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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Dumped Her Ex, Married A Secret Billionaire: Kabanata 391 - Kabanata 400

524 Kabanata

The Weight of a Decision

Inside the Range Rover, soft classical music flowed quietly, as if trying to soothe taut nerves.Chapman leaned back against the leather seat in the rear, eyes closed, deep exhaustion etched between his brows.It was as though the confrontation he had just endured--one steeped in resentment and finality--had drained every last bit of his strength.The driver glanced at him cautiously through the rearview mirror and asked in a low voice, "Sir... should we head to the hospital now?"Chapman slowly opened his eyes.There was no trace of tears or hesitation in them--only a cold, lucid calm.He looked out at the streets rushing past the window and answered evenly, without the slightest ripple of emotion, "Go home.""But Daniel--" the driver began, unable to stop himself."When a pawn has reached the point where it must be sacrificed, you don't keep it on the board,"Chapman cut him off. His tone was detached, as if he were talking about an old object that no longer mattered.The driver swa

Public Meltdown

The worst decision Cecilia had ever made in her life was agreeing to accompany Vicky on a drunken rampage in the middle of the day.The sun beat mercilessly against the pavement, the heat shimmering in the air.Cecilia felt like an idiot, trailing behind a lunatic and cleaning up her mess.Vicky was like a wild horse that had slipped its reins.She kicked off her high heels and ran barefoot around the fountain at the center of the square, completely unhinged.Spinning in circles, she threw her head back and bellowed an off-key song with a shredded voice, drawing stares from all directions. Cecilia watched as passersby pulled out their phones, fingers flying across screens, and her heart sank lower and lower.She could practically see tomorrow's carefully packaged gossip headlines and mocking memes spreading through their social circle at lightning speed."Vicky! Stop it!" she hissed, forcing her voice low, clinging to the last shred of dignity she had.Vicky didn't hear a word.She st

The Call

As the crowd dispersed, the square returned to its empty, sweltering midday calm, leaving behind nothing but damp pavement--and Cecilia's bone-deep exhaustion.She shoved her hands into her coat pockets and headed toward the curb, her steps slightly unsteady.Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. The sharp buzzing sounded especially jarring in the quiet.She pulled it out and glanced at the screen.A completely unfamiliar local number. A scam call, a sales pitch--or worse, some gossip reporter who had caught wind of what just happened.She swiped and hung up without hesitation.She hadn't taken three steps before the phone vibrated again. Same number. She frowned, hung up once more, and quickened her pace.Barely three seconds later, it buzzed for the third time--persistent, urgent, refusing to be ignored."Are you kidding me?" she snapped as she slammed the answer button, irritation tightly reined into her voice."Cecilia... it's me. Sally."The voice on the other end was famil

The Final Truth

"That was back in the late eighties..." Sally's voice grew even weaker, barely above a whisper. "Your grandfather... he became involved with an actress."Cecilia remained silent."At the time, those kinds of... explicit films were becoming popular. A lot of minor actresses made their names that way. At first, Mr. Hardy probably thought it was just a fling."Sally swallowed hard. "But not long after, that woman showed up at the door carrying a little boy, insisting the child was Mr. Hardy's.""You're saying my grandfather might have had an illegitimate son?"Cecilia tugged at the corner of her mouth, forming a smile devoid of any warmth."That sounds like something straight out of a trashy soap opera.""I thought it was ridiculous too!" Sally hurried to say. "The previous housekeeper told me in secret and warned me never to repeat it. I heard things got ugly back then. That woman wanted to use the child to climb the social ladder. Mr. Hardy may have been... indulgent in his personal li

The Last Words

Cecilia crouched beside the bed, leaning forward.She reached out, her fingertips trembling slightly, and gently wiped away a dark, dried trace of blood at the corner of his lips.The motion was stiff and awkward, as if she didn't quite know how to touch him anymore."From now on... take good care of yourself," Edward said hoarsely.His voice was so ragged it was nearly broken, yet there was an eerie calm to it--like the tone he'd used many years ago, when he used to sit her on his knee and clumsily pat her hair.Cecilia nodded hard, then abruptly turned her gaze away, fixing it on the cold metal edge of the hospital bed."Mom waited for you for ten years... Today, she finally got what she waited for.""She probably... doesn't want to see me anymore," Edward murmured.His breath was faint, his words coming in fragments. "If I go after her now... do you think I can still catch up?""Maybe... it's not too late," Cecilia said quickly, brushing the corner of her eye with her knuckle.She

