The Billionaire’s Broken Contract のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

Riley's POV The penthouse looked exactly the same, but I felt like a different person walking into it. The marble floors that had once intimidated me now felt like a battlefield I was preparing to conquer. Brett stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me as he spoke on the phone. His voice carried that familiar cold authority that had once made me tremble. "I don't care what the stockholders think. Handle it." Brett stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me as he spoke on the phone, voice clipped and commanding. "I don't care what the stockholders think. Handle it," he said, pacing a step before ending the call. When he turned and saw me, something flickered in his eyes, but he buried it quickly. "You came back," he said, his tone unreadable. "I had no choice," I answered, folding my arms tightly across my chest. He slipped his phone into his pocket and walked toward me, controlled and deliberate. "You always have a choice, Riley," he said, lowering his v

Riley's POV The charity auction was in full swing when Victoria made her move. She'd been circling us all evening like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike. "Ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer announced, "our next item is a week at the Graham Estate in the Hamptons, generously donated by Brett Graham himself." The crowd murmured with interest. The Graham Estate was legendary—two hundred acres of pristine beachfront property that had never been photographed for magazines. "Bidding starts at fifty thousand." Hands shot up immediately. The price climbed quickly—seventy-five, one hundred, one-fifty. "Two hundred thousand," Victoria called out, her voice carrying across the room. Brett's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "What is she doing?" "Being Victoria," I said quietly. "Two-fifty," another bidder countered. "Three hundred thousand." Victoria's smile was sharp as she looked directly at me. "For such a worthy cause." The bidding continued, but I could feel

Riley's POVThe silence stretched like a wire about to snap as Brett stood frozen between Victoria and me, his face a mask I couldn't read."Well?" Victoria's voice cut through the tension. "I'm waiting.""This is ridiculous," Brett finally said, but his voice lacked its usual command. "You can't just walk into my home and make demands.""Your home?" Victoria laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "This was going to be our home, remember? Before you decided to play house with your little charity case."I felt the familiar sting of her words, but something had changed. They didn't cut as deep anymore."Don't call her that," Brett said quietly.Victoria's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, how sweet. He's defending his pet.""That's enough." Brett's voice turned dangerous. "You need to leave.""I need to save you from yourself." Victoria stepped closer to him, her hand reaching for his arm. "Look at what she's done to you, Brett. Look at what you've become.""What I've become?" Brett's jaw tightened.

Brett's POV The penthouse felt like a mausoleum. Silence pressed against my eardrums as I stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the city lights blur through the rain-streaked glass. Victoria was finally gone, her parting words still echoing in my head: You'll regret this, Brett. She'll take everything and leave you with nothing. Just like my mother had. Just like Victoria had. But Riley wasn't them. She'd proven that tonight by walking away from a million dollars rather than staying where she wasn't wanted. My phone buzzed against the marble countertop. It was from Marcus, I picked up the call, "It's done," he said without preamble. "The hospital has been paid. Surgery's scheduled for seven AM." "Good." I poured myself three fingers of scotch, the liquid burning as it went down. "Make sure they don't trace it back to me." "Brett" Marcus called out. "I don't want to hear it." I say. "You need to hear it," Marcus said, his voice carrying that unyielding tone he'd perfe

Marcus's POV The diner across from Riley's motel building served coffee that could strip paint and eggs that bounced, but it had excellent sight lines and terrible lighting. Perfect for surveillance. I'd been watching Riley for three days now, ever since Lily's surgery. Watching her struggle to find work, watching her count quarters for the parking meter, watching her put on a brave face for her daughter while falling apart the moment she thought no one was looking. Brett had no idea I was here. He'd retreated to his penthouse after paying for the surgery, throwing himself into work with the kind of desperate intensity that usually preceded a breakdown. "More coffee?" the waitress asked, a tired-looking woman named Dolores who topped off my mug without waiting for an answer. "Thanks," I said, pushing my notebook aside just long enough to meet her eyes. "Are you writing a book or something?" Dolores nodded toward the pages. "You've been scribbling in that thing for hours." I glan