She Was Never Just the Billionaire’s Wife のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 11 - チャプター 20

(Natasha)Even leaning heavily against Gloria, walking back to our table takes a long time.My swollen knee throbs badly with every single step. The pain shoots up my leg, making it hard to think clearly.We both stop dead when we see Elias Warren is sitting calmly at our table.Chase’s grandfather rests both of his hands on his silver cane.He looks completely relaxed, just waiting for us to return.Sitting down across from him, Gloria keeps a protective hand near my arm. She doesn’t look worried at all.Elias looks at me with sharp eyes.Clearly, he already knows everything about my current situation."You are a very brave woman, Natasha," the old man says quietly.His voice is never loud, but it always carries total authority."Challenging my grandson takes a lot of courage. Building your own team to fight him for the Bauer deal takes guts."Hearing him talk about my plan out loud makes my stomach drop.He knows about the divorce papers. He knows about Mason. He knows exactly what

(Natasha)“I’m fine. What’s going on?” I ask in confusion.“Mason called me. He says you’re trying to reach him. He doesn’t want to do anything that risks your bet with Chase, but he’s worried something may be wrong. He told me to get my ass over here in a hurry,” Gloria explains.Oh, Mason. He always puts my best interests first. I know it must have killed him not to answer my call, but he’s right. The risk is too big.Gloria interrupts my thoughts by handing me a red folder.“I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll let Mason know, he’s frantic. Since there’s no emergency, you may want to act on this.”Tracking Jeffrey Bauer down takes a lot of careful planning.Gloria did her job perfectly. She found out he visits the same coffee shop every Tuesday morning.Walking into the busy shop today, the smell of fresh pastries and strong coffee hits me immediately.My mouth waters for a real espresso, but I ignore the craving.Spotting Jeffrey is easy. He sits at his usual corner table near the front wi

(Chase)Natasha stares at me from the hospital bed, saying absolutely nothing.Looking at her pale face, a deep annoyance builds in my chest."What exactly happened over the last few days?" I demand, breaking the silence."Why are you in a hospital bed?"She doesn't flinch. Her eyes remain completely cold."That’s none of your business, Chase," she answers smoothly."You’re still my wife," I remind her, stepping closer to the bed."Your health is my business. You represent my family.""We are competing against each other," Natasha replies, keeping her voice completely steady."My daily schedule does not concern you anymore. I’m not your employee."Before I can argue, she sits up slightly against the pillows."Besides," she continues, "I’ve done exactly what you dared me to. Jeffrey Bauer is in my pocket. I won the bet, Chase."Hearing those words feels impossible. She can’t be telling the truth."It’s true."Nathanial speaks up from the corner of the room."Bauer let me know that he’s

(Natasha)"Mom. Dad."Stepping away from Eleanor, I walk straight toward the open doorway.My adoptive parents drop their travel bags on the floor and rush forward to pull me into a tight, happy hug.My mother kisses my cheek repeatedly. My father wraps his strong arms carefully around my shoulders, mindful of my large stomach.Tears fill my eyes. I’m so happy to see them.They’re incredibly warm and decent people.My biological father died when I was a teenager, leaving me completely alone after my mother abandoned me.Mr. and Mrs. Kelly were his closest friends.They immediately took me in.It meant I had to leave California and move to Pennsylvania, but the change of scenery did me good.I moved into their quiet home and lived with them for four years before moving back to California for college.We don’t get to spend a lot of time together these days.My career keeps me very busy in Los Angeles, but they love me deeply, and I love them right back.Pulling away from the hug, my mot

(Chase)Out of habit, I arrive at the conference room early.My mind is entirely focused on the business battle ahead and I’m looking forward to a few minutes of quiet to gather my arguments.But when I push the door open, I stop dead in my tracks.Natasha is already there.She’s sitting near the large window, leaning slightly toward Mason Stein.Speaking softly to him, she looks completely relaxed.A genuine, easy smile touches her lips and her carefree expression causes a strange ache in my chest.It’s been years since I’ve seen her smile that way.Seen her look as radiant as she does right now.Anger quickly replaces my brief nostalgia.Walking into the room, I knock my knuckles sharply against the long table."Are we ready to begin?" I ask coldly, pulling out a leather chair and sitting directly across from them.Mason frowns at me, “We’re waiting for Nathanial. Your business partner.”His tone is full of disdain, but all I’m aware of is the way Natasha’s smile disappears the mome