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Chapter 11: It's On Fire
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2025-04-17 23:22:59
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The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 12: Surprising Guest
Henrietta’s POV It was nearly 10 p.m, yet Raphael still wasn’t home. This was totally unlike him. He hadn’t sent a message, he hadn’t called or even sent a vague ‘working late’ text. I sat in the living room, one leg crossed over the other, my foot bounced with restrained anxiety. I had told myself I wouldn’t care, not after all that’s happened in the past few days. But the truth was, I cared, I always had and that was the part I hated the most. I couldn’t even toughen up. The lights in the house were ok low and there was no sound except my timely sighs and the ticking of the antique grandfather clock that his father gave us as a wedding gift because he thought it’d add some character to our home. It usually didn’t bother me but tonight, it sounded like it was counting down to something awful or ominous. I picked up my phone and called him again. It went straight to voicemail, his voice calm and collected asked me to leave a message after the beep. I didn’t. I hung up and
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-18The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 13: A Fake
Henrietta’s POV I felt like the room was spinning or maybe it was just my head. I didn’t know which. Raphael stood in the middle of our living room, he still looked disheveled and scattered. She was seated on the armchair now with the baby in her arms, she held the girl tightly like if she let go, the baby would run away. I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene playing in front of me. I couldn’t process how any of this was happening under our roof. With my mind still turning, I looked at Raphael. “What happened?”He met my gaze, he looked tired, heavy and I wanted to believe that he was going to be honest with me. “I didn’t plan this,” he said. “I just ran into her by chance. She looked shaken and said she needed help getting a few baby things so I drove her to that big mall near Westfield, we were shopping and then I opted to take her to her house and when we got there, her house was on fire.” My stomach tightened. “There were already sirens everywhere and the entire place was i
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-20The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 14: Playing A Game
Raphael’s POV Kristine’s body felt lighter than I had expected as I carried her down the hallway, her skin felt cold and her breathing was shallow. The baby was no longer fussing and was now cradled in Henrietta’s arms, calm. Henrietta didn’t say a word after she called the doctor. She just watched me with that unreadable expression she always had on her face. I laid Kristine gently on the guest bed, her hair sprawled over the pillow, she looked pale… very pale. “Kristine,” I said, crouching beside her. “Kristine, can you hear me?” There was no sign or response. I rubbed her palms gently, trying my best to be firm enough to stir her awake. After a few minutes, she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open lazily. “What… what happened?” She asked, her voice faint. “What happened? You fainted.” I said. “But it’s okay. You’re awake now. The doctor’s on his way.” She looked around the room, dazed. “I… I don’t remember anything. One moment I was standing and the next everything just… wen
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-20The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 15: Living With Trouble
Henrietta’s POV There was a time when I used to think silence was peaceful but now it just felt like pressure. Since Kristine moved into our home, the space had changed, even the air felt different and Raphael? His energy felt… new. With me, he’d been quiet, colder in some ways and distracted most times. But when it came to her, to his beloved Kristine, his guard dropped. I noticed how he lingered longer in conversation with her, how he listened attentively to her pointless conversation and how he laughed with her in a way that felt real and genuine. I hated myself for noticing, for drawing comparison between his acting with me and his actions with her. That wasn’t all, I hated how much it bothered me. I kept telling myself it shouldn’t matter. It was a contract for heaven’s sake, a deal and nothing more. I had signed up for this in complete awareness. I was supposed to play the wife, smile at events and stay out of his way otherwise. But my stupid heart didn’t read the fine p
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-20The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 16 : Charity Gala
Henrietta’s POV As we drove to the charity gala, the car felt colder than usual. We didn't make small talk, just silence. I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my hands rested on my thighs, my eyes fixed on the road ahead. Silence wasn’t a new thing between Raphael and I, but tonight it held something different, something deep. The sting of being reminded, in such a manner, that I was just the wife on paper was going to be a sore soon. I was just the one who came to events and smiled for the camera. There was no depth, he’d not let me smoothen his shirt like Kristine had. I was just the figurehead. I clenched my jaw and looked outside the window.It didn’t matter how many times I told myself to stop caring or how many times I reminded myself that this marriage saved my brother’s life and it was the money Raphael gave me that helped pay off his tuition, medication and food bills. Without this job, Julian wouldn’t be finishing university. I had to keep my head in the game. It was
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-23The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 17 : Second Thoughts
