Semua Bab Betrayed by One, Loved by the Billionaire : Bab 11 - Bab 20

CHLOE’S POV“Look at you,” my father sneered walking behind me, beer bottle dangling loosely in his fingers. “Parading around like you’re some damn prize to be won by men.”I stopped on the steps, heart still warm from the evening dinner... until now.“You just left your husband and now you’re out chasing other men?” he barked.I turned slowly to face him, tension knotting in my jaw. “It wasn’t like that,” I said through gritted teeth. “I was invited to a dinner. A dinner with friends.” I lied.He scoffed, shutting the door behind him. The dog outside gave a low growl but didn’t move. “Dinner? That’s what they’re calling it now?” He laughed, ugly and sharp. “You walk out on your marriage, come crawling back here with nothing to your name, and you think that putting on a tight dress fixes all of that? You’re the reason your marriage failed.”My fists clenched at my sides. “That’s not true.”“Isn’t it?” he shouted. “I should’ve known all this time. You’ve been nothing but a disappointme

CHLOE’S POVThe car ride was quiet, not too long, just...quick and quiet. I kept my eyes on the window, letting the city's lights pass me by as I watched from the glass. The exhaustion hadn’t worn off from my body, nor had the ache in my jaw or the pressure behind my eyes from crying most of the previous night. I wasn’t even sure how I had survived since the divorce or how I’d gone from fighting my father to being taken to one of Alex Blackwood’s properties.When we pulled into a private, gated driveway, my posture suddenly stiffened in the seat. The gates rolled open like something out of those high-budget movies, revealing a sleek, modern house hidden behind carefully manicured hedges. The place was all sharp lines and shadowed glass that gave it a cool, clean, and luxurious feeling.“This is one of Mr. Blackwood’s smaller properties,” the driver said as he parked the vehicle. He stepped out and opened my door with a practised gesture, reaching for my duffel bag in the trunk befo

I stepped into Alex’s office, the click of the door closing behind me sounding far too loud in his otherwise way too quiet office. The folder of documents in my hands felt heavier than it should, the pages inside creased from how tightly I’d been gripping them. I crossed to the chair opposite his desk, straightened my blouse, and set the folder on the polished wood.He looked up from his laptop, his expression shifting from focused concentration to something a little softer. “Morning, Chloe.”“Morning,” I said, flipping open the folder. “I’ve got the updated figures for the Crossline project that you asked for.”But instead of reaching for it, he leaned back in his chair, studying me like I was some puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out. “How are you doing?”My brows pulled together. “I’m fine. Busy nowadays but fine.”“Just fine?” he pressed. “That’s not much of an answer.”I gave a faint, tight smile. “I don’t really do long emotional check-ins, especially during office hours, with th

CHLOE’S POVI shut the apartment door behind me and leaned against it for a while, letting the day's problems slide off my shoulders. The quiet inside wrapped around me like a blanket, though not the comforting kind...more like a reminder that I was alone.I tossed my bag onto the nearest chair I could find, the strap catching for a second before falling limp. A clap of my hands brought the lights back to life, casting a warm glow across the open living space. I still wasn’t used to how instant everything was here, the lights, blinds, and temperature. It was living inside one of the big tech commercials I used to see on TV.“Still feels like I’m house-sitting for a stranger,” I muttered under my breath.Kicking off my shoes one after the other, I headed to the couch and let myself sink into the cushions, stretching my legs until the tension in my calves slowly eased away. My phone was buried in my bag, but when I finally fished it out, the screen lit up with the notification that

CHLOE’S POVThe driver’s voice reaching my ears shook me out of my thoughts.“We’re here, ma’am” he said gently.I blinked, the words dragging me back to the reality I was in. My gaze slid toward the window, and the moment my eyes landed on the scene outside, the air caught in my throat.There was Alex.Leaning casually against one of his black cars, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other resting on the curve of Tatiana’s hip as if it made to be there. She was draped against him, her head tilted toward his chest, laughing at something he’d said to her.My grip on the seat tightened.“Wait,” I muttered to the driver, lifting a hand before he could move to open the door for me.He raised an eyebrow but stayed back in his seat. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Alex’s fingers continued finding new areas of Tatiana’s waist, lingering, then sliding lower and lower. The intimacy of it made my chest ache in a way I couldn’t even give a name to. The ease in his touch, the comfort in h