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Chapter Seventeen
publish date:
2026-04-20 14:23:13
Latest chapter
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Sixty-Nine
The dinner continued.But nothing felt the same after Louis’ grandfather casually announced that Celia had never been part of the original guest list.No one mentioned it again.No one needed to.The statement lingered over the table like invisible smoke.Celia remained seated, maintaining perfect posture and a composed expression, but the damage had already been done. She spoke less now. Smiled less. Every contribution felt carefully measured, as though she was recalculating her place within the room.I couldn’t blame her.The hierarchy had been revealed.And everyone had noticed.Across the table, Louis had become quieter.Not withdrawn.Alert.His eyes moved constantly between speakers now.Between his father, His grandfather.Various executives and relatives.And occasionally me.I could feel his attention lingering.He had noticed something.The fact that I wasn’t reacting.Wasn’t asking questions. I wasn't defending myself.I was simply listening.Observing.Learning.My phone vibr
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Sixty-Eight
I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped into Louis’ residence.The house was full, yet strangely quiet.Previous gatherings with the family had always carried a sense of movement, laughter, overlapping conversations, people drifting between rooms. Tonight felt different. Everything seemed carefully arranged, as if every seat, every conversation, every person had been placed exactly where they were supposed to be.Or where someone wanted them to be.I paused near the entrance, smoothing my dress as unease settled in my chest.“Elara.”Louis’ grandfather approached immediately.His smile was warm, almost relieved.For a second, I felt as though he had been waiting specifically for me.“You made it,” he said, patting my shoulder affectionately.“Thank you for inviting me.”“Of course.”The certainty in his voice surprised me.Before I could respond, my attention shifted toward the dining room.Louis was already seated. Watching me.Not smiling.Not frowning.The intensity of his gaze
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Sixty-Seven
CELIA I couldn’t stop thinking about her. No matter how hard I tried. No matter how many times I replayed the evening in my head and told myself I was overreacting. The images kept returning. Elara standing beside Louis’ grandfather. Elara smiled politely while guests surrounded her. Elara being thanked. Welcomed. Accepted. Every memory felt like a fresh insult. I lay awake most of the night staring at the ceiling. The discharge celebration had ended hours ago, but it still felt like I was trapped inside it. The worst part wasn’t the guests. It wasn’t the staff. It wasn’t even Louis’ grandfather. It was Louis. Because he had done nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not once had he corrected anyone when they treated Elara like she belonged there. Not once had he reminded people that I was his girlfriend. Not once had he stepped in when his grandfather practically paraded her around the celebration. He had simply watched.The realization burned. Humiliation sat like poison
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Sixty-Six
ELARA By the time I got home, I felt like I’d survived an entire week instead of a single evening. The moment I stepped into the apartment, I kicked off my heels and dropped my bag onto the nearest chair. Denise looked up from the couch. One glance at my face was enough. “Oh no,” she said immediately. “What happened this time?” I groaned. “Don’t ask.” Her eyes lit up. That was never a good sign. Whenever my life became complicated, Denise treated it like premium entertainment. She muted the television and sat forward. “Start talking.” I should have gone straight to my room. Instead, exhaustion got the better of me. Ten minutes later, I found myself explaining everything. The discharge celebration.The endless attention. The nurses.The guests. Louis’ grandfather introduced me to practically everyone. The way he insisted on keeping me beside him throughout the evening. And finally, Celia’s increasingly visible descent into frustration. Denise listened with growing a
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Sixty-Five
ElaraThe celebration ended slowly.Not with a dramatic goodbye or a final speech, but through small departures that gradually emptied the house.One family member left with a hug.A doctor excused himself after shaking Louis’ grandfather’s hand.Several guests lingered near the entrance, exchanging polite farewells before disappearing through the front doors.The energy of the evening faded piece by piece.I stood near one of the windows, watching the process happen in stages.The house felt different now.Less crowded.Less noisy.Yet somehow more uncomfortable.Because even as people prepared to leave, they continued looking at me.Not openly.Not rudely.Just enough.A glance before saying goodbye.A brief smile.A lingering look that felt strangely deliberate.As though they were confirming something.As though they had already decided where I belonged.I hated that feeling.It made me feel like I had walked into the middle of a conversation everyone else understood.Across the room,
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Sixty-Four
Elara’s POVI woke up to fifty-three missed calls and a phone that wouldn’t stop vibrating.For a few disoriented seconds, I thought something had happened to Louis’ grandfather.Then I opened social media.My stomach dropped.My face was everywhere.Not just photographs. Entire timelines.There were images of me walking beside a man I had never seen before. Images of us entering corporate buildings together. Sitting in meetings. Leaving charity events. Standing shoulder to shoulder in front of cameras.The edits were terrifyingly good.I stared at one picture for nearly a minute.The lighting matched. The shadows matched.Even the expression on my face looked real.But it wasn’t.I had never been there. I had never met him.Yet thousands of people were commenting as though they had witnessed our relationship unfold for months.My fingers trembled as I scrolled.“Adrian Vale and Elara finally confirmed.”“Power couple of the year.”“So this is where she’s been disappearing to.”“What a
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Forty-One
LOUISCelia’s sulking was beginning to irritate me.She sat curled up on the couch with her arms folded tightly across her chest, her lips pushed into a childish pout that had lasted almost the entire evening. Every few minutes, she sighed dramatically as if waiting for me to comfort her, but I had
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Forty
ElaraThe security guard’s shoes squeaked against the polished floor as he approached them, his expression stern and unyielding. Celia’s face immediately paled, but she quickly replaced the panic with outrage.“You can’t be serious,” she snapped, glaring at him. “Do you even know who I am?”The gua
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Thirty-Six
ElaraI had barely stepped into the house before Celia slammed the door behind me hard enough to shake the picture frames on the wall.The sound echoed through the living room.I loosened my tie slowly, exhausted from the disastrous evening, but the sharp click of her heels told me she wasn’t going
The Billionaire Who Wants Me Next Chapter Thirty-Five
ElaraIf anyone had told me that a simple dinner date would end with me acquiring a painting and returning home like a victorious art thief except I actually paid for it,I would have laughed in their face.Yet here I was.The car rolled to a stop in front of Alistair’s house, and I didn’t even wait
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