บททั้งหมดของ ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS: บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

Ariana’s POV I was folding laundry when Alex pulled up outside my house.I didn’t realize it was him at first. It was just another black car slowing at the curb but something in my chest tightened anyway. I moved to the window, pushing the curtain aside just enough to see.My breath caught.He got out slowly, like he wasn’t sure whether I would open the door or shut it in his face. He wasn't wearing a suit this time. Just dark jeans, a jacket slung over his shoulder, hair slightly rumpled like he had run a hand through it too many times.My phone buzzed in my hand.I’m outside. Can we talk?I stared at the message for longer than a second, my pulse beating hard in my ears. I thought about his mother’s voice in the lobby last night. You're a temporary toy. I thought about the way Alex had looked at me when I left his house, like he was bracing for something he didn’t want to happen but feared it would anyway.Then I set the laundry down and walked to the door.When I opened it, he l

Alex’s POVThe moment Ariana slipped her hand from mine, I felt it. she wasn’t running. It was just that subtle shift, like a weight redistributing.“I’ll be right back,” she said quietly. “I need air.”I nodded, brushing my thumb over her knuckles once before letting go. “I’ll be here.” I kissed her on the lips. She smiled, the kind that told me she meant it, then turned and moved toward the glass doors leading to the terrace.The room closed in around me almost immediately.People took it as an opening.I was intercepted before I had taken two steps—one board member congratulating me on the speech, another making a joke about bravery, someone else asking about expansion timelines like the night hadn’t already proven I wasn’t in the mood for business disguised as pleasantries.I answered, smiled and nodded.I kept one eye on the doors.Ariana stood outside, hands braced on the railing, head tipped back slightly. The city lights framed her instead of swallowing her, and I felt a fami

Alex’s POV They asked to speak to Ariana just as dessert was being cleared off the table.Her mother’s voice stayed light, polite, but there was no mistaking the intention that was behind it. Her father didn’t say a word—he just stood and looked at her, the same measured look he had been giving me all evening.“Ariana,” her mother said, “come with us for a moment.”Ariana’s shoulders tensed. I felt it even before she looked at me.She glanced my way, uncertainty flickering across her face. I gave her a small nod. “I’m fine, it said. Go.”“I’ll be right back,” she murmured.As she followed her parents down the hallway, I was left standing in the dining room with Maya.The silence settled fast.Maya leaned back against the counter, arms folded loosely, studying me like I was something she had already decided she wanted. She’d been doing it all night with too many looks, many smiles that didn’t match the moment.“Well,” she said, breaking the quiet, “this is awkward.”“It doesn’t have

Alex’s POV The next morning came too quickly.I left the apartment before Ariana woke, moving quietly through rooms that still smelled like her shampoo and last night’s wine. I didn’t linger long. If I did, I wouldn’t have gone at all.The boardroom was already full when I arrived.Every seat was taken. That alone told me how this was going to go.My grandfather sat at the right-hand side of the table, his posture straight, hands folded over his cane. Age had slowed his body but not his mind. Beside him was my mother, composed as ever, with an expression unreadable, and further down was Victoria.She looked exactly as she always did—polished, calm, perfectly dressed for a meeting she had clearly expected to win.I took my seat at the head of the table without acknowledging her.The meeting opened with the company's numbers, projections for the year, and market pressure. Words like expansion, legacy, and stability were the words of the day but I tried to ignore them. I listened, cont

Alex’s POVI left the office later than I should have.Maya’s visit lingered longer than the meetings, longer than the emails I pretended to answer after she walked out. She had a way of doing that—dropping chaos politely, smiling like she hadn’t just tested every boundary I had.By the time I shut my laptop, my head hurt.I texted Ethan.Drink?He replied almost immediately.Already on my way out. Same place.That was why Ethan was still my closest friend. No explanations needed.The bar was quiet when I got there—low music, with familiar faces. Ethan was already seated, with a beer in hand, his jacket thrown over the chair, as if he planned to stay a while.“You look like hell,” he said as I sat down.“Good to see you too.”He smirked. “Long day?”“You could say that.”We ordered drinks. I didn’t bother easing into it as I gulped it up. “Maya showed up at my office today.”Ethan blinked. “Ariana’s sister?”“Yes.”“In your office?” He leaned forward. “That’s bold.”“That’s one word