บททั้งหมดของ The Billionaires Pawn : บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

Julian The air felt heavy as I left the courthouse, the faint drizzle doing little to wash away the bitterness of the verdict. Catherine, remanded to a psychiatric facility—what a joke. I knew this was Lexi's doing. The pieces didn’t fit perfectly, but they fit well enough. “Sir, what’s the next move?” the DPO asked, walking up to me. I looked at him, my jaw tightening. “We’re not done. Just because the court believed that farce doesn’t mean Catherine isn’t dangerous. Keep an eye on her—her visitors, her calls, everything.” The DPO nodded, but there was hesitation in his expression. “Julian… are you sure Lexi’s not involved in this somehow?” The question hit me harder than I expected. “What are you implying?” “She’s been acting… differently,” he said cautiously. “You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you?” I didn’t respond immediately. I had noticed. Lexi—or who I thought was Lexi—wasn’t the same. There was a distance, a calculated edge to her that hadn’t been there before.

Lexi “So…” Elise began cautiously, breaking the silence. “Are you going to keep the baby?” “Of course,” I finally said, my voice firm. “I can’t afford to hurt my baby.” Elise nodded, her eyes soft with understanding. “It’s a lot to take in, Lexi. You’re dealing with so much already.” My jaw tightened. “I know. But one thing’s for sure—Julian will never know about this baby. He doesn’t deserve to.” Elise frowned, tilting her head. “Are you sure about that? I mean, it’s his child too, Lexi. Don’t you think—” “No,” I snapped, cutting her off. “He’s been living with Alexa, thinking she’s me, trusting her, loving her. He couldn’t even tell the difference between us, Elise. That’s unforgivable. He lost the right to know anything about me or this baby.” Elise leaned back, studying me carefully. “Alright,” she said finally, her tone careful. “But what’s your plan, then? You can’t hide forever, Lexi. If you’re going to take your life back, you need to figure out how to get to the pentho

Lexi paced the length of Elise’s living room, her mind racing. The plan was coming together, but every step forward felt like walking a tightrope. She had managed to stay hidden this long, but one wrong move could bring everything crashing down. Elise leaned against the kitchen counter, her arms crossed. “You’ve been pacing for ten minutes, Lexi. Sit down before you wear a hole in my floor.” Lexi stopped mid-stride, running a hand through her auburn hair. “I can’t help it. There’s too much riding on this.” Elise softened her tone. “I get it, but we’ve got a plan now. Daniel’s finding Carla. Once we know where she is, we can use her to get back to the penthouse and expose Alexa.” Lexi dropped onto the couch, exhaling sharply. “It’s not just that. It’s…” She hesitated, her voice dropping. “It’s Julian. He’s so blind to all of this. I can’t decide if I’m angry or hurt.” Elise grabbed two mugs of tea from the counter and handed one to Lexi. “Both are valid. But you need to focus. Ju

Elise My breath caught in my throat as Julian stepped into the room, his eyes locked on Lexi—the real Lexi. For a moment, everything froze. Alexa’s eyes flickered with panic, but Lexi was calm, steady, unshaken. Then Julian’s gaze snapped between the two of them, his confusion evident in the way his brow furrowed, and his mouth parted as if he couldn’t process what was happening. “What’s going on here?” Julian’s voice trembled slightly, filled with disbelief. He glanced from Lexi to Alexa, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of the scene unfolding before him. Alexa took a step forward, her voice turning desperate. “Julian, don’t listen to her. She’s lying to you. She’s just trying to ruin everything.” But Julian didn’t look at Alexa anymore. His eyes were fixed on Lexi, his confusion deepening. “What… what is this?” His voice cracked, the weight of realization dawning on him. “How are you… you’re not…?” “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice,” Lexi shot back, her voice bitin

Julian I walked the hallway outside Lexi’s room, my mind racing. Elise sat nearby, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Neither of us spoke for a while. “She’ll be okay,” Elise finally said, her voice softer than usual. I dragged a hand through my hair, frustration clawing at my insides. “She shouldn’t have to be okay. This shouldn’t have happened in the first place.” Elise sighed. “We both know that’s not how life works.” I clenched my jaw, my fists tightening. Alexa had been right under my nose, pretending to be Lexi, and I hadn’t seen it. I had trusted her. I had lived with her. And now Lexi was lying in that hospital bed because of my blindness. Without another word, I turned on my heel and stalked down the hall. “Where are you going?” Elise called after me. I didn’t stop walking. “To end this.” Julian The fluorescent lights of the asylum buzzed faintly overhead, casting a sickly glow on the white walls. The air smelled like antiseptic and something stale—something