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Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire’s Contract Wife Can't Let Go: Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

216 Kabanata

Chapter 171

Alex POV: Jodie Confesses About Dana's Note"Dana is in LA," Stanton says, the words dropping flatly into the quiet of my private study.I jump a little, the sudden rush of adrenaline catching me off guard. "When did she get here?" I ask him. "This morning," Stanton replies.I sigh, my mind racing through the possibilities of seeing her later in the day. Stanton leans in slightly, his voice drops to a cautious whisper. "There's a snag in the case, Alex."The door opens. Jodie walks in, carrying a tray loaded with fresh, homemade cinnamon sugar twists and two tall glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice. A radiant smile on her face."You boys enjoy yourselves while I go prepare a proper lunch," she says breezily, setting the tray down on the coffee table between us. She looks at my attorney, her eyes bright. "Kelly, you’ll wait and join us for lunch, right?"Stanton offers a polite, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Jodie, but I really can't. Court calls. I have a brief to file before t

Chapter 172

Dana POV: Dana Finds Our Jodie's PastFanny stares at me for many seconds, her eyes narrowed, frozen in place. She looks utterly stunned by the news that I am physically here in Los Angeles to defend myself in a courtroom against Jodie."Jodie is crazy, you know," Fanny finally says, her voice loud in the quiet of her living room.I give her a slight, tired shrug. "Maybe.""Alex is crazy for choosing her, too," Fanny adds, shaking her head in disbelief."She loves him, Fanny," I say, looking down at my hands. "People do desperate things when they're in love.""Wait right here," Fanny says suddenly, her eyes lighting up with a sudden thought.She gets up and hurries out of the living room, her footsteps fading down the hallway. The moment she leaves, my phone startles me as it hums in my palm. A text notification pops up. My breath catches when I see it's a message from Alex. It's an image file.I tap the screen to open the photo. I squint closely at the grainy, low-light image. It loo

Chapter 173

Alex POV: Alex Tells His Dad The Truth I get tired of staring at the blank screen of my phone, waiting for a reply from Dana that isn't coming. The silence from her end is hard to interpret. Giving up on the phone for now, I grab a fresh shirt from the closet, quickly change out of my lounge clothes, and head downstairs.I'm in the foyer when Jodie intercepts me, coming out of the kitchen. She stares at me with anxious eyes and asks, "Where are you going?"I look at her, and impulsive urge inside me almost makes me spit out the words: I'm off to see Dana. But that would be a lie. I don't even know where Dana is right now."I'm going to see my dad," I reply. Jodie shifts her weight, nervously twisting her fingers together. "Um, I wanted to ask you something before you leave."I halt my hand on the front doorknob, turning around to look at her. "Ask.""Did my uncle Al say anything to you?" she asks, her voice dropping to a cautious murmur. "About me? About us?""How convenient, Jo

Chapter 174

Dana POV: Alex Made A Weird Choice With JodieSo, Jodie is not the spotless angel that Alex thought she was, if he ever truly believed she was an angel, that is.Wow, and here I'd been torturing myself with the thought that Alex upgraded upon me, that I could never measure up to his new woman. Yet I am not about to launch into a crusade or go to war for Alex’s sake in this regard. The happenings of the past few months has left me tired out. Looking at Fanny’s determined expression, I don't quite know how to tell her that."Are you going to show him?" I ask, gesturing toward the graphic images. "These pictures?"Fanny snaps the heavy album shut with a loud slap. "Of course not."I blink at her, a chuckle building behind my throat, confused. "But—""I don't need to, Dana," Fanny interrupts me. She rolls her eyes funnily. "Jodie is like a skunk. Wherever a skunk goes, she can spray on a million dollar perfume, but eventually, she is going to smell awful. It’s her nature. Just give it a

Chapter 175

Dana POV: Alex Wants To Take Dana Out Fanny and I spend the rest of the afternoon up on the balcony, the cool California breeze slowly washing over us, blessing the afternoon. We talk less and less about Jodie and Alex, until the conversation naturally changes entirely to Fanny's own marriage. She tells me about the high ups, the frustrating downs, and all the complicated in-betweens. It’s a relief to focus on someone else's life for a change.“It's never as adviced, Dana,” she whines. “You better remember that one. I know you were married for two years but it's never the same once the kids come along.” “I can only imagine.”“And when your husband is a man like Robby, oh god.”She shakes her head. I'm unsure if she meant her husband Robby is a terrible man, or a great one. I don't ask. Later in the evening, the front door bursts open downstairs. Robby breaks into the house with their three kids, all of them sweating and laughing from their day of fun. Listening to their loud, ch

