Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire’s Pretend Wife : Kabanata 131 - Kabanata 140

ArielleI’d been awake the entire night, replaying everything Darius had said.The ring. Why he chose me. Every single confession. The more I thought about it, the deeper it pierced my heart. Rolling onto my side, I realized the other end of the couch was empty, as though no one had slept there at all. I sat up slowly. It was still dark outside, perhaps four in the morning. The house was unusually quiet, almost eerie, as if I were the only person awake in this big house. I checked the room. No Darius. No maids. No sound. Frowning, I wandered toward the back of the house until I reached the pool. There, lying beside the water, was Darius’s shirt. So he’d been swimming. For some reason, I bent down and picked it up. His scent lingered on the fabric. Without thinking, I held it closer and breathed it in. A reluctant smile found its way onto my lips. Though I was still angry with him. If he had truly bought that ring for me, maybe…Maybe I was too hard on him. Before I could s

Arielle My hand slowly dropped as I watched Lisa wrap her arms around the man standing behind her. They embraced warmly before he looked up. At me. Even from that distance, I couldn’t make out his expression completely, but something about the way he looked at me felt wrong. Familiar. It reminded me of the first day I caught a glimpse of Lisa. Then he lifted a hand and waved. “Arielle.” Darius’s voice came quietly from inside the car. I finally tore my eyes away and looked at him. “Let’s go.” I glanced back one more time. They were already gone. “Come on.” Without another word, I climbed into the car. As Nathan drove out of the compound, my mind remained stuck on the man. Why had he smiled at me like he already knew me? I turned to ask Darius, but he was busy smiling at his phone while texting someone. I looked away. The irritation returned almost instantly. “Who was that man?” His fingers froze over the screen. “The man who hugged Lisa,” I

Arielle Even on the morning of my first paper, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Darius. At this point, it wasn’t funny anymore. It was seven in the morning and I wasn’t dressed. I just sat helplessly in my room with my textbook open, staring at the same page without reading a single word. What was wrong with me? I had convinced myself that whatever Darius and I shared wasn’t that serious. I thought I was just being delusional. But turns out…I wasn’t. Was he thinking about me, too? Probably not. Work would’ve kept him occupied. Every time his texts came in, I read them immediately, yet I never replied. I couldn’t explain what was holding me back. With a sigh, I locked my phone and placed it face down before forcing myself into the living room. Tiffany was already getting ready. “Morning.” “Morning,” she replied while adjusting her bag. “Why aren’t you dressed yet?” I yawned. “The exam starts at eleven.” She nodded. “Mine’s by eight-thirty.” Befo

Arielle As Emris parked in front of the school, he turned toward me and gently wiped the tears from my cheeks. “I want you to know I’ll always be here for you,” he assured. “Even though my feelings for you are never returned…you’ll always have me as a friend.” I sniffed, lowering my eyes. “I’m really sorry,” I whispered. “I feel so stupid” “It’s okay,” he offered me a smile as he brushed away the last tear. “Come on, let’s go write our exams.” I nodded. He carried my bag while opening the door for me. Together we walked toward the department building. The moment we stepped inside, conversations faded. Heads turned. I hadn’t been there in weeks, yet everything still felt strangely familiar. Ignoring the stares, Emris and I entered the examination hall and quietly took our seats. I pulled out my notebook, hoping to revise the little I’d managed to read. A few minutes later, one of the supervisors entered. “Everyone, please take your bags outside before we b

Arielle When I was ten years old, something terrible happened that changed my life forever. Before that night, I believed my parents were good people. Some of my classmates used to whisper terrible things about my father. They said he was dangerous. I heard conversations of their parents saying he had ruined their lives. I never believed any of it. I thought they were only jealous of my family’s wealth. Besides my parents, Emris’s family was one of the wealthiest families in Los Angeles. Then there was Ava’s family. I loved Ava. So much. She was one of the sweetest people I’d ever met. From the very first day she transferred into our school, we became inseparable. Alongside Emris, the three of us were always together. What I did not know was that our parents had known each other long before we met. One summer evening, my parents hosted a grand party at our house. As usual, Emris and his parents were leaving for their annual vacation. I wished him a safe tri