Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET, CHASING AFTER ME : Kabanata 201 - Kabanata 210

ZeldaMy heart pounded against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat echoing the terror that still clung to me. My eyes snapped open, blurry and disoriented, but the residual images of the dream—the glint of the scalpel, James’s cold eyes, Hellen’s cruel grin—burned behind my eyelids.It was just a dream. A nightmare, a twisted echo of my deepest fears. But it felt so real, too real. The memory of that summer, of clinging to James, begging him not to leave… it was a raw wound, reopened by the nightmare's cruel blade.“Brother, can you please not leave? There are also very good universities here. Why do you have to go to Europe?”Even now, the words felt like a desperate plea trapped in my throat. He had always been my anchor, my protector. But he left, and I was left adrift.And then, the operating room. The horror of Hellen’s words, her twisted obsession with “Little One,” the baby she wanted to steal from me.“Cut open her belly! I need to save my son. It will be too late if I'm late!”The th

ZeldaThe word "substitute," echoing from his lips, sent a wave of pain through me, a confirmation of my deepest fears. My throat tightened, tears welling up as I struggled to speak."That year, my eldest brother carried me on his back and knelt at the door of the Ferguson family. You took me back to the Ferguson family and treated me so well. Was it because you were thinking of Bai Luoxing? You gave me vanilla-flavoured candy, is it because that’s Bai Luoxing’s favourite candy? Also, you call me Queeny, isn't it because Bai Luoxing's nickname is Queeny?"The questions, long suppressed, burst forth in a torrent of pain and accusation. I'd held them back, clinging to a fragile hope that I wasn't just a shadow, a stand-in. But his silence, his refusal to deny it, was a crushing blow.This is something I didn't want to face, and I still want to retain a little bit of decency and dignity."Speak up! You have nothing to say, right?" I demanded, my voice trembling.I struggled against his g

ZeldaMy mind was reeling. Jun wasn't Bai Luoxing? She was an imposter? I looked from her to James Ferguson, confusion swirling within me.Jun waved her hand, her voice urgent."Mrs. Ferguson, you must have misunderstood. Mr. Ferguson hired me to pretend to be Bai Luoxing!""She... isn't Bai Luoxing?" I asked James Ferguson, my voice barely a whisper.He gave a wry smile."I wish she was, but... I couldn't find her."Jun chimed in, her voice pleading. "Mrs Ferguson, my name is Jun, I'm really not Miss Bai..."James Ferguson gestured for her to sit. "Sit down and talk," he said, his voice calm.Jun settled into a chair, her shoulders slumping. "I'm an orphan," she began. "I lost my childhood memories after a serious illness as a teenager. About four months ago, Mr Ferguson found me and said I might be the family member he was looking for. I was so excited, thinking I'd found my family. But then, we did a kinship test, and I wasn't the one."She paused, her gaze dropping to her lap."Mr

JamesDamn. This is a mess. A goddamn mess. Mrs. Bai, my godmother, clutching my hand like it's a lifeline, demanding I marry Luoxing. Jun.After all these years. My gut twists. I can't. I just can’t."Godmother, I can't promise you, I'm married..."The words feel like lead in my mouth. Married. Even though Zelda and I… well, that’s a whole other tangled mess."No!" she cries, her voice thin but sharp. "Godmother knows that you...you and Zelda Liamson have already registered for divorce. If that incident hadn't happened, you wouldn't have married her. You would have waited for Luoxing forever!"She’s right, in a way. Before the… before everything went wrong, I’d have waited a lifetime for Luoxing. But things change. People change. I’ve changed.She grabs my hand, then Luoxing ’s, pressing them together. It’s a desperate plea. I try to pull away, but her hands, frail and trembling, grip mine with surprising strength."Godmother, I'm sorry. But don't worry, even if I don't marry Luoxing

ZeldaMy hand, small and delicate, was enveloped in his, the warmth of his skin a stark contrast to the sudden chill that settled over me. He was repeating himself. Word for word. It was as if he was trying to rewind, to erase the uncomfortable silence."It was not long before I had known about Xander's illness, so I had Xander and my blood samples sent for comprehensive genetic testing. Because Hellen's cousin also had leukaemia, the disease was very serious, and he died before the age of 20."The words, though familiar, felt alien, detached. It was as if he was reciting a script, a carefully rehearsed explanation. My mind raced, trying to understand why he was doing this."Do you suspect that this disease is inherited from the mother's genes?" I asked my voice barely a whisper, the question a hesitant echo of our earlier conversation.My heart was still a little fluttery, a strange mix of relief and lingering unease. James's hand, warm and strong, held mine, and I tried to focus on