After Divorce, Billionaires Competed Over Me のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

Melody's POVStanding outside Adam’s office door, I inhaled a sharp, steadying breath. I was on the verge of breaking down, of collapsing onto the floor in a puddle of tears.But something inside of me held me back. I blinked back the tears that had threatened to spill from my eyes, drying the moisture. I swallowed back the nausea rising in my throat. I relaxed my jaw and unknotted my eyebrows, willing my racing heart to slow to a calm and steady pace.I counted to ten. Then to twenty.And then, when I was nice and calm, I opened the door.Their heads whipped towards me.“Hello,” I said with a fake, convincing smile.Their conversation instantly died.Adam sat behind the desk. Lily stood by the window, holding a tablet. They both froze, their muscles taut, and exchanged a worried glance."Melody!" Adam said, recovering from my unexpected intrusion first. His smile was smooth and practiced, without even the flicker of sincerity. "I didn't expect you. What a surprise!"Lily gripped th

Melody's POVThe next morning I walked toward the front door, when I heard Adam whistling happily. He was wheeling his suitcase towards the foyer.“Morning,” he said when he saw me. He was wearing a tropical print t-shirt and khaki slacks. “Well, I’m off to the airport. Remember, my aunts are arriving later this afternoon.”“Right,” I smiled dryly at him.He was heading off to the Maldives for a romantic vacation with his mistress, aka my former best friend. But I didn’t care. I was off too…to the lawyer’s office to finalize my 120-billion dollar inheritance.David, my real estate agent, had put in my offer to his client. We were waiting to hear back. Once the house sold, I would have nothing more to do with Adam and his family.The moment I walked into Mr. Vance’s office though, my face fell. He looked pale, with a layer of sweat glistening on his forehead. His tie was undone and his shirt was semi-untucked in the front."We have a problem," he said, stepping around me and locking t

Melody’s POVOne week later, and the plan was in motion. I was going to move into Keal’s mansion. He was set to pick me up that night at 8’ o’clock sharp.I was just coming home after a long day of work. My meeting with Keal had left me with a flurry of complex emotions. I was proud, but also a little rattled. I’d done what I’d set out to do. Keal had agreed to marry me.But I couldn’t help wonder if I’d made a terrible mistake. His sharp blue eyes and mocking smile flashed through my mind.The moment I pulled up to my villa though, all thoughts of Keal disappeared.The front lawn was packed with people. Balking at the opulent display, I stepped out of my car. A tower of champagne glasses sparkled under a crystal chandelier set up inside a big, white tent. The air smelled of expensive cigars, flowery perfume, and seared meat.Right.Adam and Lily were back from the Maldives. This was Adam’s meticulously planned "Pre-IPO Celebration."In the wake of Keal, I’d completely forgotten a

Adam‘s POVThe tent was empty. Remnants of the party were strewn everywhere. Half-filled champagne flutes. Plates with nibbled food. The chandelier fixed to the top of the tent cast a glittering glow onto the white tent walls, as though it was mocking me.Everything in the tent was mocking me.My fabulous, opulent IPO party was a complete bust. The moment the bodyguards had pinned me to the grass, chaos had ensued.The guests were rattled by the muscular men with ear pieces. They panicked and rushed towards their cars in a flurry of tulle and tuxedos. Their faces said it all: they couldn’t get out of there fast enough. What if one of the bodyguards turned on them?Keal’s arrival had completely disrupted my entire event.And now…only Lily and I remained in the once-filled tent.“This is ridiculous,” Lily seethed, staring at the mess the fleeing guests had left behind. “None of this makes any sense. What the hell would Keal Summers want with Melody?”Shaking my head, I could only shrug.

Melody’s POVThe next morning, Keal and I arrived at the courthouse, our necessary documents in hand. We walked up the cement stairs, the morning air cool and crisp. “This shouldn’t take long,” Keal said to me as he opened the doors. The line at the clerk’s window was only four people deep. So we grabbed our ticket number and waited.The people in line glanced at Keal, their faces uneasy. One of the women actually shuffled a few steps to the right, away from us, and tightly grabbed her child’s hand. Their thoughts were plain as day on their faces: they all thought they recognized Keal from the tabloids but couldn’t be sure it was actually him.If Keal saw their nervous looks, he was oblivious. He scrolled through his phone, glancing up only when our number was called.“Fifteen.” The red number flashed above the clerk’s window.“That’s us,” Keal said, rising from his seat in one fluid motion.With long, purposeful strides, he approached the clerk’s desk. I had to awkwardly skip-run ju