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59: ITS NOT WHAT YOU THINK
Last Updated:
2025-01-09 23:55:17
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The Billionaire’s Regret 60: A LIAR
ELARA’S POV “Not what I think’? Things happened so fast, Elara. So fast,” Nico said, his voice laced with disbelief.I felt trapped. I couldn’t lie to him, but I couldn’t risk telling him everything either.“I guess your husband is really something, then,” he added sarcastically.“He’s not my husband,” I snapped, the words escaping before I could stop myself.Nico froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. Shock washed over his face, and for a moment, I thought he might drop it entirely.That’s it. I said it.Now there was no going back.“What do you mean he’s not your husband?” he asked slowly, as though he didn’t quite trust what he was hearing.I bit my lip, debating whether I should even go down this road. But if I didn’t, this misunderstanding would only get worse.“It wasn’t real,” I said finally, lowering my gaze to the table. “The remarriage… it was just an act. A charade.”“For what?” His voice was sharp, demanding. “Why the hell would you do something like that?”I took a deep b
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ELARA'S POV“Nico,” I say, trying to keep my frustration at bay. “I know it’s hard to believe me after all you saw, but I want you to believe me when I say this: Nate and I are not together. What happened at the villa was just for the week, and it’s over. Nate and I were never an item, and we never will be.”Nico’s eyes lock onto mine. Even through the heat of his anger, I can tell he knows I’m not lying.He lets out a long, weary sigh. “If you say so, then…”The indifference in his tone stings, but I know it’s just the anger talking. Nico has every right to be upset. I’ve never seen him this mad before, but I also know him well enough to trust that once his temper cools, he’ll see things more clearly. At least, that’s what I hope.“Nico,” I whine, dragging out his name. “It was awful of me not to tell you, and I’m sorry. Can we please put this behind us and just pretend it never happened?” I pout dramatically, batting my lashes in a way I know looks absolutely ridiculous.I catch the
Last Updated : 2025-01-10The Billionaire’s Regret 62: LAST MINUTE DEMANDS
ELARA'S POV As expected, the ice cream truck was right there on the side of the park. Nico and I each grabbed a cone before strolling through the park, chatting about almost anything we could think of.The cool evening breeze and the soft orange hues of the setting sun made the atmosphere feel peaceful and carefree.“Nico,” I said, breaking the silence as we passed a fountain.“Yes?” He turned his head toward me, his expression curious.“Uhm… can we keep the whole villa thing between us? I don’t want Elliot to find out. You know how dramatic he can be.” I rolled my eyes just thinking about how over the top Elliot could get.“I understand,” Nico said with a small smile, nodding in agreement.“Thank you,” I replied, relieved that he wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it.Before he could respond, his phone began to ring. The slight furrow in his brows told me it was work related. After a quick glance at the screen, he answered, his tone immediately shifting to professional.A few mi
Last Updated : 2025-01-10The Billionaire’s Regret 63: YOU ARE NOT BREATHING
ELARA'S POV“Everything is set. I even have a cab ready for you when you get to New York,” Jenna smirked, handing me my suitcase.“You can cancel it. I know how to find my way when I get there,” I replied, brushing off her insistence.Unlike the last time I was headed to New York, my chest didn’t feel like it was caving in. There was still a small knot of unease, but it wasn’t unbearable. Maybe it was because Elliot hadn’t protested this trip, and I didn’t feel like I was sneaking off. Or maybe it was because I was looking forward to seeing Mom again.“I can’t cancel it,” Jenna said with a shrug. “It’s supposed to be a surprise. I don’t even know why I told you about it.” She slapped her forehead dramatically.“It better not be one of those cringy welcome signs with balloons,” I warned, narrowing my eyes at her.“It won’t be,” she promised, but the amused twinkle in her eye told me otherwise.“If it is, I’m throwing you into a shark tank,” I teased, though a small smile tugged at my l
