All Chapters of SWITCHED: THE BILLIONAIRE'S TRUE LOVE: Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

The ballroom glittered like something out of a dream, all crystal chandeliers and champagne bubbles catching the light. But Asha couldn't appreciate any of it. His eyes scanned the crowd relentlessly, searching for one face among hundreds. Claire's arm was intertwined with his, her blonde hair swept into an elegant ponytail, her makeup flawless and subtle. She looked every bit the successful CEO she was—poised, confident, beautiful. And Asha wished he was anywhere else. "Come on, Asha Ashton," Claire leaned closer, her voice playful and seductive. "Something bothering you? You've been distracted since we arrived." "I'm fine, Miss Claire." He forced a smile, trying to ignore the trap Terence had set for him. Just for tonight, he told himself. Just get through tonight. As the evening's program began, Asha's mind wandered far from the speeches and networking happening around him. Claire guided him from group to group, introducing him as her partner to every potential business connect

Asha's face hardened the moment he spotted Victoria approaching. His hands curled into fists at his sides, jaw clenching. "What are you doing here? Haven't you done enough damage?""Come on, Asha." Victoria raised her hands in mock surrender, a practiced smile on her perfectly made-up face. Her dress screamed expensive and borrowed, sparkly earrings catching the light, short heels clicking against the marble. "I'm just here to apologize for how things ended between us. I know I messed up, but trust me I just want to be with you. That's all." She wiped away a tear that looked as fake as her dressing. "I love you, Asha Ashton. I always have."He stared at her for a long moment, then laughed—a bitter, humorless sound. "Come on. I'm not an idiot. You think I'll fall for this act?"She sighed dramatically. "I'm trying to atone for my mistakes. If you don't believe me, that's your problem to deal with, not mine."She turned to walk away, her expensive borrowed clothing swinging with each st

The door to Elena's apartment swung shut behind them with a finality that echoed in Asha's skull. Not a single word had been exchanged during the drive. The silence had been suffocating, worse than any lecture she could have given him. Elena strode directly to the kitchen without looking at him. He heard the clink of mugs, the whistle of the kettle, the precise movements of someone using routine to control their anger. When she returned, she carried a steaming cup of hot chocolate and set it on the coffee table in front of him with deliberate care. Then she sat across from him, crossed her legs, and waited. Her face was stone. Her eyes tracked every pathetic detail; his wrinkled shirt, his disheveled hair, the way he couldn't seem to meet her gaze, how his hands trembled slightly around the mug she'd given him. "Start talking." Her voice was devoid of sympathy, stripped of the warmth she usually showed him. This was Elena at her coldest, and he'd earned every degree of it. "I..."

The door swung open with more force than Victoria intended. She stumbled inside, her borrowed evening gown wrinkled and stained, makeup smeared beneath her eyes. She flung her clutch toward the corner, it missed, hitting the wall with a pathetic thud.She sank to the floor right there in the doorway, not bothering to make it to the couch. Both hands came up to cover her face as she rubbed frantically, as if she could scrub away the memory of last night. Of Asha's confused face this morning. Of Nadia's devastated expression at the bar."How did it go?"Victoria's head snapped up. Miranda stood in the doorway to the kitchen, arms crossed, perfectly put together despite the early hour. Always watching. Always waiting.Victoria scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over her own heels. "Mother... I—" She smoothed her rumpled dress with shaking hands, tried to push her tangled hair back from her face. A smile stretched across her lips—a fake. "It went well. Everything went according to pla