Lahat ng Kabanata ng NAKED LIES OF THE BILLIONAIRE: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

HE SLAPPED ME I hesitated. Just for a second. Too long.His eyes dropped to my face, then lower. The robe was gone, but the exhaustion wasn’t. He noticed.“Don’t faint here,” he said flatly. “I promise you, I won’t call an ambulance again. Can we cut this crap already?” I stiffened “is that supposed to be concern? what do you mean by that ?” “Whichever gets you to stand still and talk to me,” he replied. “Because every time you show up like this, something blows up.” “Blows up ? ,” I said. “You blocked me.” “That was after the hotel,” he shot back. “After I realized every conversation with you ends in damage control.”I laughed, short and bitter. “Damage control for who? You? Or her?” His eyes flicked to the door instinctively. “You’re starting” he says. “You brought it here the moment you asked for divorce in front of everyone but me.”His jaw worked. “I asked for peace. Papers are the cleanest way.”“Clean,” I repeated. “You left me bleeding all over the place and you want clean.

I HAVE TO CHECK I woke up on the couch to the soft hum of the room, my phone heavy in my hand. Clara had replied to the voice recording, I hadn’t listened again, but knowing she’d seen it was enough. She said she’d listen later. The words loosened something tight in my chest, and I breathed easier. The hospital never called back with the results, and though the silence should have unnerved me, I felt better than I had in days. Somehow, I had slipped back into the ward without Adrian noticing. I told him I’d gone to the restroom, that I needed a moment alone. The lie settled too easily on my tongue. Adrian brushed a light kiss against my forehead, familiar now, almost comforting. “When would you go to your vacation home?” he asked, his hands warm, absentminded, tracing a reassurance I didn’t ask for. I realized I was getting used to this version of my life. I thought about Daniel less and less, which felt strange, like forgetting the weight of a ring after taking it off. I had though

THE FLIGHT Adrian’s laptop booted faster than I expected. No password prompt. That alone made me pause.I clicked through what was open, emails, folders, work tabs he hadn’t bothered to close. Nothing jumped out. No hidden files. No suspicious names. Just schedules, drafts, client briefs. Normal.Too normal.I searched deeper. Downloads. Trash. Recent files. Still nothing.I opened the Aurex Media folder. Same structure I’d seen before. Campaign decks. Analytics. Contracts already signed. Nothing confidential. Nothing incriminating.I leaned back slightly, my eyes burning. If this was what the blackmailer meant, then she was either reckless, or lying. A thought pressed itself forward, unwanted.Is she even sane? Or worse, did she know exactly what she was doing? Adrian’s computer was clean. I sent the email.There is nothing in his tab.I stared at the screen for a second longer than necessary, then locked the phone and set it aside. My chest loosened just a little. Not peace. Just…

I stared at her, weighing my next words carefully, my mind torn between irritation, disbelief, and the stubborn desire to maintain the calm . “I don’t need your help,” I said, my voice calm, measured, controlled, the kind of tone that’s meant to end a conversation before it even begins. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me ruffled or upset. Without another word, I turned back toward the restroom, eager to put distance between us and preserve the rare sense of peace I’d been enjoying for most of the flight.But before I could take more than a few steps, the unmistakable sound of a video starting up reached my ears. My heart skipped a beat. I froze in place, a cold wave of dread washing over me. Then I heard it, my voice, and Daniel’s. The memory hit instantly: the moment in the office when he had slapped me. The sharpness of his words, the shock of the action, and the vulnerability I had felt all came rushing back in a sudden, painful wave.I could feel my body stif

I stepped out of the airport into the warm, bright morning, squinting slightly as the sunlight hit my eyes. The air felt different here, fresher, lighter, carrying the faint scent of the sea and something floral in the breeze. I began scanning the crowd, looking for anyone holding a sign with my name on it, but the throngs of travelers and the steady shuffle of people collecting their luggage made it difficult to spot anyone. I walked a few steps, craning my neck to see over heads, trying to catch a glimpse of someone waving a sign.After a few minutes of searching, my eyes finally landed on a lady holding a cardboard paper, waving it enthusiastically. The name “Emma Velasquez” was written clearly on it, bold and neat, and she was calling out repeatedly, her voice cutting through the background noise of the airport. Relief washed over me, finally, someone from Adrian’s team here to guide me.“I’m the one,” I said, raising my hands high so she could see me, making sure there was no con