Semua Bab BILLIONAIRE'S LIES: Bab 481 - Bab 490

The huge doors of the Thompson estate swung open before Jenny had even a chance to knock. A butler in a sharp black suit stood rigid, bowing with practiced efficiency."Miss White. Welcome to the Thompson residence. Mr. Thompson is expecting you."Jenny's pulse skipped. She managed a courteous nod, her own voice too small to reply. Passing through the door, she was immediately enveloped in opulence: shining marble floors that reflected under crystal chandeliers, walls covered with oil paintings, and heavy carpets so thick her heels appeared to drop into them. The air was filled with a delicate mixture of lilies and old wood, the unmistakable perfume of money and heritage. What am I doing here?Her grip shook her clutch as she trailed behind the butler through a broad hallway. Each ring of her footsteps sounded too brash, each step reminding her that she was not in a world such as this. She had grown up in a small house, lived as an adult in tiny apartments far from the luxury about h

Jenny's chest clenched at the implication. People like you. What did that even mean? Was it that she wasn't raised in this world of money and high status? Was it that she wasn't refined enough to be sitting at this table?Before she could collect herself, Saben returned to stand by her side, his stance a buffer between her and Sabrina's inquiring eyes. "Shall we go into the lounge and have a drink?" he asked with a smooth smile, his voice casual but underlaid with something more substantial.Jenny looked up at him, thankful for the rescue. She nodded hastily. "Yes, that would be nice.Saben assisted her into standing from the table, his hand caressing her lightly between her shoulder blades as he led her toward the next room. It was a step away from the dinner table and into the fresh air of freedom, and yet the burden of the night still sat heavily about her.When they walked into the lounge, the room was warmer, more intimate. The soft music of a string quartet was in the background

She wished to believe him. She wished to trust him. But her heart was still too shattered, still too closed off from the betrayal of her past."I'm afraid, Saben," she said quietly, her voice shaking. "I'm afraid I'll get hurt again. That I'll be foolish. I don't know if I can do this."Saben reached out next, his hand sweeping lightly along her arm. The heat of his contact was stabilizing, a soothing reassurance in the tempest of her feelings. "You don't have to be alone, Jenny," he spoke softly now, filled with compassion. "You don't have to be afraid with me.There was silence for a moment, a heavy quiet that was full of meaning. Jenny closed her eyes, allowing the weight of his words to settle in her chest. She wasn't ready yet. She wasn't ready to trust, to let someone else in. But as she stood there, her heart racing wildly, she knew that perhaps just perhaps she didn't have to be absolutely ready.Maybe the first step was simply allowing herself the possibility of something new

The next morning after the family dinner, Eliana Thompson-Wolfe walked into Café Marivelle, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor. She moved with the confident poise of a woman who was fully aware of how much notice she took when she walked into a room. Wearing a cream silk blouse under high-waisted navy slacks, she radiated the sort of self-composure that came from having spent a lifetime being a Thompson.The café was already filled with early morning rising businessmen bent over their laptops, couples enjoying croissants, and a few familiar faces from the social pages of the city. But Eliana hardly saw. Her eyes swept around the space until they fell on Clarisse Campbell, who was eagerly waving from a corner table."Eliana!" Clarisse exclaimed, her honey-blonde curls bouncing as she rose halfway from her seat in greeting. She wore her signature relaxed style: an easy blue wrap dress and oversized sunglasses resting on the top of her head like a crown.Eliana's lips tilted in

The sun had started its leisurely dip, and a golden amber light spread across the city streets. Eliana and Clarisse sat for hours in the comfortable café, their discussion weaving through the layers of Clarisse's feelings. Following the laughter, there had been an unspoken tension between them one which neither of them could easily disregard.Clarisse fidgeted in her seat, her fingers drumming anxiously against the ceramic cup. "You know, I never thought I'd feel like this," she confessed softly, looking down at the half-cup of coffee in her hands. "I always believed I could control my emotions about everything. But last night, and then suddenly. I wasn't so sure anymore."Eliana's expression relaxed as she saw her closest friend a woman who'd always been the most calm and composed person in the room display a vulnerability she hadn't anticipated. "It's alright, you know," Eliana told her, her tone warm but authoritative. "Feelings aren't always logical. And you don't need to have them