All Chapters of The Billionaire's Ultimatum: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

LauraI opened my eyes to sunlight streaming softly across my face, warm and gentle. It was so different from that dark eerie atmosphere of the warehouse that for a moment I thought I was dreaming.Then I pushed myself up from the bed and realized where I was.I wasn’t dreaming.My mouth was on the floor when I truly took in the room—I hadn’t been able to do that yesterday, considering I collapsed almost immediately after my body touched the bed.The bedroom looked like something out of a luxury resort magazine. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across one entire wall, offering a view of a private lake that sparkled in the morning sun.The mattress beneath me was maddeningly comfortable, wrapped in what had to be like those Egyptian cotton sheets that felt like silk against my skin. There was even an ensuite bathroom visible through an open door, complete with a soaking tub that could probably fit three people.It was gorgeous. No, perfect even. But just as I felt the first day in Xa

LAURA As Alexie continued talking, my mind wandered again, reminiscing on the hallway outside my room—I’d glimpsed at it when the woman brought breakfast. It looked like it had no end with at least four to five other doors. Probably more bedrooms or offices. It would be pretty handy if I had a map or something to the internal structure. Because if the outside could be this vast then the inside had to be equivalent to a mouse maze. Alexei’s voice had become background noise to me but I did know he was ranting on about something that had to do with a distant relative who’d made a fortune about stocks. Like I could care any less. While I continued pretending to be interested in the conversation in any way, shape or form, I filed away more mental notes. I took a brief glance at the other side of the room. I noticed that the door to my room opened inwardly, which meant I couldn’t barricade it effectively—or fast enough. The lock was also electronic, not manual—I’d heard the aut

XAVIER I opened the message and the world tilted sideways. It was a photo of Laura. She was sitting in what looked like a luxury bedroom, sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows behind her. She was wearing different clothes than the ones she’d had on when they took her—soft-looking pajamas, nothing like the dark camouflage Juniper described. Her hair was neatly brushed, falling in dark waves over her shoulders. There were no visible signs of injuries, wounds, injuries or mistreatment. She looked comfortable. Well cared for. But just something about the picture left me with an uneasy feeling in my gut. “What the hell is this?” The message below the photo read— “Your wife is being well cared for. She’s made the smart choice to join our family. You should do the same and stop looking for her.” My blood ran cold. Just what the hell was he talking about? Laura agreeing to join Alexie in his pathetic attempt at conquest? A laugh escaped my lips, low and in disbelief.

LAURA My heart sank with each new detail I noticed. It was just getting more and more complicated each step of the way. I hated to say it but escape was going to be nearly impossible. The woods might provide cover, but I had no idea how far they extended or what lay beyond them. And even if I made it past the guards, past the fence I could see in the distance, I’d still be lost in unfamiliar territory with no phone, no resources, no help. No nothing. At this point, my chest constricted so badly, it physically hurt. My stomach churned and I felt nauseous but I didn’t let any of that show on my face. I kept my expression pleasantly neutral, nodding at appropriate moments as Alexei pointed out various features of the estate. “The lake is stocked with fish,” he said, gesturing toward the water that had looked so peaceful from my bedroom window. “Your mother used to love fishing here. Said it helped her think.” Every mention of my mother felt like a knife twisting in my gut, but I

XAVIER “Boss, I’ve got the empty documents you asked for,” Marcus blurted as soon as he walked into my office, handing them to me with a curious look on his face. I couldn’t blame him. I’d be perplexed too if someone asked me to print out forty pages of blank paper. I hoisted them up, feeling their weight and thickness—it was the perfect duplicate of Thomas’s evidence. “Good,” I muttered, grabbing a brown paper envelope and carefully slipping the documents inside before sealing it. Marcus was still standing in front of me, obviously concerned. “Spit it out, Marcus,” I said, turning toward the full-body mirror in my study. I adjusted my tie as I examined myself—a full black suit that fit like a glove. Of course, I wasn’t about to face off with Alexie and rescue my wife while looking like a mess. It was a special invitation, after all. A grin tugged at my lips before I even realized it. This was it. This felt right. For the first time in days, I felt like the same old Xavier ag