Semua Bab Betrayed By Ex, Loved By My Billionaire Boss : Bab 111 - Bab 120

Chapter 22: The Elevator SceneI pressed the up button and leaned against the cold metal wall, my heart still pounding from last night's tension. I'd replayed every word Nicholas and I said, and I wasn't sure if I was relieved or more tangled in instinctual feelings for him.The doors slid open with that familiar whoosh. I stepped in, expecting the car to be empty. Instead, Nicholas stood there—alone, briefcase in hand, eyes fixed on the floor. He looked as surprised to see me as I was to see him."Oh," I said, forcing a light tone. "Big day?"He closed the door behind me without answering. The awkward silence stretched long enough that I could feel my pulse against my throat. I shifted, the heels of my boots clicking on the polished floor."Going up?" I tried again, nodding at the panel of buttons.He glanced over, expression unreadable, then tapped the twenty-second floor. The doors slid shut, trapping us in that small box of steel and lighting.We stood side by side, not touching.

He sighed. "We can't turn this place into a soap opera."I laughed bitterly. "Too late."He looked at me, jaw clenched. "Regina, I'm trying to protect you.""No, Nicholas. You're protecting you!" The air between us crackled.He stepped closer. "You really think I don't care about you?""I think you care—as long as it doesn't cost you anything." Silence.Then his voice dropped. "You don't know what I've had to give up already."I opened my mouth to ask what he meant—but someone knocked. It was HR."Sorry to interrupt," the woman said. "But we need Regina to sign something." I followed her out, head spinning.What had he given up? What wasn't he telling me? Back at my desk, I saw an envelope.No name. Just "For Regina." I opened it.Inside was a USB drive and a sticky note."Thought you should see this. –A friend." I hesitated—then plugged it in. It was security footage from the parking lot. The night Cassandra joined the company. There was Nicholas talking to someone in the shadows. Th

Jenna shrugged. "I think you should survive."The next morning, I was back at work, red lipstick on like armor. Cassandra was gone..Nicholas stayed in his office.And everyone else acted like nothing happened. But I couldn't forget.I opened my laptop and started doing what I did best—research.Property records, social media trails, tax filings. Anything tied to Cassandra Ashford.And then I found it.A private investment made three years ago. A boutique hotel in Cape Town. Funded through a shell company. One of the listed signatories Nicholas. Istared at the screen. He was involved with her.No. I shook my head. This didn't make sense..Why would he hide that?Unless...A knock interrupted my spiraling. It was Peter."Mr. Nicholas wants to see you." I nodded slowly. "Thanks." As I walked to his office, I told myself to stay calm. Control the narrative. Don't let him see your doubts.When I stepped inside, he looked up from his desk. "Regina."I closed the door. "Talk." He stood. "I me

Third POV And yet... he couldn’t deny it anymore. The feelings he had for Regina weren’t going away. If anything, they were growing stronger every day, no matter how hard he tried to suppress them.He pushed off the wall and made his way to the break room, his steps heavy with the weight of his turmoil. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead, the smell of burnt coffee lingering in the air. He poured himself a cup mechanically, barely noticing the bitter aroma.As he stood there, staring blankly at the swirling black liquid, he knew he had a choice to make. He could keep pretending, keep hiding behind professionalism and excuses, or he could take the risk — tell her how he felt and hope like hell she didn’t hate him for it.But what if she didn’t feel the same way? What if he ruined everything — not just their working relationship, but the fragile friendship they had built over the past few months?He clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the paper cup. Fear was a fa

Third POV Regina stood there stiffly, her arms at her sides while Nicholas's hands rested lightly on her waist. He had trapped her in his embrace just moments before, a sudden, impulsive gesture meant to comfort—or maybe to stake a claim. But she didn’t hug him back. She didn’t push him away, but she didn’t hold him either. Her body was rigid, her mind swirling in a chaotic storm of conflicting emotions.The grand ballroom seemed to hush around her. Conversations that had buzzed in lively waves moments before fell into fragmented murmurs. Rather than focusing on Dan and Kimberly, the golden couple kissing in the center of the room, people began turning their attention to the balcony, to Regina and Nicholas.Even though she wasn’t looking directly, Regina could feel their stares like sharp needles pricking at her skin. She could hear the whispers, thin and slicing."Is that Regina with Nicholas?""Did you see that? She hugged him. Or he hugged her?""What's going on? Why are they embr