Lahat ng Kabanata ng I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis: Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

I got to the studio just after nine.I'd barely gotten any sleep last night. My lips felt swollen, and I was still smiling like an idiot.Last night seemed to have jolted something loose in him.This morning, right after I'd come downstairs and before I even had time to say good morning, Ashton shoved me against the hallway wall and kissed me like we were trying to break a record.Thirty minutes. I counted.By minute twenty-two, my knees were gone.By minute twenty-eight, my vision blacked out for a second.I nearly passed out in his arms and he still didn't stop until I shoved him away.After breakfast, I tried sneaking out.He caught me at the door, pressed me against it, and spent ten more minutes recreating the pleasantly numbing sensation.Apparently, Mr. Iceberg was dead, replaced by someone who couldn't keep his hands to himself for more than six minutes at a time.I should've been irritated.Instead, I felt light. Warm. Like my ribs had been unzipped.I grinned the entire car

Thirty minutes passed.My toes went stiff.My nose ran.I felt like a dead fish in the back of a refrigerated truck.I shoved the blankets off and marched back out."Geoffrey!"He materialized. "Yes, Mrs. Laurent?""I'll take Ashton's room. I'm not freezing to death in here.""Of course, Mrs. Laurent. Mr. Laurent's sheets and linens were all changed this morning. Everything's fresh. You can go right in.""Got it."Standing outside his bedroom, I texted him.[Can I crash in your room tonight? Mine's freezing. I think something's leaking air through the walls.]He replied almost instantly.[Of course. It's our house. Yours and mine. Sleep wherever you like.]I typed out "thanks," then deleted it.He hated it when I thanked him for anything.Instead, I sent a grumpy cat sticker giving a photoshopped thumbs-up.The second I stepped inside, heat wrapped around me.The air smelled like pine and detergent.It was like stepping from winter straight into early summer.I kicked off my slippers

Yvaine tried to deny it but failed.Then she let out a weird giggle."I may have started seeing someone. Just casually. Definitely not living together. I've just been busy, that's all.""Wait, what?" I sat forward. "Who is he?""Here, look."She pulled out her phone and shoved the screen in my face.A selfie of a baby-faced guy with ridiculously symmetrical features stared back at me. Full lips. Strong brows. Zero pores.I squinted. "I've seen him before. Isn't he one of those online boys who lip-sync and flex shirtless?""That's him," she said, beaming. "He's got two hundred K followers.""Is he actually that good-looking in real life? Or is it just lighting and filters? And isn't he, like, eighteen? What the hell does an eighteen-year-old want from you if not your Amex?"Yvaine rolled her eyes. "He's twenty-one. Three years younger than me. Still in uni. And yes, I've seen him in person—he looks even better. No filters. No scams. And before you say anything, no, he hasn't asked me f

I headed upstairs and opened the first door I found.A walk-in wardrobe.The shelves were full. Not just stocked—stuffed.Dresses, tops, sandals, a dozen different pairs of sunglasses.All my sizes.Every piece was something I'd actually wear.I grabbed a pale green T-shirt from the rail and pulled on a pair of white trackies.My hair was a mess from the flight, so I yanked it up into a bun, tied it tight, and checked my reflection.Casual. Clean. Sort of... annoyingly cheerful.Whatever. Everyone at the airport looked like they were auditioning for a beach holiday.I could try blending in for once.Downstairs, I walked straight up to Ashton, spun once, then turned back around. "Well?"He stared for a second too long. "You look good."Then he disappeared upstairs.Ten minutes later, I heard footsteps.I looked up and nearly choked."Are you serious?"He was wearing the same outfit. Same green shirt. Same white joggers. Same trainers, down to the stripe on the heel.Ashton reached the

I stood on my toes and pressed my mouth to his.My lips touched the edge of his smile."Happy New Year."We left Midtown Crossing half an hour later.Everything looked strange.The streets were the same, but wrong.My hands were numb from the cold.My ears were still buzzing.I couldn't tell if it was the wind or my brain shorting out.By the time we got back, my legs were cramping so badly I had to lean on the counter to get my boots off.I nearly passed out in the shower.The water was too hot, and I didn't care.I crawled into bed, shut the light, and stared at the ceiling.I turned over once.Twice.Closed my eyes.Opened them again.My brain kept replaying Midtown—his face in the floodlights, the noise, the heat, the way my body slammed into his like I'd been waiting all year for it.I kicked off the blanket and rolled onto my stomach.A knock came from the door.Three short taps."Can I come in?" Ashton's voice was quiet.I sat up.My hair stuck to the side of my cheek."Yeah. W