Raphael’s POV The moment I entered the house, I could hear the baby crying. Katie’s cry sounded sharp and restless. She was agitated and maybe whatever was wrong with her was serious. I rushed towards the living room and found Kristine pacing the room, she was barefooted and her hair looked a mess. Her one hand bounced the baby gently while the other one had a damp cloth that she used to wipe at her face. Her eyes snapped up when she saw me. “I googled some stuff, I don’t know which one to do, her fever dropped a bit though,” she said quickly, in one breath. “She's still fussing a lot and crying and I think we need to take her to the hospital as fast as possible.” I moved closer to her, I had no idea what to do, I had only been a father for less than a week. “Let me feel her.” She shifted the head of the baby towards me, her skin was still warm but it didn’t seem like a fever but I didn’t know the temperature that could be called a fever for kids. “Let’s get to the car,” I sai
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-25The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 18 : A Girl's Girl
Henrietta’s POV It was already past noon and the aroma from the muffins I had made earlier still filled the house. Kristine and I sat in the dining area for lunch. Thankfully, the baby was asleep in her bassinet, her tiny chest rising and falling. Her entire wardrobe was color matched, it was mostly pinks, whites, pastel and every other joyful color one could think of. We weren’t speaking so the only sound in the room was the clinks of our cutlery against our plates. The room was quiet but I could already feel the weird shift in the air like there was a pressure to speak and I knew she would strike up a conversation soon. She finally spoke up, quicker than I anticipated. “I just wanted to say thank you, for last night.” I wasn’t surprised but I tried to sound nice. “You don't need to thank me.” “Actually I do,” she insisted, her voice soft. “You don’t need to help me, you could have watched us scamper up and down and stood back but you knew what to do and you jumped in and hel
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-25The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 19: Second Thoughts
Henrietta’s POV It was not even sunrise when Raphael called out from his bathroom. “Henrietta! Henrietta!!” I was awake and shuffling around his room to keep up the appearance that we spent nights together. I guessed he wasn’t going to tell Kristine about our contract, at least not now. “Henrietta, could you help me pick out something? I’m running late!” I paused midway from typing some message on my phone to Annabelle about Kristine. “Sure,” I said, rising to my feet. I still finished typing my message before walking over to his closet, this kind of requests from Raphael used to make me feel useful. As though I was involved in his life truly, not contract wise, I helped him get ready sometimes and I felt powerful when I chose what the world would see him in on a particular day. Now that Kristine was here, it just felt more like a task on a checklist I wasn’t supposed to care so much about. But I still cared. I cared that he wanted me to pick the outfit. I opened his closet
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-27
บทล่าสุด
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 22 : playing It Cool.
Henrietta’s POV Walking up the driveway was tedious, the cab had dropped me off a house too early because of some flat tire. The grocery bags with the baby supplies now felt like weights in my hands. My heart pounded so hard inside my rib cage, I felt like it might explode inside me. I didn’t need to be a genius to figure out what I had walked into. Kristine’s body had been so close to his, her silky pink annoying robe was hanging loosely off one shoulder and Raphael’s shirt was half way unbuttoned, his cheeks were flushed. This was the kind of scene that you only needed to take one look at and you had already interpreted the situation. And the worst part, Kristine didn’t even look the least embarrassed.There was no atom of shame on her face. Raphael, on the other hand, barely looked at me. His face twisted into something I couldn’t decipher for just a moment before he turned and dashed up the stairs, disappearing into the house like a coward. He couldn’t even own up to it.
The Billionaire's Second Option chapter 21: Forgotten Taste
Raphael’s POV Getting home was harder than I thought, the traffic was an absolute nightmare. I tapped the horn impatiently, other brake lights almost blinding me. I weaved through sluggish lanes, praying the cars could move faster. The excitement of the news from my father and the company buzzed under my skin but I was growing frustrated with the traffic. Who would have known that leaving work early could be this stressful? I should have expected it, everyone was trying to beat rush hour and ended up clogging the same roads, it was just rush hour, an hour early. The excitement of earlier was beginning to thaw out. Maybe I should have called Henrietta to meet me outside for a nice, quiet dinner to celebrate our milestone. It was too late though, by the time I pulled into the driveway, it was already dusk, later than I had wanted to arrive home. Much later. I turned off the engine and grabbed my briefcase, walking quickly to the front door. Inside, the house was quiet and ther
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 20:A Step Forward
Raphael’s POV I rushed up the staircase, two at a time already tugging at my jacket as I headed for my bedroom. I had barely made it through the door when my phone buzzed urgently in my pocket. Grace, my secretary’s name flashed on the screen. I answered immediately. “Hello, Grace, what’s up?” “Sir, I thought to let you know that a few of the board members are arriving earlier than scheduled,” she said quickly. “I think traffic was lighter than expected.” “Understood. Tell them I’m on my way,” I said, already turning back towards the stairs. There was no time to change the suit, it’ll have to do for today. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I wore back the jacket. The slate blue suit Henrietta had picked fit perfectly to my frame but it was lighter than what I normally wore, brighter even. It didn’t look bad, it just looked sharply different. Why did I even have the suit in the first place? It would have to be fine, I had no other choice. I rushed back down sta
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 19: Second Thoughts
