Lahat ng Kabanata ng Reborn as the True Billionaire : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Morana’s POVI woke up at 3 AM thirsty as hell and my mouth tasted like something had died in it. The penthouse was completely dark except for the city lights coming through the windows. I lay there for a minute trying to remember where I was and then it all came back. The wedding at city Hall. That dangerous cream dress. Tristan’s kiss felt like something other than performance.I got out of bed and left the bedroom in just the slip I’d worn under the dress because I couldn’t be bothered to find actual clothes. The hallway was quiet and I was halfway to what I hoped was the kitchen when I saw light spilling out from the living room.Tristan was sitting on the floor surrounded by papers and documents and a laptop that glowed blue in the darkness. He was still wearing his suit from earlier except the jacket was off and his sleeves were rolled up and he had a glass of something dark in his hand. He didn’t look up when I walked in but I knew he’d heard me because his shoulders got slig

Morana’s POVThe garment bags were spread across the entire bedroom like some kind of designer explosion. Each one is more expensive than my entire wardrobe from five years ago combined. I pulled them open one by one and tried on pieces because today I needed to look like someone the board couldn’t dismiss.But underneath the shopping was a different kind of thought running through my head. Things I needed to do and the ones I abandoned when I became Morana Greene and pretended that version of me could just disappear.A new wardrobe obviously. The stuff in these bags was a start but it wasn’t enough. I needed pieces that felt like armor and pieces that felt like me and knowing the difference was going to take time.I also want a house of my own. Maybe I’d renovate my father’s mansion eventually. There were memories there that were worth keeping. Right now I just needed space that was separate where I could breathe without performing.Then I have to reconnect with my friends. The one

Morana’s POV“This is my husband, Tristan Rothschild” I said and watched the color literally drain from their faces.Tristan didn’t stand up. He just turned his head slightly and looked at each of them in turn with the kind of expression that suggested he was calculating exactly how much they were worth and whether it was worth his time to remember their names.Gerald was the first one to react. His hand went to his collar like he suddenly couldn’t breathe properly. Richard’s jaw actually dropped. The other men shifted in their chairs like they were suddenly uncomfortable in spaces they’d probably occupied for decades.“Rothschild” one of them said. His voice came out smaller than it had been a moment ago. “As in Rothschild Pharmaceuticals?”“The same” Tristan said his voice like ice. The kind of cold that made you understand why people feared him. “I’m aware that you’re all trying to determine whether my presence here is a threat or an asset. Let me clarify. I’m here because my wife

Morana’s POVLance was waiting in the hallway outside the boardroom like he’d been standing there the entire time we were in the meeting. Probably he has because he’d been trying to figure out his next move while listening to his entire operation collapse through the conference room door.He smiled at me with all his teeth and pulled me into a hug before I could step back. It was supposed to be thr kind of hug that was supposed to look familial and warm but just felt suffocating.“I missed you” he said into my hair. “I was hurt you didn’t call. Not once in five years. I thought we were family.”“We’re not anymore..” I said and made sure my voice came out flat and cold and he pulled back like I’d physically hit him. “We share a stepmother. That’s it.”“Morana come on. I was just trying to keep the company stable while you were -”“While I was what?” I stepped out of his grip completely. “While I was disappearing into a life that wasn’t mine? While I was slowly dying and nobody in this

Tristan’s POVMy phone rang at 4:47 PM and the caller ID showed a number I didn’t recognize from a country code that made sense. Beth had finally surfaced.“You’re alive.” I said instead of hello.“Barely,” she huffed on the other end. Her voice sounded tired in a way that suggested she’d been running for days. “I’m in Barcelona. I’m safe. But Tristan, Xavier found me.”I set down the financial reports I’d been reviewing and pulled up the encrypted messaging system that connected directly to my intelligence team. “Tell me everything.”“I was at the airport in Madrid. I was supposed to be leaving that morning but I’d forgotten my passport at the hotel so I went back and he was just there. In the lobby like he’s been waiting.” She paused and I could hear her breathing heavily like she was still processing the shock of it. “He said he needed to talk to me. That he’d been looking for me. That he wanted closure.”“And you agreed to have lunch with him?”“He looked so desperate, Tristan. I