Lahat ng Kabanata ng SECRETS OF A BILLIONAIRE HUSBAND: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

The café was tucked between a bookstore and a florist, quiet enough to feel like a secret.The bell above the door chimed softly when Rivera stepped inside, and the smell of coffee wrapped around her like something familiar and almost comforting.They had met in cafés like this too in Italy during work breaks because they shared the same favorite café.She spotted Luke immediately.He was seated by the window, one arm draped over the back of the chair opposite him, fingers tapping absently against the wooden table.He looked the same, too calm, too controlled, like a man who always knew more than he let on.When his eyes met hers, something shifted in his expression. Relief, maybe. Or guilt.“River,” he said as he stood.She didn’t smile as she approached. “Hi, Luke.”He hesitated before pulling her into a brief hug, careful and restrained, then stepped back.Rivera exhaled and slid into the chair opposite him. A server came by, and Rivera ordered a coffee she barely wanted. Luke aske

“Did you meet Luke today?"Reagan’s voice was low, controlled, but dangerous. Rivera froze at the sound of it.He stood at the end of the hallway, arms folded and posture relaxed.His unblinking gaze was fixed on her, as if he had already confirmed his suspicions and was merely giving her the courtesy of denial.She had just stepped out of the bathroom, still in her nightwear, hair damp. She hadn’t expected to run into him. Not like this.“Yes,” she said quietly.“You went into town, met him, and you didn’t think to inform me.”“I didn’t think it was necessary,” Rivera replied calmly.That made him move. He pushed himself off the wall and walked toward her with slow, deliberate steps.“You are my wife,” he said. “Everything you do is necessary information.”“I understand.”He stopped a few feet away, clearly thrown off.Rivera lifted her eyes to meet his. “You wanted me to lie low. I will.”Reagan searched her face, as if waiting for an argument, an accusation, anything.“That’s it?”

Rivera sat in the coffee room, a book open on her lap, but she hadn’t turned a page in twenty minutes. It was still strange how quiet the mansion felt during the day; too large, too clean, too empty. Even the servants moved like shadows, careful not to intrude.To the outside world, she was the luckiest woman alive; the wife of a titan, living in a palace of marble and gold. But she knew that what she really was to the Royce family was just another piece of expensive furniture to fill out the space in their lives. She wished she could be more than that.When her phone vibrated on the side table, the sound was as loud as a gunshot in the stillness. Rivera snatched it up, her heart hammering. It was Lina.A small, genuine smile broke through Rivera’s melancholy. Lina Scott was a whirlwind of color in Rivera’s otherwise monochrome life.They had met only once, yet she called like they were old friends. Rivera loved it because conversations with her made her forget how lonely she was in t

Rivera took a second to think, channeling every ounce of business strategy she had studied over the years. She knew that her answer to this question would determine whether she got hired or not."I don't panic," Rivera started calmly. "First, I acknowledge his anger without validating the rumor. I tell him that his concerns are top priority. I don't lie, but I deflect. I tell him that the CEO is currently in a high-level briefing regarding that exact topic to ensure stakeholder security, which explains his unavailability. I offer to patch him through to the CFO immediately, or I promise him a personal debrief with the CEO within the hour. Then, I walk into that boardroom and I slip a note to the Chairperson so she can control the narrative before the stakeholder calls anyone else."Mr. Hargreeve's eyebrows shot up. Ms. Collins was nodding enthusiastically, scribbling notes. Reagan didn't smile. He looked annoyed that she hadn't stumbled."Resourceful," he muttered. "But lying to a sta

Rivera closed the door behind her. The sound lingered longer than Reagan expected. Through the transparent wall that overlooked the high-octane buzz of the executive floor, he watched her. Rivera Banks, no, Rivera Royce, though she refused to acknowledge it, didn’t spare him a single backward glance. That defiance irritated him more than it should have, but it was the one thing that had his gaze anchored on her.He waited until the corridor outside swallowed her completely before he exhaled. Only then did he loosen his grip on the edge of the desk.“Stubborn woman,” he muttered under his breath. He poured himself a drink he didn’t need, took one sip, then set the glass aside.Then he stood, and moved toward the windows. The city stretched below him, loud, alive and predictable in its chaos, exactly the way he liked it. People down there didn’t matter, deals, numbers, and control did.Rivera didn’t fit into any of that. He had expected her to serve her purpose and fade quietly after It