All Chapters of The Billionaire's Facade : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Chapter Twelve LORI'S POVThe Sunkissed my beautiful face while I popped my head out of the window to enjoy the beauty of nature. Just like other days I hurriedly left to work to catch up on some private orders. I had gotten so busy that I didn't have time to go through magazines like I did back then as Pearl.Anyone who knew me when I was Pearl Hammond would always say I had been so obsessed with reading about entertainment, and that was one of the hobbies I carried along in living my life as Lori Whitlock.After pouring water on my face, I let out a sigh of relief, finishing work on time felt so cool knowing I would have little time to read bedtime stories myself for Ethan I grabbed the newspaper beside me, and then I leaned back on my chair as I tried to relax. My eyes were fixed on the magazine, but then I was shocked at what I saw. My eyes shut tightly, shaking my head to bring myself back to reality.Maybe, I was just imagining things. I opened my eyes, but the image and the w

LORIThe night of my date night with Lucian arrived much faster than I anticipated. My heart kept racing in a way I didn't understand; it had been so long since I felt this way. I began to have cold feet due to the excitement I felt of course through me.For me, I wasn't just going out on a random date with Lucian. I was opening my heart once again to a feeling that could either heal me or break me again. But that didn't matter to me; I was ready to face all the consequences. I was a different woman now, and I had become stronger than ever.I spent the entire afternoon whiling away time, trying to choose what to wear, and yet, nothing felt right; none of the dresses were up to my taste. I still had no idea what to wear; I wanted to look my best; I desired for Lucian to see me in a different form, and I was going to do just that. I tried on one dress after another, and then I finally settled for the perfect dress.“My goodness. You look so beautiful; why did I take so long to find you,

LORIFor a moment, the world around us faded away as Lucian smiled at me, and I munched on my food lightly. In the little space we were in, it seemed as though time had slowed. It was just two of us. Just him. Just me, and nothing else mattered.“You know what?” he said, breaking the silence that erupted between us. “We should try something new tonight, like something different from the usual.”“What is that?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him as Lucian's gaze shifted towards another direction, his eyes locked onto something far away in the distance.“There's a beach over there. Let's go there, just you and me, he said, pointing towards the direction of the ocean.I felt a surge of excitement and nervousness at the same time as it coursed through my veins. I loved the idea of being away from the crowd, alone with Lucian on the beach. “Okay, let's go,” I said, with a bright smile tugging at the corner of my lips.We walked out of the restaurant as the night air brushed against my ski

ILLINOIS (CHICAGO)ASHTONThe sunlight shone on the photo frame I held onto; its bright light glistened on my face. I stared at Pearl’s photo, her beautiful face, her radiant smile, which was full of hope.Today was our wedding anniversary, but I didn't want to think about it. In as much as I tried to remove Pearl from my thoughts, I tried to distract myself, none of it worked because her memories always found a way back into my heart.My hands reached up to wipe off the dust on the frame, and my fingers trembled slightly. I ran my fingers over the frame, it's coldness sinking into my hands, like the empty space left in my chest since Pearl passed away.Her death instilled a feeling of guilt inside of me. I couldn't even remember how she died; it was just all so quick. The truth she found out and the helplessness in her eyes as she left the house in fury, not knowing it was her last goodbye. I felt really bad, but up to date, I didn't know why I was so shaken by her death. I thought

ASHTONI stared at the glowing screen of my phone, my fingers running through my hair as the words on the screen hit me like a slap to my face.I was very sure that the hacker was diving deep into Pearl's records, including the property transactions and the private files I had carefully shielded for years.It dawned on me that someone was playing a dangerous game with me, but who was it? I rubbed the back of my neck, and I couldn't help but allow my mind to reel and draw circles all around the usual suspects I had mapped out in my head.The old business rivals, the enemies, but none of my thoughts felt right. It had to be personal, someone very close to me, and it seemed the person knew too much.“Who must be playing this game with me?” I muttered under my breath.I was about to pick up my phone when my office door swung open, revealing Corrine as she walked in. Her heels clicked sharply against the floor.Corrine has always had a way of making an entrance that was commanding and magn