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Chapter 14: Playing A Game
Huling Na-update:
2025-04-20 15:16:11
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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
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-27The 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
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-28The 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
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-28The 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.
Huling Na-update : 2025-05-01
Pinakabagong kabanata
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 25: Disaster
Raphael’s POV The black cars rolled in the compound just around past seven, they were sleek and clean just like the men that owned them. I met them at the door with my practiced smile and firm handshake. James Anton and Peter Lang, they were titans in their fields and known for cutting seven figure checks and giving deals with a precision that I could call surgical. The rumors were that they never made a loss, so if they backed you in business, that alone was proof that whatever project you had embarked on would be a success. And I needed that for the next phase of the company, this might push dad to put a date on that handover before some other mishap occurred. “Raphael, my man,” James said, taking in the grand look of the house, “we’ve been hearing things about you, good things.” “Let’s make sure they’re all true,” I replied. We stepped into the living room, they took their seats like they were Kings assessing the seats they had been given in another kingdom. I knew these me
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 24:
Henrietta’s POV After breakfast, Kristine insisted on clearing up the dishes, I knew she thought I’d try to do it but I just let her. Raphael looked at me for the first time since I sat at the table, he couldn’t maintain eye contact for long though, maybe he knew I could see through everything. “I got a call this morning, before I came down for breakfast. My business partners are stopping by today for dinner,” he said, he sounded anxious which meant that this was important. “There’ll be two of them, they’re not casual friends, they’re really big players in the business world and if things go well, it’s something my father would be happy about. I need the house right, the energy needs to be great.” I nodded. I knew what he meant, the energy right now was suffocating him but he had brought it on himself, this wasn’t even remotely my fault. I was part of his strategy, one of the perfectly arranged areas of his picture perfect new life. “Please, you know exactly what to do,” he add
The Billionaire's Second Option Chapter 23: Recoil
Henrietta’s POV I knew I had left him without saying another word. Nothing else to back up the hard truth I had dropped on him, I wanted to forget it too. But I didn’t. I couldn’t possibly forget it. And that night turned out to be one of the longest, most bitter sleepless nights of my life. I lay awake with my back to my door, the pillow was damp beneath my cheek from all my crying. I kept hearing Kristine’s voice, her stupid flirtatious laugh and the way her hands were on Raphael’s chest, her lips so close to his. It was crazy that Raphael claimed nothing happened but he couldn’t even look me in the face when I walked in, the betrayal burned me like acid. Sleep finally came just before morning but it was short lived and so shallow. I woke up later than usual, the morning sun was already in full blast and I sat up quickly realizing that I had messed up with my usual routine. I had a splitting headache but I ignored it. The least I could do today was just make breakfast and
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