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NATE’S POVThe first thing I saw on my phone after landing from my trip to Tokyo was a string of texts from Valentina.I thought she’d gotten the message by now, but no. She kept finding new numbers to contact me after I blocked the old ones.With a sigh, I opened the most recent messages. They ranged from annoyingly invasive to desperate.But the latest one stopped me cold.VALENTINA: Did your wife like my surprise?My wife? Surprise And from Valentina. I don’t need anyone to tell it’s not even a good thing. My phone buzzed, snapping me out of my thoughts. Marcus was calling.“What is it, Marcus?” I asked, trying to keep my irritation in check.“Dude, I just saw Elara is back in the city,” he said, his tone heavy with worry.Elara was supposed to come for the office renovations, but I hadn’t had time tell marcus, I have been in contact with her and Leslie wouldn’t have mentioned it either. So how the hell did he know?“Where did you get that from?” I asked sharply.“It’s on the n
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Elara’s POV I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep until I woke up. The first thing I noticed was the unfamiliar room. The walls were painted a soft gray, and the curtains were drawn, letting in only a sliver of light. It was quiet except for the faint buzzing sound of a phone somewhere in the room. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes as I turned toward the sound. My phone. Reaching over to the nightstand, I picked it up and saw multiple notifications lighting up the screen. There were texts from unknown numbers, several voicemails from my mom and brother, and even a couple from Jenna. Then it all hit me, crashing down like a tidal wave. The reporters. The flashing cameras. The panic attack. And Nate. Nate, pulling me out of the chaos, taking me to the car. Shit. I knew it. He must have been the one to bring me here. I jumped out of bed, my heart racing as I clutched my phone. Just as I was trying to figure out what to do, the phone started ringing again. My mom. I hesitat
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ELARA’S POV“We are not rushing into clarifying anything, Elara,” Nate said, his tone soft but firm. “Like I told you, my team is taking care of the pictures and the articles. Once they’re done, it’ll be like none of this ever happened.”I let out a long, frustrated sigh and sat on the edge of the bed.He made it sound so simple, but nothing about this situation felt simple to me. Even if his team managed to scrub the internet clean and silence the public, how would I explain this to my family? To Nico?It wasn’t just one lie anymore. It was a growing web of them. And every time I tried to fix things, I ended up spinning more lies to cover the first one.Running my hands through my hair, I groaned, frustration bubbling up inside me. “How long is this going to take?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.Nate glanced at his watch before meeting my eyes. “A few hours, maybe longer. They promised to handle it quickly, but we can’t rush them if we want it done right.”“Can I have my
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ELARA’S POV“I need to speak with you,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. Pushing away the feeling at crept up. My mind was spinning with questions I couldn’t push away.Who was the woman Nate was so determined to protect? And why did it feel like I was falling deeper into a game I didn’t understand?No Elara that’s none of your business. “Go on,” Nate muttered, his tone laced with irritation.“I just had a look at those pictures,” I began, watching his face closely for any sign of guilt. “And I’m curious… how did they get out? Who posted them?”His expression didn’t change, but I could tell I had his attention.“It’s also a little weird,” I added, stepping closer to him, “that in all those pictures, you don’t look even a little bit bothered. And, on top of that, you were the first person to find me at the airport. Convenient, don’t you think?”Nate raised a brow, his jaw tightening. “What are you trying to say, Elara?”“I don’t know,” I replied with a shrug, my tone drippin
Last Updated : 2025-01-14
Latest chapter
The Billionaire’s Regret 179: IS HE WORTH IT?
