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CHAPTER 34
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2025-03-24 22:42:40
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RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 35
I sat in my office, staring blankly at the document in front of me, but I wasnât reading a single word. My mind was elsewhere.Nolanâs offer replayed over and over in my head.âI donât want anything in return. Just trust me.âIt sounded too good to be true.I had spent years surrounded by men who only helped when they had something to gainâwhether it was control, power, or even me.And yet, here was Nolan, offering me a way out without asking for a single thing.It didnât make sense.Was he playing some long game I wasnât seeing? Did he have a hidden agenda?I wanted to believe he was different. That maybe, for once, someone was actually looking out for me.But I also wasnât naÃŊve.I knew better than to trust people at face value.A knock on my office door made me flinch. âCome in.âBrent stepped inside, his expression tense. He shut the door behind him before walking toward my desk.âYouâre thinking about it, arenât you?â he asked, crossing his arms.I sighed. âYou already know the a
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-25RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 36
The next few days were absolute chaos.Despite my best efforts to stay focused, the pressure was crushing.Lorenzo wasnât slowing down. If anything, he was accelerating his takeover plans. More investors were pulling out. More rumors were circulating. And every time I thought we had a moment to breathe, another headline would appear, twisting the knife deeper.But through it all, I waited for Nolan.I had no idea what he was planning.I hated that.I hated sitting in my office, staring at my phone, waiting for a call that might never come.Brent and Chelsea were both wary of the situation. Brent especially.âYouâre relying on a man we barely know, Demi.âI knew that.But at this point, what choice did I have?Finally, on the fourth day, Nolan called.âMeet me.âThat was all he said before hanging up.I grabbed my coat and left.***I found Nolan at a private lounge in one of the cityâs most exclusive hotels.He was sitting in a leather chair, sipping whiskey like he had all the time i
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-26RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 37
I barely made it to my car before my hands started shaking.Damn it.I gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to steady my breath.Nolanâs words echoed in my mind."I want you to marry me.""If you refuse, I can always bring Lorenzo back into the picture."I closed my eyes, frustration bubbling in my chest.I had worked so hard to keep Lorenzo from completely taking over my fatherâs company. And now, Nolanâthe one who had helped me get rid of himâwas using the same threat against me.I should have seen it coming.I should have never trusted him.A bitter laugh escaped me.I was an idiot.***I didnât go home right away.Instead, I found myself driving aimlessly around the city, my thoughts a tangled mess.I knew Nolan wasnât bluffing.If I refused him, he would absolutely bring Lorenzo back just to pressure me further.And I couldnât let that happen.I had barely regained control of the company. The shareholders were finally regaining confidence. If Lorenzo came back into the pict
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-27RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 38
I barely slept that night.My father was awake. That should have been good newsâgreat newsâbut instead, my mind was in turmoil.I had been seconds away from signing that contract with Nolan. Seconds away from locking myself into a deal I desperately didnât want.And now?Now, I had a chance to delay it. Maybe even stop it completely.But how?I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone, my fingers hovering over Nolanâs number.I had to call him. Had to tell him that I wasnât signing anything yet.But that meant going against him. And I knew how he played this game.I had agreed to this deal. If I backed out now, even temporarily, heâd make me regret it.Still, I had no choice.Taking a deep breath, I dialed his number.He picked up on the first ring, like he had been expecting my call.âDemi,â Nolanâs voice was smooth, but there was a hint of amusement there. âI was wondering when youâd call.âI gripped the phone tightly. âI need to delay the agreement.âA pause.ThenââExcuse me
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-28RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 39
I barely heard the sound of my own heels clicking against the hospitalâs tiled floors as I rushed toward my fatherâs room. My heart pounded so hard in my chest that it felt like it might burst.He was awake.That single thought drowned out everything else.Pushing open the door, I found him sitting up slightly, his face pale but his eyes alert. Relief surged through me so fast that I had to grip the doorframe to steady myself.âDadâĶâ My voice cracked.His gaze lifted to mine, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I saw warmth in his eyes.âDemi.â His voice was hoarse, weaker than I remembered. But he was awake. He was speaking. And that was all that mattered.I rushed to his side, grabbing his hand. âHow are you feeling?âHe let out a dry chuckle. âLike I got hit by a truckâĶ and then the damn truck decided to back up and hit me again.âA laugh bubbled in my throat, but it quickly turned into something elseâsomething raw. I squeezed his hand tighter, afraid that if I let go
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-28RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 40
