All Chapters of The Bet That Ruined Us : Chapter 121 - Chapter 130

The words blurred. Grayson read them again. And again. This could not be right. There had to be a mistake."What does this mean?" Grayson asked the doctor, even though he knew exactly what it meant. "You are reading this wrong. Run it again.""Mr. Cross, the results are conclusive. She is your biological daughter.""I do not believe you. Run it again."The doctor looked uncomfortable. "Sir, I have already run this test twice to be thorough. The results are identical.""Fucking run it three more times!" Grayson yelled, his voice echoing through the hallway.Ayven flinched. Tears started running down his cheeks again. Ruby pulled him closer, covering his ears with her hands."You think I would play sick games with you, Gray?" Monica said from her seat by the window. "Even if you do not believe the results, do not do this in front of your child."It was only then that Grayson realized Angel was sitting right there. Watching him. Watching him literally reject her. Watching her own father

Chloe stopped mid-sentence. "Ma'am, we cannot really cancel them. These have been scheduled for months and..."Ruby turned her head slowly and looked at her manager. The glare she gave Chloe was so intense that the other woman actually took a step back."My best friend is nowhere to be found," Ruby said, her voice coming out low. "She is heartbroken and probably hurting alone somewhere and you want me to go smile for cameras and sign autographs?""I am so sorry, Ruby," Chloe said quickly, her professional demeanor cracking. She sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Ruby into a hug. "I was not thinking. Of course we will cancel everything. Shayla is more important. She will be found. I know she will."Ruby let herself be held but she did not cry. She had cried so much over the past three days that she had run out of tears. Now she just felt empty. Hollow. Like someone had scooped out her insides and left nothing but a shell.Shayla was her person. Her best friend. Her sister in ev

[GRAYSON CROSS ESTATE GATE]The cab dropped Shayla off at the edge of the private estate. She paid the driver and stood outside the gates for a moment, looking at the house that had been her home for the past year.It still looked the same. Beautiful. Imposing. Perfect on the outside.But she knew what was broken on the inside.She did not have to wait long. Grayson's security team found her within minutes, just like she knew they would. They approached cautiously, clearly surprised to see her."Mrs. Cross," one of them said. "We have been looking for you. Should I call Mr. Cross?""No," Shayla said firmly. "Just take me to the house. I am here to see my son."They nodded and opened the door of one of the SUVs. Shayla climbed in and they drove her through the main gates, up the long driveway, right to the front door.She took a deep breath and walked inside.Matthew was coming down the stairs carrying a tray of untouched food. He looked tired and worried. When he saw Shayla, he actual

The security guard at Ruby's mansion recognized Shayla immediately and let her through without question. She walked through the familiar hallways, her footsteps quiet on the plush carpet, until she reached Ruby's bedroom door.She knew her best friend would be in there and she knew Ruby would be crying her eyes out. And the guilt of that, the knowledge that she had caused Ruby this pain too, sat heavy in Shayla's chest.She opened the door without knocking."I told you to go home, Chloe!" Ruby's voice came from the bed, muffled and hoarse. "Leave me alone!""Chloe is probably home by now," Shayla replied, stepping fully into the room.Ruby's head snapped up so fast it had to hurt. She was off the bed in seconds, launching herself across the room."Mama bear!"She crashed into Shayla with a bone-breaking hug, her arms wrapping around her so tight Shayla could barely breathe. Tears were already running down Ruby's cheeks like waterfalls."Mama bear," Ruby said again, her voice breaking

Matthew stood outside Ayven's bedroom door for a long moment before knocking. The tray in his hands was heavy, loaded with all of Ayven's dinner.He knocked twice. Sharp raps against the door.No answer.Matthew waited, counting to ten in his head. Then he turned the handle and pushed the door open.Ayven was sitting at his desk with one of his robots completely disassembled in front of him. Tiny screws and wires and circuit boards spread across the surface in organized chaos. The boy had a miniature screwdriver in one hand and was concentrating so hard on whatever he was doing that his tongue was sticking out slightly between his teeth.He looked so much like Grayson when he was focused like that. The same intense expression. The same furrowed brow. The same way of blocking out the entire world when something captured his attention."I said I lost my appetite, Matthew," Ayven said without looking up. His fingers were steady as he reconnected two wires with practiced precision. "I am