Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE : Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

“Hi Sadie,” Ashley said cheerily to Sadie who gave her a tight-lipped smile before glancing back at me. “So, what are you doing here?”I was lost for words. How was I supposed to tell her I was there stalking her cousin?“Umm… I– was coming to say hi?” Even I didn’t believe my own words.“Try again,” Ashley said, skeptically shaking her head“Fine,” I huffed. “I thought he was going out with Petra,” I confessed, feeling my cheeks burn from embarrassment.I was the CEO of the company she worked at but I felt like a child caught doing something wrong.“Really, Remi?” She threw her head back in laughter, further deepening my embarrassment.“I mean, she has been snooping around here for a while but you don’t have to worry. Jesse doesn’t see her like that. In fact, I think he’s starting to get annoyed by her persistence.”Why was I so excited? I mean there was nothing going on between us, right?“Between you and me,” Ashley started, leaning closer. “I think he’s pining for you.”“Really?”

“You did what?” I asked, blinking rapidly in disbelief.“You heard me,” Deandra replied, matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow at me as if I was the crazy one. “Don’t pretend like he didn't have it coming. Are you getting soft on me, Remi? You wanted this so what's the problem?”I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “Look, Remi, it had to be done. Don't stress about it too much. I sent Mike and Hugo so it will never be traced back to you.” Her voice was cold and calculating, “Are you out of your mind?” I shrieked, my voice trembling with anger. “You're taking this way too far, Deandra. That's illegal!”Tristan was right. She was a wildcard. Once upon a time, my alliance with her was a thing I cherished. Now… Now it was an anxiety-inducing association.“Oh please, grow the hell up. You came to me for help, remember?” She shook her head, her gaze still fixed on me. “I don't blame you. Daddy's little girl who got everything handed to her. You never needed to get anything you wanted for

I was on my bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about my life and how things got so complicated.Jesse had practically gone off the deep end, asking to be part of my revenge on Oscar. I was delaying telling Deandra because I knew how much she loved drama; she would welcome Jesse with open arms, potentially other open things too. And then there was Sadie. She had been calling and texting, but after my meeting with Deandra and the soft- reveal that Sadie wasn’t how she seemed, I decided I’d keep my distance.My phone rang again. I was at my limit with her. I picked it up to scream at her to stop calling me but froze when I saw the caller.Sighing, I answered. “Hey, Tristan.”His voice was calm and soothing. Such a jarring contrast to the storm of thoughts and emotions going through my mind. “Hey, Remi. It’s been a while. How are you holding up?” he asked, his words laced with genuine concern.My heart started racing. I knew this wasn’t a casual check-in because Tristan never called w

Deandra picked up on the second ring, as if she was expecting my call.“Look, Remi. I'm not telling you–”“Tristan knows,” I said, shutting her down.“Tristan knows what?” She asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice.“He knows what I know,” I replied.After a brief pause, she sighed. “I guess we have a lot to talk about then. Let's meet at my office tomorrow.”She hung up, leaving me a bit bummed out. I'd thought up a whole convincing speech in my head but I guess this was better.The next day, I was in her office bright and early. She had informed her secretary of our meeting so I got to wait in her office, with her lion.A skinned lion, mounted on her wall behind her chair. Something about Deandra having a skinned lion in her office seemed fitting. Like a warning to all those who entered. She was ruthless and wasn't trying to hide it.I sat staring at it, half-expecting it to come to life and devour me. I was so engrossed in my awful imagination that the noise Deandra coming

“The recent scandal is a glaring example of incompetence in leadership. The CEO’s failure to secure her own account reflects poorly on the entire company,” Mike said, his tone dripping with smug satisfaction. What a scumbag. The newspapers were fresh off the printing press and he was already mouthing off to the media. Dad looked like he wanted to reach into the TV and strangle Mike where he stood. I felt unspeakable rage watching the old fool speak his nonsense live on air. I felt helpless because there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. “What does this mean for the future of Renard Dynasty?” a reporter asked. “As it stands, the company is in dire straits. It is clear that the CEO is ill-equipped for the prestigious role she has been handed. That much is clear. I mean, she hasn't been CEO for a year and already has two major scandals under her belt. I call for an instant change and I urge my fellow board member to heed my words. No further questions,” Mike said as he stepped