I let the word hang in the air. Mine.Possessive. Confident. A declaration.The manâsomeone from a hedge fund, I vaguely recalledâchuckled as he shook Nolanâs hand. âOf course she is,â he mused, his gaze lingering on me a beat too long. âYou always did know how to pick them.âNolanâs grip on my waist tightened slightly, just enough to make a point. A warning.I played my part, tilting my head toward him like a woman perfectly comfortable in his grasp. âHeâs very persuasive,â I said smoothly, watching Nolanâs reaction from the corner of my eye.His smirk deepened. âSheâs a quick learner.âThe man laughed, clearly entertained. âWell, I wonât keep you. Enjoy your evening.âAs soon as he walked away, I turned to Nolan, my voice sickly sweet. âMine?âHe didnât look the least bit regretful. âWould you rather I introduce you as the woman who owes me a favor?âMy jaw tightened. âI would rather you not introduce me at all.âHe smiled like I had just said something amusing. âBut that would be a
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-28RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 41
The second my lips brushed against his, I knew I had made a mistake.A terrible, reckless, unforgivable mistake.Because the moment it happened, Nolan took over.He didnât hesitate. Didnât second-guess.His hand slid around the back of my neck, fingers curling into my hair as he tilted my head, deepening the kiss without an ounce of restraint. His other hand gripped my waist, pulling me flush against him, trapping me in the heat of his body.I gasped against his mouth, and he took full advantage, pressing deeper, his tongue brushing against mine in a slow, deliberate stroke that sent a shiver all the way down to my toes.Damn him.Damn me.I knew better. I knew what he was capable ofâhow he twisted things, how he played these games like he always won because he did always win.And yetâĶI didnât pull away.Not when I should have. Not when I had every reason to.Instead, my fingers curled into the lapels of his suit, gripping him like he was the only thing keeping me standing.I hated h
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-28RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 42
I should have walked away.After that dance, after the way he held me like he was proving a point, I should have put as much distance between us as possible.But Nolan had other plans.And unfortunately, so did Anthony Carter.***After the dance, Nolan guided me toward a private lounge tucked away from the main gala. Plush velvet seating, dim lighting, and a bar stocked with the rarest liquors.Anthony Carter was already there, lounging in one of the leather chairs, a glass of whiskey in his hand.I shot Nolan a sharp look. âWhat is this?ââA conversation.â His smirk was infuriating. âSit.âI didnât. Instead, I crossed my arms. âIf you think Iâm going to sit through whatever twisted plan you two haveâââDemi.âThe way Nolan said my name made my stomach twist. Not with fear, but with something worse.Something dangerous.Anthony chuckled, swirling his drink. âYouâve got fire, Iâll give you that.â His gaze flicked to Nolan. âI can see why you like her.âI clenched my fists. âGet to the
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2025-03-28
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RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 105
It was raining again.Not the soft, romantic kind of rain. The soak you through your bones, make you late to everything, gray-for-days kind.Jeff hated the rain.Which was why I was surprised when I got a text that afternoon:"Be ready in 15. Wear something you can get muddy in."I stared at the message like it had come from an alien.Then again, Jeff had beenâĶ different lately.Softer.Less guarded.Like he was trying. Really trying.So, I tugged on my oldest jeans, shoved my hair into a messy braid, and waited.Fifteen minutes later, his truck pulled up, tires hissing against the wet pavement. I ran out, ducking into the passenger seat with a yelp as a sheet of rain chased me inside.âYou look like a drowned cat,â he said with a grin.âYou look like someone whoâs about to explain what weâre doing driving into a storm.âHe just handed me a thermos of coffee and said, âTrust me.âWe drove for over an hour. Through back roads and winding trails that made my stomach flip. The farther we
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 104
It had been two days since the photo.Two days since the box. Since the kiss. Since we sat in the middle of his living room floor, surrounded by scraps of his past, and decidedâquietly, stubbornlyâthat we were worth salvaging.And for a little while, it felt like we were okay.Better than okay, even.He made coffee just the way I liked it. I left a playlist on repeat that I knew he secretly loved but pretended to hate. He kissed the side of my neck when he thought I was asleep. I pretended not to notice, because pretending was easier than admitting I still melted when he did that.But under it all, something buzzed.Something unsaid.A wordless ache living in the spaces between our sentences.Thatâs the thing about relationshipsâwe talk about the fights, the makeup sex, the milestones. But no one talks about maintenance. No one talks about how hard it is to just keep showing up.And maybe we were showing up for each other now.But what if one of us stopped again?The unease really sta
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 103
The next few weeks were a dance of small things.Late night conversations. Little confessions. Fighting over what movie to watch. Laughing until my stomach hurt. Crying when the weight got too heavy and letting him hold me through it.It wasnât perfect.Sometimes I still flinched.Sometimes he still said the wrong thing.But we were learning.Learning how to be us without pretending the past didnât exist.Learning that love isnât about erasing scarsâitâs about tracing them with reverence.One night, months later, after too much wine and too much laughter, Jeff pulled me close and said against my hair:âI donât want a clean slate with you, Demi. I want the messy one. The one with mistakes and lessons and a thousand second chances. I want the real thing.âI smiled, my heart aching with something fierce and beautiful.âYou already have it,â I whispered back.And for the first time in what felt like forever, I knew it was true.Love wasnât a single moment of forgiveness.It was a thousand
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 102
