts down further. I felt… lost. Not just physically, but emotionally. Everything around me was so pristine, so perfect, and yet I couldn’t shake the sense of suffocation that had settled over me since I woke up here.Dylan had left the house earlier, something about work or a meeting or whatever it was that kept him out of the house so often. He hadn’t said much, just a quiet goodbye as he slipped out the door. Part of me felt relieved, like I could finally breathe without the weight of his gaze on me. But then there was another part of me, one that wasn’t so sure about being left alone with my thoughts.I stood and moved towards the kitchen, a
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Thirty Three
Every room I entered felt foreign, like I was walking through someone else’s life, someone else’s story. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt truly at home anywhere. Not with Aiden, not here.I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, staring at the woman who had once been me. The woman who wore a face that was hers, but not hers. A woman who was no longer recognized by her past, who now wore a mask of someone else’s making.The weight of it, the weight of everything, pressed down on me. And as I reached for the toothpaste, I found my hand trembling.I hadn’t expected it to hit me like this. The quiet, the stillness, the way Dylan kept slipping in and out of my life. Always there, but never truly there. I thought the quiet would soothe me, would give me a sense of peace. But it felt more like a cage. One with no bars, no chains. Just walls that kept closing in.I squeezed the toothpaste onto my brush, the cold metal of the tube feeling too heavy in my hands. The sound of
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Thirty Four
Something I couldn't quite name, had been building between us ever since the surgery, ever since I first woke up in Dylan’s care. I’d seen the way his eyes lingered on me, how he looked at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. There was always a moment when our gazes would lock, and I’d feel something in the pit of my stomach twist, like we were both standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for the other to fall.I wasn’t sure if I was ready for whatever this was.But I also wasn’t sure I could keep ignoring it.That morning, the house felt different. More silent than usual. I could hear the rustle of his clothes from the other side of the hallway, the soft thud of his boots as he moved around. It should’ve been comforting. But there was something about the way he moved that made my skin tingle, something predatory in the way he shifted between spaces, never fully looking at me but always aware of me.I took a breath and tried to center myself. I needed to get through the da
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Thirty Five
The morning after didn’t feel like morning at all.The light leaking through the curtains was soft and forgiving, but everything else was sharp. The weight of what we’d done pressed down on my chest like a stone. I hadn’t slept much. I doubted Dylan had either. He hadn’t said a word when he got out of bed, just pressed a lingering kiss to my shoulder before disappearing into the bathroom.Now I sat on the edge of the mattress, clutching the sheet to my chest, listening to the sound of running water.It should have felt like something good. Like a release.Instead, it felt like a beginning I didn’t ask for.The bathroom door creaked open. Dylan stepped out, towel slung low around his hips, hair damp, eyes unreadable. He paused when he saw me still sitting there, like he wasn’t sure how to break the silence between us.I beat him to it. “You called me Emily.”His jaw tightened. “Last night?”I nodded, eyes locked on him. “More than once.”He rubbed a hand down his face, then turned awa
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Thirty Six
Dylan sat next to me, his hand resting on the seat between us, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to touch me but was unsure whether to do so.I kept my gaze fixed out of the window, watching the city lights blur into a haze of color. It almost felt like I was in a dream. But it wasn’t a dream, it was my life now. Or at least, a life I had to pretend was mine.I wanted to ask Dylan a thousand questions. I wanted to scream, to demand answers. What was he really asking of me? Why was he so insistent that I become Emily, that I wear her life like a second skin? But every time I opened my mouth, the words felt too heavy to speak.Instead, I turned to him, just enough to catch his profile in the dim light of the car. His jaw was tight, his brow furrowed in a way that suggested he was lost in his thoughts as much as I was in mine.“Dylan,” I said softly, breaking the silence. “What happens when they see through it? When they realize I’m not her?”He glanced at me, his eyes flickering wit
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Thirty Seven
Every corner of the ballroom whispered wealth, status, and power. This was a world I had never wanted, a world I never wished to belong to.But tonight, I was here. Again.My breath hitched in my throat as his gaze locked with mine across the room, his expression unreadable. His dark eyes were intense, piercing through the crowd as if nothing else existed but the space between us.For a moment, everything else faded. The music, the chatter, the clinking of glasses, they all disappeared, and it was just him and me, locked in this unexpected confrontation.I could feel the blood drain from my face. My fingers tightened around the glass of champagne in my hand, my knuckles white. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready to face him, not like this, not in front of all these people.I tried to swallow the panic that rose in my chest, but it didn’t help. It wasn’t just the shock of seeing him again. It was the way he was looking at me. Like he knew exactly who I was.“Caitlin,” Dylan’s voic
