All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Discarded Bride : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Bella pov But I did. Because survival wasn't enough anymore. I needed to build something, to become someone who could look Caleb Black in the eye and not flinch. The opportunity came from an unexpected place.I was cleaning the offices of Gregory Company one night when I noticed something odd, the CEO's assistant had left financial reports scattered across her desk, and my trained eye caught discrepancies immediately.They were hemorrhaging money through a subsidiary deal that made no sense. The numbers were all wrong, the timeline impossible, the projected returns laughably optimistic. It was fraud. Or incompetence. Or both.I stood there for a long moment, my cleaning supplies forgotten, staring at those reports. I could walk away. Pretend I hadn't seen anything. Stay invisible and safe or I could take a risk.I pulled out my phone and took pictures of every page, my hands shaking. Then I drafted an email to the CEO, laying out the problems in clear, simple terms. I included sugges

Bella pov "And in that year and a half, you've saved us from bad deals, restructured four others for better returns, and brought in three new clients who specifically asked to work with you." He leaned back in his chair. "Our London office is expanding into international acquisitions. They need someone brilliant, someone who sees what others miss. I recommended you."London. An ocean away from Silverton, from Caleb, from my parents. A fresh start in a city where no one knew my history, my shame."What about Tom?" I asked carefully. "He's still so young, and moving to another country""The London office has excellent childcare facilities, and the expert package includes relocation assistance, housing allowance, and international schools when he's older." Robert smiled. "This is a real opportunity, Bella. To build something bigger than what you could do here."I looked down at the contract, at the salary that would give Tom everything I never had, at the title that meant I'd finally ma

Caleb POV "I know." My throat felt tight. "I know, and I can't fix it. I can't find her, and even if I could, why would she ever forgive me?""She probably won't." Grandmother's honesty was knife-sharp. "But that doesn't mean you stop trying. You find her, Caleb. You find your wife and your child, and you spend the rest of your life proving you're not the monster you were that night.""What if it's too late? What if she's..." I couldn't finish the sentence."Then you live with that guilt until your last breath." She squeezed my hand. "But I don't think it's too late. I think she's out there, surviving, because that's what strong women do. And when you find her, you'll have to be worthy of her forgiveness.""I don't know if I can be.""Then learn." Her voice turned fierce. "You're my grandson, Caleb. You have your father's coldness, yes, but you also have your mother's heart. She just buried it so deep you forgot it existed. Dig it out. Find it again. Before it's truly too late."We s

Bella POVThe elevator doors opened on the forty-second floor of Sterling Tower, and I stepped into what would be Hart Worldwide's North American headquarters. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of Silverton's skyline, and directly across the street, like a dark monument to everything I'd survived, stood Black Tower. Caleb's kingdom, looming over mine."Mommy, it's so high up!" Tom pressed his face against the glass, his grey eyes wide with wonder. "I can see everything!""That's the point, baby." I set down my briefcase and joined him at the window, pointing to the building across the street. "See that tall black building? That's where some very important people work.""Are they nice people?" Tom asked, and the innocence in his voice made my chest tight."Some of them are." I kissed the top of his head. "And some of them we need to be very careful around."My assistant, Lisa, appeared in the doorway with a tablet and an apologetic smile. "Ms. Hart, the design team is h

Bella pov The walk from the lounge to the stage felt like miles. I could hear the crowd murmuring as I approached, could feel hundreds of eyes tracking my movement. And somewhere in that sea of faces, Caleb was watching.I stepped onto the stage and walked to the podium, my heels clicking in the sudden silence. The lights were bright enough that I couldn't see individual faces in the audience, which was both a blessing and a curse. I couldn't see Caleb's reaction, couldn't gauge whether he recognized me or if the years had changed me enough that I was unrecognizable."Good afternoon," I said, my voice clear and strong. "My name is Bella Hart, CEO and founder of Hart Worldwide. Few years ago, I had forty-seven dollars, a suitcase, and a dream that everyone told me was impossible."I launched into my speech, telling a carefully edited version of my story. The girl from nothing who'd worked her way through business school. The junior analyst who'd spotted opportunities everyone else mi