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Semua Bab A Contract With My Billionaire Ex: Bab 51 - Bab 60

89 Bab

051: Evidence

Alan's POVJennifer arrived at the coffee shop exactly on time, which told me she was taking this arrangement seriously. Two days had passed since our first meeting at the restaurant, and I had spent most of that time reviewing the private investigator's reports with fresh eyes. Every detail looked different now that I understood the timeline.She slid into the booth across from me and set her designer purse on the seat beside her. The purse was new. I recognized it from the window of a boutique that charged more for accessories than most people made in a month."Lucas is getting worse," she said without preamble. "He drove past Anastasia's bakery three times yesterday. Just circling the block and staring at the building like some kind of obsessed stalker.""Is he a threat to her?" I asked. Not because I cared about Anastasia's wellbeing, but because an unstable ex-boyfriend could complicate my plans."Probably not. He is more pathetic than dangerous." Jennifer stirred her coffee even

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052: Take it to grandma

Alan's POVWe positioned ourselves on the front steps and waited."You really do not like him, do you?""I have known Leon my entire life," I said. "We grew up in the same house. Ate at the same table. Celebrated the same holidays. And he has never once treated me like I was actually part of the family. To him, I will always be the housekeeper's son. Someone who does not really belong."Jennifer looked at me with something that might have been sympathy. "That must have been hard.""It was educational," I said. "It taught me so much."Leon got out first, then walked around to open the passenger door for Anastasia. They were both loaded down with shopping bags.They looked happy. That was what struck me first. They looked like a real couple coming home from a successful shopping trip, relaxed and comfortable with each other. Leon said something I could not hear and Anastasia laughed.For just a moment, I felt doubt creep in. What if I was wrong? What if this was real and I was about to

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053: Reporting Leon

Alan's POVEleanor's expression changed to something stern and disapproving. "Alan, what are you talking about?""Nothing, Grandmother," Leon said quickly. "Alan is making wild accusations because he is upset about the inheritance situation. You should not listen to him."Eleanor looked between us, her sharp eyes missing nothing. She could see the tension, the anger, the fear on Anastasia's face. She knew something was very wrong."I think," she said slowly, "that we should all go inside and discuss this like civilized people. Whatever is happening here, we are going to sort it out properly."She turned and walked toward the front door, her cane tapping against the stone steps. We had no choice but to follow her inside.Jennifer caught my eye as we walked and smiled slightly. We had them cornered now. In Eleanor's presence, with questions being asked, Leon and Anastasia would have to either defend their relationship convincingly or start making mistakes.Eleanor led us all inside with

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054: Grandma's judgement

Alan's POV Anastasia's voice was soft but steady when she spoke. "Everything they said about my financial situation is true. I was about to lose the bakery after Leon came into my life. And yes, he helped me save it by paying off my debts." She looked at Eleanor directly. "But that does not make our relationship fake. Leon did not have to help me. He chose to because he cares about me. That is what people do when they love each other. They help each other.""You barely knew him when he started giving you money," Jennifer said sharply. "How can you call that love?""I knew him well enough to know he was a good man," Anastasia said. "And the more time I spent with him, the more I fell for him. The money was never the reason I agreed to date him. It was just a kind gesture from someone who wanted to help.""A very expensive kind gesture," I said. "Grandmother, does this not concern you? Leon has never been impulsive about money. He has never thrown tens of thousands of dollars at someon

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055: Aftermath

Leon's POVThe sound of Alan's car pulling away from the mansion was the most satisfying thing I had heard all day. I stood at the window of the sitting room watching the taillights disappear down the long driveway, my jaw still tight with anger."Leon, dear, come sit down," Grandma Eleanor said from her chair by the fire. "You are going to wear a hole in the window with all that staring."I turned away from the window and returned to the sofa where Anastasia sat looking pale and shaken. She had her hands clasped tightly in her lap and her fingers were red from the pressure. I wanted to reach over and take her hands in mine, to tell her everything was going to be fine, but I was still too angry to offer comfort."I cannot believe Alan had the nerve to come here with that woman," Grandma continued. She sipped her tea calmly like we had not just been through an interrogation. "Making accusations, bringing strangers into family business. He has gone too far this time.""Jennifer is Anast

