All Chapters of Your Billionaire Daddy Loves Your Stepmother's Curves, Ex!: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

I memorized all the numbers on Jason's phone long before I knew Derek's name. It was a trust thing. I didn't call them or interact with them. It was an OCD, programmer thing. When I saw numbers, I had to memorize them. I knew pi up to fifty decimal places. Clearly, calling some of them might have been wise. Jason didn't do much to hide that he was fucking other women. His contact list was split in two for men and women. That should have been my first clue. Come on, Pearl. You're not stupid. You always knew. At least suspected. Just like mom and dad with Lena. Sometimes, it was just easier to live in denial. Derek picked up on the second ring. "Which publication and how did you get my personal number?" Derek answered in a bored tone. I cracked a smile through the tears. That was a him way to answer the phone. "Derek, it, it's Pearl," I spoke up reluctantly, my voice scratchy. I was thirsty and starving. I hadn't eaten anything all day except the cheap gum in Len

"You're fucking insane," I spat at his face, my voice rising as panic and fury mixed. The car felt too small, his presence too overwhelming. He wasn't wrong. He didn't force my hand. Leaving the security of his home was my call. The worst part? Even after everything he said the night before, leaving was fucking hard. Waking up alone was… devastating. You fucking left first, you dick. "Stop the car," I demanded, trying to open the door of the still moving car. Anything to get away from the only person I wanted to be with right now. "Pull over. Let me out," I persisted, a searing flash of pain cutting into my chest like his words was an invisible knife. The driver glanced back. Derek just chuckled softly, then nodded at the man. "Of course, Mr. Nelson," he said, and just like that, a partition went up, cutting us off from the driver. I drained the rest of the water bottle. My head still pounded from the hangover I had been nursing all day, but fuck I wanted a drink.

I lifted my head slightly, and looked up at him, surprised. "You're okay with me working? I thought you'd want me locked up like some trophy whore bride. Also, no optional. No sex. Period." He shook his head, his fingers trailing down my arm in a way that sparked electricity between us. "No one is saying you can't have a life, Pearl. Ambition is sexy and respectable. I want to lift you up, not ruin your chances in life. I know I'm a bit intense, set in my ways, but daddy doesn't want to scare you. Only anyone who would dare hurt you. So long as you're a good girl, of course," he said, his voice husky and low. My brain filtered out that last part. All I could hear was he wanted to take care of me. Fuck the rest. So what if he was a little… intense? Before I could respond, Lena's phone buzzed in the purse I'd snatched, loud and insistent. Derek glanced at it, smirking. "Speaking of. Pick up. You'll enjoy this part." I answered with anticipation, putting the phone on speake

The morning sunlight filtered through heavy silk curtains, soft and golden. Nothing like the harsh fluorescent lights of the police station or the cold blur of yesterday's city streets. I woke slowly, body heavy with the kind of exhaustion that comes after crying until your ribs ache. For one blissful heartbeat, the world was quiet.Then everything came crashing down on me, the burden of grief heavy on my shoulders.Lena's repeated betrayals. Mom's diet plan apology (she just couldn't help herself). Dad repeatedly trying to sell me to make up for his shortcomings. Jason's slurred, drunken voice, telling me about all the whores he was fucking. The towel slipping in front of strangers all day long. A cop pulling my hands behind my back, the cuffs tightening around my wrists in front of the mob of fat shamers. Then Derek popped into my head and everything else just fell away. My billionaire husband, towering, possessive, furious, gentle, terrifying and safe. All at once. He was easily t

Breakfast was another assault on my heart. He fed me bites of croissant when my hands shook too much from my being overwhelmed by his tenderness and care. "I can eat on my own, you know," I muttered quietly, but something was happening inside me. I liked it. God, so gross, but I liked him feeding me. Hell, make it stop. Have some pride, damn you. "Where's the fun in that? Chew a little more or you'll choke," he said, wiping a smear of jam from the corner of my mouth with his thumb. Then he stuck it into mouth and sucked it clean while watching me blush with a coy grin. "Keep this up and I, I'll never eat with you again," I threatened, making him chuckle. "That's against the rules. No sex, but I get all your time. Meals, baths, dates. The works. Anything I want. Remember?" he reminded me, his whole frame quaking as I stared at him in horror. I all but choked on the bit of croissant he just fed me. Who knew eating could be this stressful and hazardous to your health? "