All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Pretend Wife : Chapter 71 - Chapter 79

Arielle I’d barely spent a week in his house. And yet, everything already felt too deep. Too planned. What could this possibly be about? What had my mother done this time? My chest tightened as I leaned closer to the door, trying to catch every word. “Your father buried this years ago,” Lisa said. “Why bring it up now?” “Mother,” Darius replied, controlled. “I have work to do–“ I didn’t hear the rest. I tiptoed downstairs quickly, forcing my face into something normal. By the time I reached the living room, I was already seated. Legs crossed, posture straight, like I had been there all along. When Lisa appeared, I stood immediately, smiling. “Oh…you’re leaving already?” “Yes, my darling,” she said warmly. “I’m sorry, we’ll talk another time.” “Aww,” I said, feigning disappointment. “I just told Ryan to prepare something for you before you leave.” The lie slipped out easily. She touched my shoulder gently. “Next time.” I held the smile until she walked o

Arielle Darius snapped out of it and released me instantly. He stepped back slowly like he’d only just realized what he’d done. Darius stared at his hands for too long. I coughed violently the second his grip loosened. My lungs burned so badly that I rolled off the bed and hit the floor beside it. I couldn’t breathe properly. Every cough scratched my throat raw like broken glass was lodged inside it. My chest tightened painfully while tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. What the fuck just happened? Just hours ago, he had been buying me jewelry. Carrying shopping bags. Acting almost normal. Now he’d nearly killed me. My fingers trembled slightly against my neck as I kept coughing. I could still feel the imprint of his hand around my throat. Then the door opened. “I apologize for barging in, sir. I thought someone was in trou–“ The voice stopped abruptly. A familiar voice. Darius paced backward frustratingly, dragging his hands through his ha

Arielle I froze completely. For some reason, the news hit me harder than I expected. Joel’s reaction was even worse. “What in the bloody hell happened?” I asked in disbelief. Tessa exhaled heavily before answering. “According to Summer, Tiffany helped Blake rob her boss after she got fired. The same boss, by the way.” My eyes widened. “What?” Joel asked sharply. “What do you mean by fired? We talked three days ago.” “Look, maybe we shouldn’t talk about her right–“ “No,” I cut in quickly, turning to Tessa. “Keep talking.” Tessa blinked slowly. “Tiffany got fired two days ago,” she explained calmly. “Apparently, Darius actually meant it when he threatened her. After she lost the job, she needed money. Blake came up with the idea to rob her boss.” I stared blankly. “And now she’s in jail while Blake disappeared.” Of course she did. “Wait–“ “That’s not even the worst part,” Tessa added quietly. There was more? “This one’s about you.” I frowne

Arielle Darius had maybe turned a new leaf. Or maybe he was just pretending better now. Lately, he had been acting…different. The random stares whenever I changed clothes in the closet, thinking I wasn’t paying attention. The way I’d wake up in the middle of the night and catch him silently watching me sleep before looking away. He never argued back. Even when he loses control, he apologizes almost immediately afterward. The old Darius would never do that. He hated me too much to care. But now? He was slowly becoming the man I met at the beach house again. Gentle. Attentive. Dangerous in a quieter way. And somehow even more attractive. I just hoped none of it was an act. Or maybe he was only behaving because Tessa was around. Either way, I tried not to think about it too much. The weekend eventually came to an end, and Tessa started packing her things. Thankfully, I was feeling much better now. The dizziness had reduced, and the cough wasn’t as terrible as b

Arielle Shortly after, Darius pulled the curtains aside and stood beside me, following my gaze toward the gate. “Whose car is that?” He asked casually. Then after a short pause, his brows furrowed. “That’s not my car.”His voice stirred something uneasy inside me. I could feel how close he was standing. Instinctively, my fingers moved to my neck. Even when he spoke softly now, a part of me still feared him. Not always. But whenever he got close. I swallowed and shifted away carefully without making it obvious.I watched as the car reversed slowly. Just then did another car approached the gate. The guards opened it instantly. Darius’s expression changed immediately. “That’s my mother’s car,” he said. Then his eyes snapped toward me. “Arielle–““I didn’t invite her. I swear.” I cut in quickly.He paused. For a second, he simply stared at me. Then his jaw clenched. “Stay here.”And he walked away fast. Too fast. The bedroom door slammed loudly behind him. I blinked in confusio