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95.

Author: Abba_Rekpene
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-07-11 14:24:50

PENELOPE

The cell door clicked shut behind me, I was still in the same clothes from the bakery, only now they smelled like a holding cell.

Christian was the first to step into the waiting area—his coat still buttoned, Senator Edward followed behind him, his arms folded behind his back.

“You’re free,” Christian said. “The governor dropped the charges.”

I stared at him, unsure I’d heard right. “What?”

“His children are out of danger,” Senator Edward added. “And he has no intention of pursuing anything else. The matter’s closed.”

Just like that, after all the shouting, the flashing lights, the fear. I nodded slowly, my mouth was dry. I didn’t even know what to feel, how to feel. There was no relief yet—just disbelief.

Jess hugged me. “I’m so glad you’re free.”

“Thank you, me too.” Hugging her back.

I said a quick thank you to Lucas and Liam who stood at one corner, as Christian led me out of the station.

But I didn’t have time to process anything. The moment we stepped outside—“PENELOPE
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  • The Billionaire's Bargain   EPILOGUE

    EPILOGUE — PENELOPEFour years laterThe smell of vanilla and buttercream filled the kitchen as I smoothed icing over the last layer of the boys’ birthday cake. There was flour in my hair, frosting on my cheek, and my heart was so full I thought it might burst.“Mommy!” one of the twins—Donovan—came barreling in with his brother right behind him, little feet slapping against the tiles. “We’re four today! Fourrr!” he squealed, throwing his chubby arms around my legs.“Yes, you are, my sweet boy,” I laughed, bending down to kiss his cheek before his brother, Damien, demanded his turn.“Donny! Damien! Stop attacking your mother while she’s working,” came Christian’s voice from the doorway, deep and amused.I glanced up at him, smiling despite myself. He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, that same smug grin on his face even after all these years.He’d officially handed over his company to Liam a few weeks ago—much to Liam’s visible annoyance—and now spent most of his time running

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   143.

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  • The Billionaire's Bargain   142

    CHRISTIANThe first thing I tasted was blood, stumbling to the ground when his fist collided with my jaw the moment I found him.I forced myself back onto my feet.The inner basement smelled like gasoline and sweat. Somewhere behind me, I could hear the faint echo of sirens and shouting, and that was enough fuel for me to stay and kill this bastard.He stood a few feet away, bleeding from where Liam had shot him, his shirt was torn, another knife glinting in his hand.That smug little grin still played on his lips, even now.“You’ve never been too soft on her,” he sneered, circling me like a wolf. “What changed, Christian? I actually liked you. But she made you soft, made you weak.”“That doesn’t concern you, Sawyer.” I spat blood onto the concrete floor, straightened as much as my body would let me, and met his eyes.“It does concern me, if she had felt anything back for me, I may have considered aborting this revenge plan. But she called me out, put me in my place, and picked you ov

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   141.

    PENELOPEI don’t even remember how I got out of that basement.One second Christian was telling me “I’ve got you” while he untied me, and the next Alex’s hand was gripping mine, pulling me up the stairs, his voice steady and calm as chaos raged around us.Liam limped behind us, refusing help even though the knife wound in his thigh was still bleeding.The building was swarming now. Red and blue lights painted the walls. Uniformed officers rushed past. Someone shouted into the radio. Another officer barked orders at someone else.But all I could hear was the echo of Lucas’s words in my head.“Break her. Not love her.”“My father rotted in prison because of your family.”“I vowed to destroy everything they loved. Even this child inside you.”My chest hurt so bad I thought I might actually be dying.I stumbled outside into the cool night air, but it didn’t help. Nothing helped. My heart was racing, my ears ringing. I couldn’t catch my breath.From somewhere above, a deep, furious voice c

  • The Billionaire's Bargain   140.

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  • The Billionaire's Bargain   139.

    CHRISTIANAs we stepped off the plane, Liam fell into stride beside me and slid his phone into my hand without a word.“It’s your father,” he muttered.I blinked at him, my brow furrowing. My first instinct was to pull my own phone from my pocket—except there wasn’t one. There hadn’t been since the night I swung that bat at Maria’s hand and heard it shatter as it hit the floor. I hadn’t thought twice about it then. My entire focus had been on making her scream, and getting the truth out of her. I hadn’t had time to replace it.Now, holding Liam’s phone felt foreign. I pressed it to my ear. “Hello—”“We can’t find Penelope.”Those four words stopped everything.I froze in the middle of the jetway, my chest constricting as if someone had shoved a fist into it.“What do you mean you can’t find her?” My voice came out sharper than I intended.“I employed guards for her,” his voice came slowly through the receiver. “It was your brother’s idea ever since I announced her pregnancy at the par

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