Semua Bab BILLIONAIRE'S LIES: Bab 391 - Bab 400

Teresa smiled. "Only if you name my great-great-grandchild after me."Teresa shot Saben the kind of squint only a 75-year-old woman with the acuity of a hawk could deliver. "Darling boy, I raised six children. I've earned naming rights.Wendy huffed, dramatically flipping the border of her silk scarf. "Excuse me, Teresa, I brought this family's cheekbones into the next generation. That baby had best have a name as wonderful as me. Wendyette, maybe."Leila held her teacup high with refined serenity. "You're all forgetting the power of elegance. A Leila Jr. has rather a nice ring to it.Saben appeared to wish the floor would devour him. He spun around to Eliana and breathed, "Why does it feel like I'm on a reality show called Name That Baby?"Eliana laughed hysterically. "Because you are. And you began it by being single at thirty."Saben flung up his arms. "Fine! You want a baby-naming battle? I'll have triplets and name them all cheese just to annoy everybody. Gouda, Brie, and Mancheg

Saben across from her, knees practically touching at the table. Dark green today: no blazer, no fedora, just him. For once, in check. Focused. Fingers tapping lightly on the rim of his coffee cup, like he was gaining strength with each beat.She should have appreciated it.Instead, her stomach churned with every second."You're not saying much today," Saben said, cocking his head that lopsided, half-grinning way. "That's either a sign you're having a good day or you're psyching yourself up to leave me here paying the bill."Clarisse released a small breath, half a laugh. "You always do that."She rolled her eyebrow. "Do what?""Making jokes when you're anxious."He sank back into his chair, looking surprised but still smiling. "Am I that predictable?"She nodded. "Like cling wrap."He did smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Okay. Guess I deserve it."There was a moment between them, thick, uncontainable, and too charged for a second date. Clarisse reached for her cup. Her hand shook

Their toast—close to inaudible above the jazz music serving as background noise—sounded like a muted farewell to something that never had had quite the opportunity to get started.Saben stared into his glass, watching the ice dissolve incrementally, as patience was being spent into resignation. The bar light was yellow, forgiving even. But nothing tonight at the bar was."She told me the truth," Ezra finally spoke, his voice low. "Something that does not often occur to me."Saben didn't glance up. He just nodded. "Yeah. And it still sort of feels like I lost something that I never even had a chance to find."Ezra rotated his glass idly, the amber drink catching the soft light of the bar. "That's the wager, isn't it? You leave the door open, and maybe it just stays that way. Maybe no one crosses over. Maybe no one ever does."Saben let out a bitter laugh. "I wasn't even looking for forever. Just… maybe. A little extra time.""But she saw what she had to see.""And it wasn't me," said S

Three Months Later – Saben's Office, 7:45 PMThe city's light seeped through the windows of Saben's corner office, floor-to-ceiling. He lounged at his desk, sleeves rolled to elbows, blazer shed hours ago, cold coffee cup abandoned beside his laptop.Across the screen: Sales Forecast Q4. Gray. Predictable. Secure.Just what he needed.Ever since Clarisse, Saben had dived into work—not in the bury-your-feelings manner, but in a focused, intentional kind of discipline. His mornings began at sunrise with park runs, his days spent in client meetings and strategy decks, and his nights assembling a music nook in his apartment—a place he didn't cry in, thank you very much, but one where he found a little bit of happiness.He smiled faintly to himself as his inbox dinged.Subject: Eliana’s Gender Reveal Party From: Damian WolfeYou better be there, bro. It’s time to find out if you’re getting a niece or nephew to spoil rotten.He leaned back, eyes softening. Of course he’d be there. For Elia

"Then concentrate that breath and get the damn car!" Saben snapped.Ben, Eliana’s father, calmly walked in holding two phones and a bottle of water. “Ambulance on standby. Car out front. Hospital has been notified. Let’s move.”“Ben,” Sabrina said through clenched teeth, “this is not a corporate merger. Our daughter is in labor.”“She’s in good hands. I’m just making sure everything flows smoothly,” he said, already in boardroom mode."You mean sort of like her amniotic fluid?" Saben complained."NOT HELPING," Eliana gritted.Damian came back with a tote bag full of random things. "I couldn't find the baby bag so I brought… uh… your skincare, a banana, and… your Hogwarts sweater?""FOR THE LOVE OF GOD," Eliana yelled. "JUST TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL!"Wendy patted Damian reassuringly on the back. "You're doing fine, sweetie. Don't pass out getting here. We're having one baby here—we don't want two."The ride was a blur of tires screeching, heaving breath, and Damian shouting "my love" e