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Thirty Eight
Dylan shut the door behind us with a soft thud, the sound feeling too final. Too much like the world outside was still pressing down on me.The car started moving, the soft hum of the engine doing nothing to ease the storm inside me. I stared out the window, the city lights blurring by, but I wasn’t really seeing any of it. My thoughts were consumed by one thing, and one thing only.Aiden.I had spent so long running from him, escaping the life he’d built around me, and yet here I was, with him still somehow right there in front of me. Like some fucking ghost, haunting me.And Dylan?Dylan was his cousin.I couldn’t stop the words from slipping out.“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” My voice was raw, barely above a whisper, but it still felt like a shout inside the car. “How could you not tell me that?”Dylan didn’t look at me. His hands were clenched tight on the wheel, his jaw set like granite. He kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his posture tense. But I could feel the shift
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-24Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Thirty Nine
I stayed in the car for a long time after Dylan killed the engine, staring at the house, the quiet stillness of the night pressing down on me. The lights from the streetlamp outside cast long shadows across the driveway, but it wasn’t the darkness that felt suffocating, it was the weight of everything I was trying to ignore, trying to outrun.Finally, Dylan spoke, his voice softer this time, as though he could feel the distance growing between us.“Come inside, Caitlin,” he said gently. “You need to rest.”I shook my head, the exhaustion in my bones telling me that he was right. But my mind wouldn’t stop spinning, the image of Aiden, his presence still burning in my veins. I didn’t want to go inside. I didn’t want to face this house, this life. I didn’t want to feel like a ghost in my own skin.But there was no escaping it. So, I opened the car door, stepping out into the cool night air, the sound of my shoes crunching on the gravel beneath my feet. Dylan was already a few steps ahe
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-24
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Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Fifty Seven
The morning air felt unusually thick as I returned the office building, the weight of the previous day still lingering in my chest. I had to quickly finished the tasks at hand before Aiden would ask for it.I pressed the button for the elevator, hearing the soft hum of whispers that echoed from the lobby. “… Did you hear? Mr. Gallagher spent hours in his office with Emily yesterday. Alone. I thought they just worked together on the big reports?”“Yeah, but did you hear what he called her?” A second voice whispered. “I swear, he called her Caitlin. I thought her name was Emily?”“Wait, what? Are you sure?”“I heard it too. Something’s up with those two, that’s for sure…”The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped inside, trying to ignore the rising tension in the air. It was hard not to notice the undercurrents of gossip, the shifting glances from people who weren’t even trying to hide their curiosity.As the doors closed, I sighed and leaned against the wall, willing myself to shak
Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Fifty Six
The day had barely begun when I found myself standing at my desk, a stack of files before me. The office buzzed with the usual hum of conversations, clicking keyboards, and ringing phones. But for me, everything felt muted, distant. I couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened earlier. Aiden’s words had burrowed into my mind, and despite my best efforts to shake them off, they lingered like a shadow over my thoughts.I was determined to push past it. I was stronger now. At least, that’s what I told myself.But that resolve was put to the test the moment I saw Aiden emerge from his office. His sharp suit and imposing presence commanded the room, and everyone seemed to freeze in their tracks as he walked through the floor. I tried to focus on my work, my eyes fixed on the screen, but I could feel his gaze sweeping across the room, his eyes lingering on me for a fraction of a second longer than necessary.And then, I heard his voice."Caitlin." He called out, his tone smooth, too
Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Fifty Five
The morning after, I woke up to an unsettling quiet. The kind of quiet that, for most people, would signify peace. But for me, it was like a raw wound still too tender to touch. My first peaceful night under Dylan's roof had been a relief, a balm to the wounds that Aiden’s presence had left on me. I had expected to wake up feeling safer, more at ease, but instead, the dread still clung to me like a shadow.Dylan had left early for work, but his absence felt comforting, as if he had given me the space I needed to begin reclaiming some semblance of normality. I sat in the living room, sipping my tea, trying to gather the strength to start my day. The phone buzzed on the coffee table, pulling me from my thoughts. It was a text from my work.“Emily, the company expects you to come in today. We’re a bit behind. Hope you’re feeling better. See you soon!”I stared at the message for a long moment, the weight of it sinking in. Going back to the office meant facing the reality of everythin
Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Fifty Four