Henrietta’s POV It was not even sunrise when Raphael called out from his bathroom. “Henrietta! Henrietta!!” I was awake and shuffling around his room to keep up the appearance that we spent nights together. I guessed he wasn’t going to tell Kristine about our contract, at least not now. “Henrietta, could you help me pick out something? I’m running late!” I paused midway from typing some message on my phone to Annabelle about Kristine. “Sure,” I said, rising to my feet. I still finished typing my message before walking over to his closet, this kind of requests from Raphael used to make me feel useful. As though I was involved in his life truly, not contract wise, I helped him get ready sometimes and I felt powerful when I chose what the world would see him in on a particular day. Now that Kristine was here, it just felt more like a task on a checklist I wasn’t supposed to care so much about. But I still cared. I cared that he wanted me to pick the outfit. I opened his closet
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 18 : A Girl's Girl
Henrietta’s POV It was already past noon and the aroma from the muffins I had made earlier still filled the house. Kristine and I sat in the dining area for lunch. Thankfully, the baby was asleep in her bassinet, her tiny chest rising and falling. Her entire wardrobe was color matched, it was mostly pinks, whites, pastel and every other joyful color one could think of. We weren’t speaking so the only sound in the room was the clinks of our cutlery against our plates. The room was quiet but I could already feel the weird shift in the air like there was a pressure to speak and I knew she would strike up a conversation soon. She finally spoke up, quicker than I anticipated. “I just wanted to say thank you, for last night.” I wasn’t surprised but I tried to sound nice. “You don't need to thank me.” “Actually I do,” she insisted, her voice soft. “You don’t need to help me, you could have watched us scamper up and down and stood back but you knew what to do and you jumped in and hel
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 17 : Second Thoughts
Raphael’s POV The moment I entered the house, I could hear the baby crying. Katie’s cry sounded sharp and restless. She was agitated and maybe whatever was wrong with her was serious. I rushed towards the living room and found Kristine pacing the room, she was barefooted and her hair looked a mess. Her one hand bounced the baby gently while the other one had a damp cloth that she used to wipe at her face. Her eyes snapped up when she saw me. “I googled some stuff, I don’t know which one to do, her fever dropped a bit though,” she said quickly, in one breath. “She's still fussing a lot and crying and I think we need to take her to the hospital as fast as possible.” I moved closer to her, I had no idea what to do, I had only been a father for less than a week. “Let me feel her.” She shifted the head of the baby towards me, her skin was still warm but it didn’t seem like a fever but I didn’t know the temperature that could be called a fever for kids. “Let’s get to the car,” I sai
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 16 : Charity Gala
Henrietta’s POV As we drove to the charity gala, the car felt colder than usual. We didn't make small talk, just silence. I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my hands rested on my thighs, my eyes fixed on the road ahead. Silence wasn’t a new thing between Raphael and I, but tonight it held something different, something deep. The sting of being reminded, in such a manner, that I was just the wife on paper was going to be a sore soon. I was just the one who came to events and smiled for the camera. There was no depth, he’d not let me smoothen his shirt like Kristine had. I was just the figurehead. I clenched my jaw and looked outside the window.It didn’t matter how many times I told myself to stop caring or how many times I reminded myself that this marriage saved my brother’s life and it was the money Raphael gave me that helped pay off his tuition, medication and food bills. Without this job, Julian wouldn’t be finishing university. I had to keep my head in the game. It was
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 15: Living With Trouble
Henrietta’s POV There was a time when I used to think silence was peaceful but now it just felt like pressure. Since Kristine moved into our home, the space had changed, even the air felt different and Raphael? His energy felt… new. With me, he’d been quiet, colder in some ways and distracted most times. But when it came to her, to his beloved Kristine, his guard dropped. I noticed how he lingered longer in conversation with her, how he listened attentively to her pointless conversation and how he laughed with her in a way that felt real and genuine. I hated myself for noticing, for drawing comparison between his acting with me and his actions with her. That wasn’t all, I hated how much it bothered me. I kept telling myself it shouldn’t matter. It was a contract for heaven’s sake, a deal and nothing more. I had signed up for this in complete awareness. I was supposed to play the wife, smile at events and stay out of his way otherwise. But my stupid heart didn’t read the fine p
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 14: Playing A Game
Raphael’s POV Kristine’s body felt lighter than I had expected as I carried her down the hallway, her skin felt cold and her breathing was shallow. The baby was no longer fussing and was now cradled in Henrietta’s arms, calm. Henrietta didn’t say a word after she called the doctor. She just watched me with that unreadable expression she always had on her face. I laid Kristine gently on the guest bed, her hair sprawled over the pillow, she looked pale… very pale. “Kristine,” I said, crouching beside her. “Kristine, can you hear me?” There was no sign or response. I rubbed her palms gently, trying my best to be firm enough to stir her awake. After a few minutes, she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open lazily. “What… what happened?” She asked, her voice faint. “What happened? You fainted.” I said. “But it’s okay. You’re awake now. The doctor’s on his way.” She looked around the room, dazed. “I… I don’t remember anything. One moment I was standing and the next everything just… wen