Silence takes over, and then only thing I can hear is my beating heart and the sound of cars, passing through the streets. “I checked into the guys,” he said quietly breaking the silence. “It seemed they got the wrong house. And… well, they aren’t any threat. In the end, it was just like you predicted.” I couldn’t utter a single word. Only stared — like something had gotten hold of my tongue and refused to let go. “I guess my mess-ups were worse than I thought,” he let out a chuckle, but it came out hollow. Sad. His face didn’t show much, but his eyes… his eyes gave him away. “I’m sorry for the inconveniences I’ve caused. I know there are a lot of them,” he continued. “There isn’t anything I can do to make it up to you… right?” I swallowed a lump I didn’t even know was there. My mouth had gone dry. I was out of words. Heck could even think of anything to say “Nate…” “No. El, you don’t have to say anything. I understand.” But you don’t’ I wanted to say but I couldn’t.
The Billionaire’s Regret 178: THERE'S A MISUNDERSTANDING
ELARA’S POV He stood there like everything was fine. I didn’t know what made me angrier: the fact that he was still smiling after what he did, or the fact that a part of me still reacted to him. Still felt something when I saw that smile. I wanted to turn around. I wanted to walk right past him and pretend he didn’t exist. But I couldn’t. Not this time. I stepped closer, heels clicking against the pavement like warning shots. He straightened up when he saw me coming, and I swear, he had the audacity to look relieved. Relieved! I stopped just short of him, eyes locked onto his. “El,” he waved. “Why are you here, Nate?” I snapped. “Did your minions tell you I found the tail you sent to follow me, and now you’re doing it yourself, or what?” “Minions?” “Don’t play dumb with me, Nate. I know you sent that guard or whatever to tail me,” I spat, running my hand through my hair with zero care who might be watching. “I don’t know why I keep thinking you’ll ever change.” “
The Billionaire’s Regret 177: YOU’RE NOT MY CONCISE
ELARA’S POV Nico’s words struck something in me. I hated that he was right. Hated it even more that I couldn’t argue back. But can I really blame him? I let this happen. Asher said he was told to keep an eye on Mrs. Hales. Only one person would call me that. Nate. Mimi called him my husband too. Of course it was him. Who else would have the money, the reach, or the nerve? He said he was changing. Said he wanted to be better. And after Mimi called me, and told me what he did… a little part of me wanted believe that he was maybe changing. But then he does this? Hiring someone to follow me without saying a word? He’s going back to doing that again. Acting like he knows what’s best for me. “Asher, right?” I ask calmly, even though my chest feels like it’s twisting in on itself. He nods, eyes down, clearly uncomfortable. “You can go.” I hand him his ID card. “What do you mean he can go?” Nico snaps, cutting through the moment like a blade. His fists are clenched. He look
The Billionaire’s Regret 176: YOU MIGHT BE IN DANGER.
ELARA’S POV “Why were you following us?” Nico barked, tightening his grip around the stranger’s throat. The man shoved at Nico’s arm, trying to break free, but before he could get a good grip, Nico slammed him back against the wall again. His fist connected with the guy’s jaw, knocking the sunglasses clean off his face. Even though he was muscular, the man looked young. Maybe nineteen, maybe even younger. “I. Was. Not. Following you!” he spat, trying to wriggle out of Nico’s hold, but Nico was stronger and his grip firm. “Who sent you?” Nico growled, jaw tight as the man’s face began turning red. “Call the cops, El,” Nico ordered, My hands fumbled with my bag as I scrambled for my phone, nerves making my fingers clumsy. “Wait!" i pause,"Please, it’s not what you think,” he forced out, voice tight. Nico’s grip didn’t waver. His arm locked the guy in place, pinning him hard against the wall. He opened his mouth again, tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. “Please,” he
The Billionaire’s Regret 175: I WASN'T BEING PARANOID.
ELARA’S POVI simply stared at him, no words coming out.I was still trying to process why he was here. Now, of all times — after being gone for what felt like forever. It had been months, and the last time we saw each other, we didn’t exactly part on good terms.At least, that’s how I remembered it.“It’s been a while, El,” he said, his smirk widening as he lowered himself into the chair across from mine. He pushed a cup across the table. “Have the coffee. It’s just the way you like it in june- full of ice, lots of milk, and extra whipped cream.”My gaze dropped to the cup in front of me. It was sweating lightly, the ice already beginning to melt. As tempting as it looked, I didn’t take a sip. Instead, I reached out and moved it to the side of my desk.“Thank you for the coffee,” I said, forcing a small smile.“It’s been a while, Nico. Where have you been?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral.He leaned back in his chair, one arm slung casually over the side. “Well, you know… business h
The Billionaire’s Regret 174: BECAUSE I LOVED HIM.
