All Chapters of Billionaire secret Baby: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The Hole in the StoryThe morning after the dinner with Harold Thorne, the cottage was unnaturally quiet. Elias had stayed at the Inn, and Vivian was reeling from the charged, unexpected kiss that had violated their contract and reignited old flames.Leo, however, was in a contemplative mood. He was building a complicated model sailboat at the kitchen table, occasionally looking up at the ring that now dominated his mother's hand."Mom?" he asked, not looking up from his intricate knot-tying."Yes, honey?""Mr. Thorne—Elias," Leo corrected himself with a slight cringe, "he stayed at the Inn last night, right? Not here.""That's right," Vivian confirmed, bracing herself. She had insisted Elias maintain a separate residence to keep the boundaries clear, but now that boundary felt less about protection and more like a punishment after the night before."Well, if you guys love each other so much that you're getting married, why did you spend ten whole years apart?" Leo asked, his voice en

The Performance BreaksThe following Saturday, Elias and Vivian were forced into a high-stakes public appearance at the annual town fundraiser, held at the newly acquired Harborview Inn. Elias, leveraging his new ownership, had become the event’s impromptu, extravagant patron.Vivian, despite the stunning dress and the enormous diamond that glittered like a small sun, felt perpetually uncomfortable. She was surrounded by the townspeople who still viewed her with suspicion, and corporate acquaintances of Elias who viewed her as an interesting acquisition.They were working the room, maintaining the illusion of the fiercely devoted couple. Elias’s hand rested heavily on her lower back, a constant, firm pressure that felt less like acting and more like a permanent tether.Suddenly, a group of reporters from a national lifestyle magazine, tipped off by Harold’s network, surged toward them.The lead reporter, a sharp woman named Sandra, thrust a microphone forward. "Mr. Thorne, Ms. Hollowa

The Siege of The Green Foundation The forty-eight hours passed in a frantic blur of spreadsheets, phone calls, and hushed strategy meetings. Elias, true to his word, maintained the agreed-upon "Zero Physical Contact" rule, treating Vivian with the laser-focus of a CEO and the cool detachment of a distant colleague. Yet, the confined space and the shared intensity of the threat made the lack of touch more intimate than any embrace. They worked side-by-side, reviewing every contract for The Green Foundation, hunting for the weakness Harold Thorne would exploit. Vivian knew the names of every supplier, the history of every loan. Elias knew the language of corporate law, leverage, and acquisition. "It's here," Elias stated late Tuesday evening, tapping a line on a decade-old agreement for the nursery's prime commercial bank loan. "The loan is callable if the primary supplier for the rare Japanese Maples—Yamaguchi Imports—defaults or terminates the contract without a replacement. The Ja

The Quiet TruthThe following evening, the coastal town settled into its usual rhythm of gentle waves and salt air. Leo was spending the night at the Inn, enjoying the grand new space under the relaxed supervision of Mrs. Henderson. For the first time since Elias’s arrival, the cottage was truly empty, stripped bare of performance, threat, and contractual obligation.Vivian was sitting on the porch swing, listening to the crickets, when Elias emerged from the darkness. He wasn't carrying a briefcase, or a security report, or even coffee. He was carrying a worn, heavy bottle of vintage wine—a bottle he’d apparently saved from the Thorne cellar before his great corporate purge.He sat beside her, not touching, but the proximity was now a choice, not a risk."I finished cleaning out the office at the Inn," Elias said quietly, uncorking the wine. "It's yours now. Everything but the security server is gone. I even packed my suits. I won't be needing them."Vivian accepted the glass of dark

The Price of a Real PromiseA few days passed after the emotional revelation to Leo, allowing the new reality to settle. Leo was adjusting well, excited by his sudden, permanent "chess dad" and the fact that Elias was now staying in his old room at the Inn indefinitely. The tension in the air had been replaced by a quiet, joyful exhaustion.Elias had one final act to complete to permanently sever ties with the Thorne empire.He found Vivian in the garden, planting new hydrangeas near the porch. He held a small, antique, velvet box—not the one containing the massive, tracked diamond, but a far smaller, more discreet one."I need your help with something," Elias said, kneeling beside her in the dirt.Vivian wiped her hands on her jeans. "More logistics? Are we dissolving the holding company for the Inn yet?""More symbolic than logistical," Elias replied. He held up his hand, displaying the huge, glittering engagement ring—the one Harold Thorne had seen—that was still on her finger. "T