Semua Bab Loving The Wrong Billionaire: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Clara’s POVThere was no turning back. That thought followed me into sleep and woke up with me the next morning. It sat heavy in my chest, not as fear anymore, but as truth. Some lines, once crossed, could not be erased.I stood by the window, watching the city wake up again. Cars moved like nothing had changed. People hurried to work, holding coffee cups and conversations, unaware of the quiet war unfolding above them.Behind me, I heard Adrian’s footsteps.“You didn’t sleep,” he said.“Neither did you,” I replied.He stopped beside me, close but not touching. “They’re making moves.”I turned to face him. “How do you know?”“Because silence is gone,” he said. “Now they want reaction.”As if summoned by his words, my phone vibrated.Sophia.I answered immediately. “What is it?”“Turn on the news,” she said. “Now.”My stomach dropped.I grabbed the remote and switched on the screen.The headline hit me like a physical blow.CONTROVERSIAL GALLERY DIRECTOR LINKED TO POWER STRUGGLES AND S

Clara’s POVI would face it standing. The words stayed with me as the last guests finally left the gallery.The doors closed softly, one by one, until only silence remained. Not the heavy, frightening silence I had grown used to, but something calmer. Tired. Earned. The lights dimmed automatically, leaving the art glowing in quiet pools of white.I let out a breath I felt like I’d been holding for weeks.“It’s over,” I whispered.Adrian stood beside me, his jacket folded over his arm, his posture still alert even now. “For tonight,” he said.I nodded. “I’ll take that.”Sophia walked toward us, tapping her earpiece once before pulling it out. “Security sweep complete. No incidents after the entrance situation. Press is already spinning their stories.”“Good stories?” I asked.She smiled faintly. “Mostly. You’re being called ‘defiant,’ ‘uncompromising,’ and my personal favorite, dangerous to the status quo.’”I laughed softly. “I’ll frame that.”“You should,” she said. “You earned it.”

Clara’s POVThe first headline hit before sunrise.I saw it on my phone while brushing my teeth. The words blurred together at first, my mind still slow from sleep, but then they sharpened, cutting deep.Billionaire CEO’s Reckless Affair Threatens Global Empire.My stomach dropped.I scrolled.Another headline.Sources Say Adrian Knight’s Judgment ‘Compromised’ by Artist Lover.My chest tightened. I set the phone down, gripping the sink as if the ground itself might tilt.So this was the next phase.I walked into the kitchen quietly. Adrian was already there, dressed, coffee untouched in front of him. His jaw was tight. His eyes were cold.“You’ve seen it,” I said.“Yes,” he replied.“Marcus Hale,” I whispered.He nodded once. “He’s been waiting for an opening.”I sat across from him. “This isn’t just gossip. This is strategic.”“It always is with him,” Adrian said. “He leaks just enough truth to make the lies believable.”I exhaled slowly. “They’re painting me as a weakness.”“No,” h

Clara’s POVThe waiting was the worst part.Not the fear. Not the headlines. Not even the threats whispered between powerful men.It was the waiting.I sat on the couch, phone in my hands, staring at the dark screen like it might speak to me on its own. Every second stretched too long. Every sound from outside made my heart jump.I kept replaying Adrian’s last words in my head.I won’t regret choosing you.What if that choice destroyed him?I stood and paced the apartment. Then I stopped. Then I paced again. I couldn’t settle. My thoughts moved too fast, colliding into each other.My phone buzzed.Sophia.I answered immediately. “What’s happening?”“It’s intense,” she said. I could hear voices in the background. “The board is split.”“Split how?” I asked.“Half want stability at any cost,” she replied. “The other half are questioning why they let fear run the company for so long.”“And Adrian?” I asked quietly.“He’s calm,” Sophia said. “Which is somehow making them more nervous.”I l

Adrian’s POVI have faced hostile takeovers, public collapses, and men who smiled while planning my destruction.None of that prepared me for the fear of losing her.When Sophia said the word war, I felt it settle in my bones. Not like panic. Like clarity. Marcus Hale had crossed from manipulation into open attack. And once a man does that, there is no turning back.Clara stood beside me, her hand in mine. She didn’t pull away. She didn’t hesitate. That mattered more than she knew.“Tell me everything,” I said to Sophia.She dropped her bag on the table and opened her tablet. “Marcus filed an injunction claiming regulatory violations. He’s pushing for a formal investigation into Knight Global’s governance.”“He’s lying,” Clara said quietly.“Yes,” Sophia agreed. “But lies don’t need to be true. They just need to be loud.”I exhaled slowly. “How long?”“Forty-eight hours before the review board decides whether to freeze assets or limit your authority,” Sophia replied.Clara’s grip tigh