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056: Revenge plot

Leon's POV Anastasia looked at me with something like disappointment. "You really hate him.""I really do," I admitted. "Alan has been a thorn in my side my entire life. Always watching, always judging, always waiting for me to fail so he could swoop in and prove he was the better grandson. Well, he failed today. And I am going to make sure he keeps failing.""What does that mean?"I walked back to the window and looked out at the darkening sky. "It means I am done playing defense. Alan came into my home and attacked me in front of my grandmother. He brought Jennifer here to humiliate you. He is actively trying to destroy our relationship and take what is mine." I turned to look at Anastasia. "So I am going to make sure he regrets it.""Leon, what are you planning?""Nothing illegal," I assured her. "Just some strategic business decisions that will remind Alan exactly who has the power in this family."Anastasia did not look reassured. "This is about more than just Alan, is not it? Y

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057: Leon's first strike

Leon's POVMy real estate attorney called at nine in the morning with the confirmation I had been waiting for."The purchase is complete," he said. "You now own the building at 2847 Riverside Avenue. All paperwork has been filed and the deed transfer is official."I stood at the window of my office looking out at the city skyline. Somewhere out there, Lucas Crawley was waking up in an apartment he no longer had any legal right to occupy. He just did not know it yet."Good. Send thirty-day eviction notices to all current tenants. Today."There was a pause on the other end of the line. "All of them? Leon, most of these people have been living there for years. Some of them have children.""I am aware," I said. "Send the notices anyway. We are going to redevelop the property and I need it cleared out as soon as legally possible.""May I ask what you are planning to build there?""You may not. Just handle the evictions and keep me updated on any issues that arise."After I hung up, I turne

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058: Monitoring Lucas

Leon's POV Other students stopped to watch. Some of them laughed too. Some looked uncomfortable but no one helped me up.Lucas leaned over the fountain edge and looked down at me. "Careful, Hart. You should watch where you are going."He dropped my books into the water beside me. The pages immediately started soaking through, ink running, everything ruined. Then he walked away with his friends still laughing and left me sitting in a fountain in front of half the campus.I climbed out and gathered my ruined books and walked back to my dorm dripping wet. People stared. Some whispered. By the end of the day, everyone had heard about it. About poor Leon Hart getting pushed into the fountain like a little kid.James' voice pulled me back to the present. "He pushed you into a fountain?""In front of everyone." I could still feel the humiliation burning in my chest after all these years. "And they all laughed. Every single person standing there thought it was funny. That I deserved it someh

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059: Days before

Anastasia's POVLeon had been distant for two days.He was not absent exactly. He still texted me good morning and good night. He still checked in to make sure the security team was doing their job. He still asked about the store and how I was preparing for the next stage of the competition. But something had changed between us and I could feel it in every short reply and every excuse he gave me about why he could not come by."I'm busy with meetings.""James needs me for something very urgent.""I'm orking late on a deal. I will see you at the gala."I told myself that everything was fine. That he really was just busy with work. And that I was reading too much meaning into it. But I could not shake the feeling that he was avoiding me and I did not know the reason why.Sara noticed my mood when she stopped by the bakery in the afternoon."You look worried," she said as she helped me arrange fresh pastries in the display case. "What is going on?""Nothing. Everything is fine.""Liar."

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060: Getting ready

Anastasia's POV "The apartments on Riverside. Some developer bought it and is kicking everyone out to tear it down and build something new." She shook her head. "Twenty-three houses, just like that. No warning. Just a few weeks to get out.""That is terrible," I managed to say."It is the way of the world now. People with money can just push everyone else around and we are supposed to smile and take it." She took her pastries and left, still shaking her head.I stood behind the counter feeling sick. I used to live on Riverside Avenue, with Lucas. That was our address. If that entire area was being cleared out, he was one of the people getting evicted.No wonder he looked so angry this afternoon.But who would buy twenty-three houses just to evict everyone? It seemed needlessly cruel unless the developer really did have plans to build something new. Maybe it was just unfortunate timing for Lucas. Maybe it had nothing to do with him specifically.I tried to push it out of my mind as I

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