The Calm Before the Storm

Inside the hospital room, the lighting was soft and muted.Cecilia lay curled up on the wide white bed, her entire body tucked beneath the covers.Her face was so pale it almost blended into the sheets, with only the faint tremble of her eyelashes betraying that she was awake.Liam returned to her bedside and gently gathered her--blanket and all--into his arms.He rested his chin against the crown of her head, his fingers moving slowly and carefully as he smoothed through her slightly tangled hair."Don't worry about what's happening outside," he said in a low, steady voice. "MT is covered. I'm here. Nothing is going to collapse."Cecilia gave a barely perceptible nod against his chest.She slipped her arms out from beneath the blanket and wrapped them tightly around his waist, burying her face against him.After a long while, she finally spoke, her voice dry and hoarse from too much silence."The news... it's all been released?""Yes. The official obituary has gone out through every

A Line Drawn

Sinclair EstateBang!Ferdinand slammed the newspaper onto the floor, his chest heaving with rage."Investigate this--immediately! Find out which blind, brainless paper dared to print this garbage. I want whoever wrote it to never touch a pen again for the rest of his life!"The butler, Lynn, bowed slightly, his tone cautious."Sir, every major paper in New York--and social media as well--is spreading these rumors. Liam hasn't made a public statement yet, so people are taking advantage of the silence to stir trouble and speculate wildly.""At a time like this, he doesn't step forward to shut it down right away--what is he waiting for?" Ferdinand struck the floor heavily with his cane and pushed himself to his feet. "Get the car ready. I'm going to the funeral.""It's swarming with reporters outside--cameras everywhere. Are you sure you want to go in person?" Lynn asked, concern written across his face."That's my daughter-in-law's father's funeral. Shouldn't I be there?" Ferdinand lif

The Veil of Silence

Inside the Golden Estate, the memorial hall was solemn and hushed.Dignitaries from every circle arrived dressed uniformly in black formal attire, their expressions grave as they bowed deeply, one by one, before Edward's memorial portrait.Cecilia, also dressed in pure black, stood quietly on the right side of the hall, returning each condolence bow with measured courtesy.Her back was straight, her posture flawless--but the deep shadows beneath her eyes and the exhaustion she could not quite conceal betrayed her true condition.Liam remained half a step behind her at all times.The moment he sensed her sway ever so slightly, he reached out at once. His warm hand closed around her icy fingers, gentle yet steady.Leaning closer, he murmured near her ear, in a voice meant only for her. "I'll stay here. Go rest in the lounge for a bit--even ten minutes will help."This time, Cecilia didn't push herself.Her nerves had been stretched to the breaking point by days of relentless strain. She

A Narrow Escape

"No... no, I can't do this surgery!"The doctor staggered backward half a step, crashing into the equipment rack."I thought--you told me--you only needed a normal, healthy kidney. But she's pregnant! The surgical risk is enormous. Once we start, the fetus will not survive, and there's a very high chance of uncontrollable hemorrhaging! In this non-standard operating environment, she... she will die!""I only want the kidney."Broderick finally shifted his gaze, casting the doctor a cold glance, as if looking at a useless tool. Then his eyes moved to the silent assistant standing behind him."Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with me."The assistant stepped forward expressionlessly, bent down to pick up the fallen scalpel, re-sterilized it, then returned and pressed the gleaming handle into the doctor's violently trembling hand. His voice was flat, emotionless."Please begin, Doctor. Time is valuable."The doctor clutched the scalpel, but it felt impossibly heavy, as if it we

Lockdown

The lighting in the room was dim, everything deceptively calm.Cecilia was curled up on the sofa, seemingly fast asleep.On the small table beside her, the plates of pastries and the teapot were arranged neatly, looking completely undisturbed.The tension in Liam's chest eased slightly. Maybe the bodyguards had misunderstood. Or perhaps it was just routine service from the estate staff.But the bodyguard who followed him in went pale in an instant. He realized something was very wrong--someone had impersonated an order and slipped inside.Lowering his voice, filled with self-reproach, he said, "Sir, I'll pull all the nearby surveillance footage immediately. I'll find whoever pretended to be authorized."Liam raised one hand, signaling him to stop speaking. His eyes never left the figure on the sofa.He gestured for the bodyguard to step out first. The door was quietly closed behind him.The room fell into near silence, broken only by Cecilia's faint, almost imperceptible breathing.Th

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