บททั้งหมดของ The Billionaire Regret After My Goodbye: บทที่ 41 - บทที่ 50

Aria's POVBy lunch, the fever meds had kicked in, and I felt slightly more human. I was still shaky, though—probably from skipping breakfast. I grabbed a light meal from the cafeteria and brought it back to my desk.I had just taken my first bite when I spotted Kane walking past my office.Fast stride. Brow furrowed. Still working.Had he eaten anything today?I looked down at my food and suddenly lost my appetite.After a brief war with my pride, I stood up and made my way to his office.——Knock Knock——"Come in." His voice, as always, was calm. Detached. Like nothing could shake him.I stepped inside. He was reclining on the couch, eyes closed, looking oddly relaxed. His long legs crossed casually, tie loosened, shirt collar open. There was a careless elegance about him—like a predator resting after a hunt.My breath caught.This side of Kane... was rare. Almost dangerous in its intimacy. Like catching a wild animal with its guard down."What?" he asked, eyes snapping open. They pi

Aria's POVDrip. Drip. Drip…Chad finally left to check in at the nurses' station, and I was alone in the room with my sleeping father. Only then did the tension that had been coiled in me all day begin to unravel.I sat by the bedside, my eyelids growing heavier by the second. My head spun, like the world was tilting beneath me.Just as I was about to topple forward, a familiar voice cracked through the fog in my mind."Aria!"I jerked awake. It was Chad.He frowned, already steadying me with a firm grip on my shoulder. His voice was sharp with concern. "Are you okay?""I'm fine…" I tried to reassure him, but the words barely escaped before the strength drained from my body completely. The hallway spun, and everything blurred.Next thing I knew, I was half-leaning against him, a nurse standing in front of us, raising a digital thermometer to my forehead."102.56℉(39.2℃)" she read aloud.Chad's face darkened as he looked at the screen. "You call that fine?"The nurse gave him a sympat

Aria's POVI had no idea how long it lasted—minutes? Hours? An eternity?By the time it was over, I felt like I had been pulled apart and pieced back together, bone by bone, nerve by nerve. Even lifting a finger felt like a monumental task.All I could think about was eating something—anything—and then passing out for a week.But of course, Kane had other plans."Up." His voice cut through the haze. He stood beside the sofa, already dressed, not a single button out of place. Crisp, composed, like the man who had just unraveled me didn't exist.I lay sprawled across the cushions, completely boneless."I can't…" My voice was barely a whisper. "I'm starving…""Shower first."He didn't wait for my reply. Instead, he leaned down, slid his arms under me, and lifted me as if I weighed nothing. Steady steps carried us toward the bathroom.The warm mist hit me like a wave, making my head swim. I barely registered being lowered into the tub until the heat of the water coaxed a sigh from my lips

Aria's POVFinally having Kane's "vacation approval" felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. My nerves, once taut and buzzing, finally had a chance to relax.At last, I could focus on myself without that constant tension gnawing at me.But the calm was short-lived.The next morning at work, just as I finished sorting out a tricky piece of copy, my phone lit up — a message from Chad.That simple ping shattered the fragile peace I'd fought so hard to build.[Aria, sorry, I won't make it to the hospital tonight.]The words were so brief, so clean, almost cold. But my chest clenched painfully.He had to be in trouble.[What happened?] I typed quickly, nails tapping nervously on the screen.[Nothing, just some unexpected overtime.]A lie. I knew it immediately.[Tell me the truth.]The "typing…" indicator flickered repeatedly, but no message came. Several times it seemed like he was about to respond — then stopped.Finally, after what felt like forever, a curt reply appeared:[Got

Aria's POVThe moment I stepped into the apartment, Kane slammed the door shut behind me with such force that it rattled in its frame.Before I could even find my footing, he pinned me against it, his hands gripping my wrists like iron shackles.His breath was hot and ragged against my face, seething with barely contained fury."Besides beef soup, Was that all he had?" he growled, his voice low and venomous. "Has he tasted your sweetness? Like I did?"My heart skipped a beat. Not from fear—but from a sickening realization, a sense of something collapsing inside me.His lips curled into a sneer. "Too bad," he hissed, fingers biting into my arms, "I'm not done fucking you. Did you really think I'd just hand you over to him?"His face was only inches from mine.But there was no warmth in his eyes—only contempt, twisted with something far darker.And in that moment, I saw him clearly.This was Kane. T