ELARA’S POV His words were all I could think about when I got to the office. I’m going to change, El. It played in my head like a broken record. But was that really possible? Nate? Change? Those two can’t be in the same sentence. It was a little hard to believe. No! scratch that it was very hard to believe. Nathaniel Hale never changed for anyone. He expected the world to adjust to him, not the other way around. I knew that because I had done exactly that for him… over and over again. I gave up a lot back then. Things I once loved. Things that made me me. Like my regular visits to *** the After my father passed, I stopped going not because I wanted to, but because Nate never liked me going there. Said it was too far out of the city. And when his new circle of friends started whispering in his ear, questioning why I kept going… well, it became easier for him if I just stopped. And so I did. Let’s not even talk about how I had to reduce my work hours, put dreams on
The Billionaire’s Regret 173 : PLEASE BE CAREFUL
ELARA’S POV When I woke up, the first thing I did was glance out the window. I don’t know why I cared, but… his car was still there. Something fluttered in my chest relief? No. No, it couldn’t be that. After getting ready and filling Milla’s bowl, I made a second cup of coffee. For Nate. He spent the whole night in his car. I never asked him to, but still making him coffee wasn’t a big deal, right? Just… basic decency. Pouring it into a mug, I grabbed my bag and double checked the locks on my door. Maybe triple-checked. Just in case. Before I headed out. “Good morning,” he said, rolling down his window. He looked terrible. Dark circles sagged under his eyes, his shirt was wrinkled like he’d been dragged through the night. His hair stuck up like he’d run his hands through it too many times. Guilt twisted my stomach. It must’ve been hell, sitting out here all night. “Coffee,” I said, handing him the mug. “Thanks.” His lips curled into a half smile as he
The Billionaire’s Regret 172: MAYBE I’M A FOOL
NATE'S POV Every part of me wanted to stay. Fight a little harder. Maybe if I had, she would’ve let me? Maybe. But she made her choice. And the last thing I ever want to do is make her uncomfortable in her own home. She’s mad at me — she has every right to be. Hell, I don’t deserve a damn thing from her. I messed up. When I had her, I took her for granted, thinking it was the only way to protect her. But I thought wrong. I should’ve known better. I should’ve been better. I’ve been screwing things up for a long time now. But this time, I swear I’m going to be different. Elara doesn’t need me bulldozing my way back into her life. My eyes flick to her house. The lights are still on. She’s no longer standing at the window. It’s been a little while since I sent the texts, She hasn’t replied but she read them. And for now... that’s enough. At least she knows she’s not alone. Even if she doesn’t want me close. Even if she can't trust me yet. When she s
The Billionaire’s Regret 171: I’LL CHANGE
ELARA’S POV He takes a breath, trying to reel in his temper. “If I leave, we leave. I’m not going unless you come with me. I can’t imagine you staying here all alone and no security” he states with finality in his tone. We? that just didn’t rub me the right way, he can’t come in here and demand that I leave with him. I arch a brow. “We? There is no we, Nathaniel. There never will be.” He messed up the ‘we’. Now there can never be one not again. He can’t be reliable, and I don’t think I can trust that he won’t try anything. It might all start with him staying over. Then he’d probably decide to make this an every night thing. Or come up with reason to stay close. I know Nate and this is how it starts with him. Then, I’d probably start making excuses for him. Then I might let my guard down. And I can’t let that happen. I still have the scars he left me with even though I’ve been shoving them far away, trying my best to forget they’re there. I can feel them. I remembe
