Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Divorce That Made Me A Billionaire : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

VICTORIAI didn’t need to touch him.That was the funny part. The part most people never understood. They thought seduction meant skin, breath, heat, and fingers brushing by accident. It didn’t. Not for people like me. Seduction was patience. Attention. Knowing exactly when to speak and when to stay quiet.The board dinner was designed to feel harmless. It featured soft lights and neutral colors with gentle music that faded into the background. This was the kind of place where deals were made without anyone admitting they were being made. Everyone laughed too loudly and drank just enough to loosen their guard but not enough to lose control.I chose my seat before anyone else arrived.Marcus Vale sat three chairs away from me, exactly where I wanted him. He was a senior board member with old money and even older pride. He had once been important. He still was, but no one treated him that way anymore. People spoke over him. They nodded politely and moved on.Neglect made people hungry.

VICTORIAThe room was full before I even walked in.That was how I knew this panel was important.Cameras lined the walls. Phones were already raised. Investors, editors, and designers filled every seat, dressed like they wanted to be noticed but not remembered. The air buzzed with quiet excitement, the kind that always came before something went wrong.Mara Dane sat on the stage with her legs crossed, smiling like she owned the entire place.I took my seat beside her, looking unbothered. I was in the front row of the panel table. A name card had already been placed there. My posture was relaxed. My hands rested loosely in my lap. Being calm was a choice, and I made it every time.Mara glanced at me sideways, just for a second, and her smile tightened. Good.The moderator started talking about the usual, using safe and careful words. Everyone nodded at the right moments.I listened like I always did.Mara spoke when it was her turn, her voice sounded bright, confident, and almost warm

VICTORIAI met her in a quiet place on purpose.There were no cameras or an audience, so there would be no chance for her to perform.It was a rented apartment on the Upper East Side, one of those clean spaces that looked like no one had ever really lived there. It had a white couch, a glass table, and half-open curtains, the kind of place people used when they wanted to disappear for a few hours.She was standing by the window when I walked in.She still looked the same as me, but her shoulders were tight, and her hands kept clenching and unclenching like she didn’t know what to do with them.She looked unstable.I closed the door behind me and didn’t lock it. I wanted her to notice that.She turned slowly. Her eyes were bloodshot. Not from crying. From lack of sleep.“You came alone,” she said.“Yes.”She laughed sharply. “You always think you’re so untouchable.”I took off my coat and placed it neatly over the back of a chair, moving calmly, deciding not to rush. “No. I just don’t

TRENTI didn’t sleep.I stared at the ceiling and counted every mistake I’d ever made. By morning, my head hurt and my mouth tasted like regret.A baby.Every time I thought about the word, my chest tightened even more.Not because I didn’t understand what it meant. I understood it all too well. A child wasn’t just a child in our world. It was a weapon and a shield all at once. And this one had my DNA.I sat up and rubbed my face. The room was quiet, but my thoughts weren’t. They kept circling the same question.Would this destroy Victoria or save her?I knew the answer was both. And that was the worst part.If the duplicate stayed unprotected, Daniel would use her. Margaret would use her. The board would circle like sharks. The child would become a rumor before it even became a person.But if she was protected, truly protected, then things would change.Marriage would do that. Marriage made things look good on paper. It turned chaos into a system lawyers could work with. It gave a c

CLARKI watched Victoria from across the room while the takeover went ahead slowly. Phones buzzed. Screens glowed. Voices stayed low and careful. Everyone moved the way people did when they knew something big was happening and they didn’t want to get in the way.Victoria didn’t pace. She didn’t raise her voice. She sat at the long table with her back straight and her hands folded like she was waiting for dinner to be served. I had seen her angry before. I had seen her hurt. I had even seen her scared, once, though she would never admit it. But this version of her felt different, as if she had cut off the parts of herself that used to slow her down.And she was beautiful like this. That truth made my chest feel tight.I hated that I still wanted her.“Asset transfer is live,” one of the lawyers said.Victoria nodded once. “Proceed.”I turned my attention back to the screens with the takeover stop underway. This was what Victoria was best at. I leaned closer to her. “Media response is