Chapter 176

Dana POV: A Romantic Moment At The Concert The Row is an open-air venue on Sunset Boulevard that we used to go to back in the days when we were married. On weekends, Alex and I would frequently come here with his friends, including Stanton, to grab drinks and watch whichever act happened to be playing under the stars. We would drive in just as the sun is setting and won't leave until, sometimes, midnight or early morning. It was easily one of the most vibrant, memorable traditions of our two years together. As I pull a form-fitting, green dress from my suitcase and pull it over my hips, these bittersweet memories come pouring back in a relentless wave, causing a sweet, aching pain to bloom deep in my heart. Underneath it lies a bitter sting for the way it all fell apart. It shouldn't have ended at all. But then again, they always say the best things never truly last. By six in the evening, I am fully dressed and ready.When Alex pulls up to the hotel curb, he isn't in one of his

Chapter 177

Dana POV: Hymar And Lori Are In Los Angeles No, Alex doesn't seem to notice Fenton. As we push open the glass doors of the diner, the bell chiming loudly above us, it becomes obvious to me that the musician crew from the parking lot has the exact same post-concert craving. Fenton and his rowdy group are trailing right in behind us, their loud laughter spilling into the warm, vinyl-scented air of the restaurant. A smile tugs at my lips as the memory of coming here with Alex assaults me. I loved the food here too. I remember making Alex love the place too. It was nothing like the high end restaurants he loved to go to. I remember Stanton's horror when he found out we eat here. He guides me past the counter to a cozy booth near the back, sliding into the sit opposite me. A tired-looking waiter drops off two laminated menus. We don't even need to look at them. We already know the late-night menu by heart. We order a large basket of loaded chili cheese fries to share, a classic doubl

Chapter 178

Dana POV: You're A Special Woman"What is it, Alex?" I ask, my voice low, as if testing the waters.He drops his voice to a low pitch too, and leans his head closer to mine. He whispers, "See that guy with the messy hair over there? The one tapping on the table with his fork?"I follow his gaze, pretending to analyze the Fenton for the first time. "Yeah. What about him?""I know him from back in college," Alex says, his eyes narrowing as he watches Fenton. "Stanford University."I look at him, playing dumb. "How come? You didn't go to Stanford, Alex."Alex turns his head, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "Yeah, but everyone in our circle knew him. Fanny was there at the time. She used to talk about him constantly."I wait for him to elaborate, holding my breath to see if he'll mention the connection to Jodie, but Alex simply stops talking. He pulls his gaze away, picks up his burger, and starts eating again. But the change in his demeanor is undeniable. The color has drained a little

Chapter 179

Dana POV: Lori And Hymar Ask For Forgiveness It is Monday morning, and I wake up oddly exhausted.As I stagger into the bathroom to pee, I mentally question this skin deep, mental tiredness. Then, the foggy remnants of the night slowly piece themselves together. I realize I spent most of the night trapped in a vivid, busy nightmare. I was in a sterile courtroom, forced into the bright orange uniform of a convict, with heavy steel shackles clinking loudly around my wrists and ankles. I was running, trying to flee from a wall of police officers who were trying to drag me away to prison.By the time room service arrives with my breakfast cart, the phantom weight of the chains has finally faded. I sip the hot, black coffee. A small part of my sanity slowly returns. My face is pale in the mirror, my eyes shadowed. I exhale nervously.My phone rings on the nightstand, breaking the quiet. It’s my mother.The moment I answer, her voice rises in a frantic pitch. "Dana, is this girl really g

Chapter 180

Dana POV: Jodie's Lawsuit Is Thrown OutChloe Pennington welcomes me with a firm handshake the moment I walk through the doors of the courtroom. Her eyes dart past my shoulder to look at Lori and Hymar."They with you, Dana?" she asks. "Yes. They're with me.""Alright," Chloe says, her tone businesslike. "Follow me."She leads us down the center aisle to the defense table. I notice there are already three other people seated on our side of the courtroom, meticulously organizing stacks of legal manila folders.Chloe gestures to them as I set my handbag down. "Dana, this is my primary litigation team from the firm.”She getsures at a youngish man. “This is Marcus Vance, our senior research analyst. He’s the one who spent forty-eight hours straight combing through the jurisdictional filings.”“Hi,” I say to Marcus. “And Sarah Jenkins, our lead paralegal. They’ll be handling our motions on the record today."I offer them a polite, tight smile, my stomach twisting into nervous knots as I

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