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76.

Author: Abba_Rekpene
last update Last Updated: 2025-06-27 14:32:24

PENELOPE

Getting ready felt like war prep.

The bedroom floor was a battlefield of heels, dresses, and scattered makeup brushes. The room smelled like hair spray, perfume, and a hint of lavender from the bath bomb Jess had insisted on earlier. Jess stood in front of the mirror in a black bralette and high-waisted shorts, curling iron in one hand, her other hand flipping through a stack of eyeshadow palettes.

“Smoky eye or glitter goddess?” she asked, squinting at her reflection.

“Neither,” I said, adjusting the strap on my bra.. “Let your cheekbones do the talking.”

She smirked. “As if they ever shut up.”

We both laughed, the sound echoing through the room and across the hallway. It felt good having someone around other than Christian, he hadn’t reached out to me and that was fine. I, too, didn't want to speak to him.

“Alright, sit sit, let me work my magic on that face,” she called out as I followed her instruction sitting down in front of the mirror.

“Stop twitching or I’m going to s
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  • The Billionaire's Bargain   136.

    PENELOPEBy the time I finally woke up, I reached for my phone on the other end of the couch, the time reading 6:45pm. “God,” I groaned. “How long have I been asleep for?” Blinking sleep out of my eyes as I unlocked the screen, going through my notifications.I had a missed call from Chris, and two from Jess followed by their text messages. I opened Christinans’ first.Chris: I called Alfred when you didn’t pick up, he said he had just checked in on you, and you were still sleeping. I had to rush to Tokyo, something came up at the branch here and I needed to be present. I’ll be back in two days. How are you? How do you feel? How’s your head? I’m sorry the questions are too much, text me back when you’re up.A quiet smile tugged at my lips even as I read it twice over before replying.Me: Sorry I missed your call, I was still sleeping. The meds have their crazy effect. I’m fine Chris, don’t worry too much. I hope work goes well, come back soon.I sent the first one, before typing agai

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   135.

    CHRISTIANI gripped the wheel harder, Jess’s voice still playing in my head. “I hate even saying it. She’s been nothing but sweet to you. But… doesn’t it seem… off? Like. You drank one glass and your body went haywire. Doesn’t that say something?”The knot in my chest tightened with every word, every replay of that damn conversation. The dashboard beeped when I crossed eighty, but I didn’t slow down. My phone rang. I pressed the speaker.“Yeah.”“You’re gonna want to hear this,” Liam’s voice said. “I’ve got a lead. You wouldn’t believe it.”“Yeah? I’ve got something to tell you too. But before I get to the office, I’ve got to make a quick stop.”I ended the call without waiting for his answer and swung the car into the next exit.I walked straight past the receptionist at Kerr Industries. She tried to stop me, but I didn’t hear a word she said. I threw open the doors of the conference room.Damian looked up mid-sentence, his executives turning with wide eyes. I didn’t stop. I grabbed

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   134.

    PENELOPEIt had been a week since I came home from the hospital, and if I thought Christian and his family were protective before, this week proved me wrong.The gifts still kept coming.A new silk robe, a velvet box with a delicate diamond bracelet, a ridiculous bouquet so large it couldn’t fit through the doorway, A pink teddy bear so big it practically needed its own chair. A set of sterling silver rattles — rattles, for goodness’ sake.All from Edward. My father-in-law had apparently taken “I’m going to be a grandfather” as a license to spoil me into oblivion.Even now, one of the boxes sat open on the coffee table as Jess lounged on the other end of the couch, scrolling through her phone and groaning about the latest delivery.“He’s really going all out,” she muttered, glancing at the silk baby blanket folded neatly next to me. “A whole baby blanket made of cashmere? Are we raising the royal baby or what?”I smiled faintly, fingering the soft fabric. “I think he’s just… excited.

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   133.

    CHRISTIAN I hadn’t left her room. Not once.The nurses had come in and out at intervals, checking her vitals, adjusting her medication, whispering to each other when they thought I couldn’t hear. Then that morning, a pair of them wheeled in a cart and told me they were ready to take the tube out of her mouth.“She should come around soon,” one of them said with a polite smile.I only nodded, watching as they carefully removed the tube and taped fresh oxygen lines at her nose. The faint rasp of her breath was more even now. More human.I’d just sat back down with my laptop when my phone buzzed. Liam.I answered instantly. “Talk.”“I just got the report from our guy,” Liam said on the other end, but there was an edge to it. “It was something she took.”I leaned back. “What do you mean?”“They swabbed all the plates and glasses from your kitchen. Particles of the same toxin were on the rim of her glass. It was the juice she drank. Green juice, specifically.”I closed my eyes briefly. Of

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   132.

    CHRISTIANI stood outside her hospital room, watching the faint rise and fall of her chest through the glass panel. Machines beeped steadily. Tubes trailed from her mouth and hands.She hadn’t woken up yet.Alfred had come as soon as he’d heard. He was standing quietly by the wall now, his expression composed but tight around the edges, his hands folded behind his back. Jess sat in the waiting chair, her crutches resting beside her, her face blotchy and pale. Lucas had just gotten off the phone, checking his watch.“Go home,” I told them all evenly.Jess blinked up at me, startled.“You’ve done enough,” I said, my voice softer this time. “Jess, you need rest. Alfred will take you back. Lucas—go back to work. She’s in good hands now. I’ll call you all when she wakes up.”Lucas gave me a long look, then nodded reluctantly. “If you need me, just say the word.”Jess sniffled and whispered, “Call me the second she opens her eyes.”I just inclined my head. “Alfred.”“Yes, sir,” Alfred repli

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   131.

    CHRISTIAN“You went too far last night.” Liam stood across from me, scolding me, his arms folded, and his brow furrowed as though I was one of his incompetent detectives, not his closest friend.I leaned back in my chair, perfectly calm, letting him get it out of his system.“Too far?” I repeated lazily, arching a brow.“Don’t play dumb with me,” he snapped. “You beat that guy to death in front of her, Christian. In a fucking supermarket. She’s right to be mad at you. You could’ve just… I don’t know, stabilized him, dragged him somewhere nobody would find him. But you broke his nose and let him choke on his own blood with her standing right there. And then—” his jaw tightened— “you ordered the boys to burn the damn salesperson too, didn’t you?”I didn’t even flinch. Just shrugged, staring at the ceiling like his little speech bored me.“You never can tell, Liam. Wallace could get to her. Someone could’ve bribed her already.”“Oh, for fuck’s sake—” Liam’s hands raked through his hair.

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