The drive back to Dylan’s house felt surreal. The air seemed to shimmer with a sense of possibility, but there was still an undercurrent of caution running through me, as if I was unsure whether I could truly trust the peace I felt, or if it was just a fleeting illusion. My hands rested on my lap, and for the first time in ages, I didn’t feel the urge to clutch my body in a defensive posture. I didn’t feel the weight of Aiden’s presence looming behind me, controlling my every move. The physical relief was immense, but the emotional burden was still there, heavy and complex.Dylan glanced at me as we drove, his face drawn, like he was balancing a thousand thoughts, but he didn’t rush me. He didn’t push me for anything more than what I was willing to give. His silence was comforting, as if he was giving me space to breathe, space to think, while also showing that he was there, unwavering in his presence.The road seemed to stretch endlessly before us. The soft hum of the tires on asph
Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Fifty Three
The sun had barely crested the horizon when I awoke, the faint glow of early morning casting long shadows across the room. My head throbbed with the remnants of a restless night, and I felt the familiar ache of exhaustion in my bones. But the events from yesterday played over and over in my mind.Aiden’s betrayal, his anger, the helplessness I’d felt in his presence.I wasn’t sure how long I had been lying there, staring at the ceiling, trying to force myself to wake up from this nightmare. But as the minutes passed, I felt a new determination settle in my chest.Suddenly, the sound of the front doorbell echoed through the house, pulling me from my thoughts. My heart skipped a beat. Was it him? Was Aiden back? Coming to f**k me again?I froze for a moment, listening to the sound of muffled voices outside. But then, a familiar voice rang out, and I knew it wasn’t Aiden."Caitlin?"Dylan.I rushed to the door, my pulse quickening with both relief and anxiety. As I opened it, Dylan stoo
Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Fifty Two
My heart raced in my chest, but I refused to let it show. I had told myself I wouldn't be afraid of him anymore. That I was done hiding. But the reality of it was much more complicated.Aiden’s gaze sliced through the room, sharp and commanding. He had a way of looking at you that made it feel as though he could see straight through you. And right now, I could tell he wasn’t happy to see me. But that was fine. I wasn’t here to please him."You called for me," I said, my voice surprisingly steady for someone who had been running from him for years. The words felt like a challenge as they left my lips, and I didn’t even flinch. I could feel his eyes on me, studying me in a way that made me want to shrink, but I stood firm.Aiden’s lips curled into a tight smile, but there was nothing friendly about it. His eyes darkened with irritation. "Yes, I did," he replied, his voice low and smooth, but there was an edg
Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Fifty One
The room was quiet after Aiden left, the silence oppressive, heavy like a blanket draped over me. My mind was a storm, still reeling from everything that had happened, the gun, the threats, the violence. Dylan’s arms around me felt like the only steady thing left in my world, but even that didn’t calm the chaos inside me.We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, Dylan holding me, his hands gentle as if afraid I might break. I could feel his heartbeat against my cheek, steady and strong. But it only served as a reminder of how fragile everything had become.Finally, he pulled away slightly, enough to look down at me, his face set in that familiar expression of concern that made my heart twist. "Cait," he said softly, but there was a certain finality in his voice. "I think it's time for you to quit your job."I blinked up at him, stunned. "What?" I asked, my voice hoarse from the crying."
Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Fifty
My heart pounded so hard in my chest, I thought it might burst. The gun in Aiden's hand was still pointed at Dylan, and every second that passed felt like a thousand years of agony.I could hear my own voice in my head, begging for some kind of resolution, some way out of this nightmare. But everything seemed out of reach. My mind was spinning, trapped between the man I had once loved and the man who had risked everything to protect me.Aiden's eyes were locked on me, calculating, waiting, daring me to do something, anything, that would prove I was still his, that I still belonged to him.But I didn’t belong to him. I hadn’t belonged to him for a long time. And yet, here we were, teetering on the edge of something that could shatter all of us.The silence stretched, broken only by the rapid beat of my heart and Dylan’s labored breathing. I couldn’t keep looking at Aiden. I couldn’t.But I couldn’t look away either.“You think this is over, Caitlin?” Aiden's voice was quieter now, al
Escaping The Billionaire's Embrace Chapter Forty Nine
Time seemed to slow, each heartbeat stretching out painfully as I watched the gun's muzzle flash. I heard the deafening sound of the shot, a sharp crack that echoed through the room like a thunderclap.Oh God! Everything went still, except for the frantic thumping of my own pulse in my ears.Dylan pushed me down, shielding me with his body, and I could feel the heat of his skin pressed against mine. His arm was around me, protectively, but it was the desperation in his grip that scared me more than anything.The world tilted on its axis as I tried to comprehend what had just happened.Aiden stood there, the gun still in his hand, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. His eyes flickered between Dylan and me, calculating, assessing, waiting for some sort of reaction.Dylan’s breathing was erratic, his hand pressed to his side, where I could already see the red stain spreading across his shirt. The bullet had grazed him, but that didn’t matter right now. What mattered was