The evening air hit me like a slap the second I stepped out of Jeffâs condo.Sharp. Cold. Unforgiving.I kept walking, barely aware of the streets, the familiar cracks in the sidewalks, the faint hum of the city coming alive for the night. I walked because standing still meant feeling everything at once, and right now, that felt unbearable.The photo burned in my mind. Stella's hand in his. Her smile. His.Closure, he had said. But how many versions of closure could one person have before it stopped being closure and started being something else entirely?I found myself at the small park three blocks away without realizing it. I collapsed onto a bench, wrapping my arms around myself, willing the tightness in my chest to ease.It didnât.Because this wasnât just about a photograph.It was about the small cracks in the foundation we were trying to rebuild. Tiny fractures that, left ignored, would one day split wide open and swallow us whole.And God, I was so tired of trying to be the o
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 101
Around noon, I found a note taped to my computer monitor. Simple, clean handwriting. I didnât need to ask who it was from."Dinner. Your place. 7PM. You donât have to say anything. Just let me try. âJ"I stared at it for a long time.It wasnât a plea. It wasnât a demand.It was... a hope.A quiet one. One I hadnât earned yet. One I wasnât sure I could accept.But when seven oâclock rolled around, I was home. I had lit candles. Put on soft music. Worn something that wasnât just lounge clothes.And I waited.At 7:02, there was a knock.I opened the door, and there he wasâholding a bag of takeout from my favorite Thai place, rain in his hair, uncertainty in his eyes.âHi,â he said softly.âHi,â I replied.He stepped inside, and we moved through the motions like a dance we hadnât forgotten. Plates. Chopsticks. Steam curling from cartons. But the real heat in the room wasnât from the food.It was the tension.I finally broke it.âWho was that message from?â I asked, voice even but my heart
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 100
I didnât go far. Just to the small park down the block from Jeffâs condo unitâthe one with the crooked benches and a fountain that hadnât worked since spring. I sat there, my coat tight around me, watching the early evening swallow the sky whole.I didnât cry. Not really.I was too tired for tears. Too wrung out from constantly stitching together the pieces of us, only to watch them come loose again.I pulled my phone out, stared at the blank screen. No texts. No calls. And maybe that was the point. Jeff had said he wouldnât stop trying, but he hadnât come after me. Not this time.Maybe he was learning to give me space. Or maybe he was just as exhausted as I was.A gust of wind tore through the branches above, scattering brittle leaves across my boots.Why does love feel like this sometimes?Not soft and soothing, but raw. Like walking barefoot on broken glass, hoping every step doesnât cut too deep. Hoping the bleeding stops before the next fight.But despite everything, I didnât wan
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 99
Around noon, I found a note taped to my computer monitor. Simple, clean handwriting. I didnât need to ask who it was from."Dinner. Your place. 7PM. You donât have to say anything. Just let me try. âJ"I stared at it for a long time.It wasnât a plea. It wasnât a demand.It was... a hope.A quiet one. One I hadnât earned yet. One I wasnât sure I could accept.But when seven oâclock rolled around, I was home. I had lit candles. Put on soft music. Worn something that wasnât just lounge clothes.And I waited.At 7:02, there was a knock.I opened the door, and there he wasâholding a bag of takeout from my favorite Thai place, rain in his hair, uncertainty in his eyes.âHi,â he said softly.âHi,â I replied.He stepped inside, and we moved through the motions like a dance we hadnât forgotten. Plates. Chopsticks. Steam curling from cartons. But the real heat in the room wasnât from the food.It was the tension.I finally broke it.âWho was that message from?â I asked, voice even but my heart
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 98
By Monday, we were back in the city.Jeff dropped me off at my place, and though we kissed goodbye with a promise to see each other soon, something lingered between usâsomething unspoken and tense, like a storm hovering just beyond the horizon.I tried to shake it off as I stepped into my apartment. I unpacked slowly, letting the quiet settle around me. But my thoughts refused to sit still.Why now? Why was Stella suddenly trying to reappear? And why did Jeff hesitate before telling me?It wasnât fairâheâd done so much to regain my trust. Heâd been showing up, loving me in all the right ways. But one whisper from the past, and the walls Iâd slowly let fall started climbing back up.I turned on some music, something soft, just to quiet the noise inside my head. And thatâs when my phone buzzed.It was a message. From an unknown number.Unknown: "You can believe him if you want. But you should know he came back to me once before. Right after the first time you left."I stared at the scre
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACKÂ Â Â CHAPTER 97
Thereâs something strangely intimate about folding laundry with someone you love. Not the kind of love thatâs still wrapped in red ribbons and candlelit dinners, but the kind that shows up in the quiet domesticity of Sunday afternoonsâbarefoot, soft music in the background, mismatched socks everywhere.Jeff held up one of my oversized sweaters, the sleeves drooping like tired arms. âThis still smells like that coconut shampoo you use.âI glanced up from the pile of towels. âI havenât used that shampoo in months.ââMust be haunted,â he smirked, then tossed it gently to my side of the bed.I laughed, but it came with a soft ache. This was good. Easy. Comfortable. Almost too comfortable.Maybe thatâs why it blindsided me when the tension returnedâsharp and unexpected like stepping on glass in a room you thought was safe.It happened that evening.We were cleaning out the hallway closet when Jeffâs phone buzzed on the console table. Once. Twice. Three times.He didnât reach for it.I woul
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