All Chapters of The Billionaire's Bargain: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

CHRISTIANThe moment we stepped into the penthouse, it felt a lot more peaceful than it had in days. She was here, and that was all the peace I needed. Liam disappeared with a tired wave, mumbling something about retiring from both security work and dessert-testing for good.Penelope walked ahead of me, slipping off her sandals, stretching her toes with a soft sigh that somehow echoed louder in my head than it did in the room. The curve of her spine, the way her dress clung to her hips—it wasn’t fair. Not after dinner. Not after the silence. Not with the dull ache still tucked beneath my ribs.“You good?” she asked over her shoulder.“Better now.” I said with a faint smile.She tossed a glance at me and disappeared into the bathroom. I followed quietly, wanting, because I had missed touching her, I had missed the feel of her beating heart on mine. And if I had died that night, I’d have never gotten to know what it felt like again.We showered in silence, the warm water hit my skin lik

PENELOPENew York looked exactly the same. It didn’t care that I left. It didn’t blink when I came back.The sky was cloudy, and the air carried that late-winter, early-spring chill that made you wrap your arms tighter around yourself—even if you weren’t cold. Maybe especially if you weren’t cold.Alfred stood by the car at the terminal, arms crossed, dressed in that same black coat he wore with unbothered elegance. Jess was in the passenger seat, waving like a madwoman, she looked cute—sort of.I smiled, as fake and bright as I could manage. “Hey, you two.”Jess hugged me the second I reached the car, as she got out excitedly, whispering, “You look like you slept through the apocalypse.”“I probably did.” I snorted.She pulled back and searched my face for something. I didn’t let her find it. “We missed you, and no Alfred doesn’t need therapy, maybe we might have to check his sugar level, because I’ve fed him with nothing but sugar, asides that I promise you, I didn’t bother Alfred.”

CHRISTIANThe slam of the door echoed after Liam left. It was a statement. A warning shot. A “fuck you” shot. And I deserved it.I stood in the basement a moment longer, surrounded by blood, silence and the stares of Ryuji, Renji, and Ryuji’s men. My knuckles throbbed. My jaw was sore. I’d barely felt Liam’s punch when it landed, but now the bruise was starting to bloom.Good. Maybe pain would drown out the echo of my own voice saying those words out of my head.I didn’t ask you to come—I got a distraction.“Already having marriage problems, Hilton?” Renji asked in a mocking tone.“Mind your fucking business.” I replied in a warning tone.“Or what? You’ll hit me like you hit your friend?” He said accusingly.“Keep talking and we’ll find out–““Enough, both of you, if Christian is having issues with his wife, it doesn’t concern us, but we can only hope they sort it out,” he said, staring at me intensely. “Go home, work out your shit, and if you don’t, consider the next time you're her

CHRISTIANThe charts on the screen meant nothing. Someone was talking about quarterly returns and regional supply chains. I nodded like I was listening, fingers resting under my chin, but my thoughts were nowhere near Japan. They were half a world away. I looked at the half-drunk espresso that sat forgotten by my side, I missed her, I really did, I just wish I hadn’t said what I said and everything would have been okay.She had fucked me, she had pleased me in all the right places and I had fucking ruined it. I may have opened a stitch or two because of our rigorous unholy activities, but I don’t mind if she opens a million stitches just to do me like she did me that night.I’m such a dumbass..“Mr. Hilton, sir?” a voice asked with too much politeness, snapping me out of my thoughts. “We weren’t informed about the share redistribution. Will that affect Japan’s partnership strategy moving forward?”I looked up sharply. “What redistribution?”“The shares redistribution.” She repeated a

PENELOPEI woke to the sound of coughing.Groggy, I sat up in bed and blinked against the early morning light slipping through the blinds. The cough came again—low, rough, and unmistakably coming from down the hall.“Jess?” I called, pushing off the covers. I padded across the floor, the chill of it biting into my feet, and gently opened her bedroom door.She was curled under the sheets, her skin flushed and damp with sweat, hair sticking to her forehead. One look told me everything.“Jess,” I whispered, crossing the room to press the back of my hand to her cheek. Burning. Absolutely burning.Her eyes cracked open, puffy and glassy. “Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you…”“You should’ve,” I said, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face. “You’re burning up.”She coughed again and winced. “I’ll be fine. Just need—”“You need to rest,” I cut in, leaning forward, placing a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll ask Alfred to look after you till I get back. Just stay in bed, okay?”She murmured some