One Night with My Ex's Billionaire Best Friend のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

My phone rings at midnight.Julian Blackwood.I almost don’t answer. But something tells me I should.“Hello?”“Ariana. Hope I’m not interrupting anything scandalous.” His voice is light. Teasing. But there’s an edge underneath. “How’s Miami?”“How do you know I’m in Miami?”“Lucian told me. Well, technically his assistant told me when I called looking for him. Business trip. Meridian acquisition. Very official.” A pause. “Also, he called me an hour ago. Panicking. About Ethan.”I sit up. “What did he say?”“That Ethan knows about your first night together. Has proof. Photos. Timeline. The whole sordid tale.” Julian’s tone shifts. Serious now. “And that he’s threatening to leak it.”“We know. Ethan texted.”“Yes, but what you don’t know is that Ethan called me too. Twenty minutes ago. Asking questions about Lucian. About you. About whether I think my brother is making a huge mistake.”My stomach drops. “What did you tell him?”“That my brother’s personal life is none of his business.

The statement goes live at eight PM Saturday.Joint post. Lucian’s social media. Company website. Press release to major outlets.**Statement from Lucian Blackwood and Ariana Vale:***We are writing to address recent speculation about our relationship. Yes, we are together. Yes, our relationship began in circumstances that were complicated and difficult. But what we have is real, and we will not apologize for it.**Ariana joined Blackwood Technologies based purely on her exceptional qualifications and experience. Our personal relationship developed separately from her professional achievements. She has earned every opportunity through her own merit and talent.**We understand the timeline raises questions. The truth is we met during a difficult moment in both our lives. What started as a chance encounter became something neither of us expected or planned. We chose to keep it private initially to protect both our professional reputations and personal privacy.**We are now choosing hone

Ethan stares at his laptop screen.The photo is damning. Crystal clear.Lucian and Ariana. Leaving the Celestial Hotel. Morning of May 13th. Timestamp: 9:47 AM.Exactly twelve hours after Ariana walked in on him with Vanessa.Twelve hours. Not days. Not weeks. Hours.“You seeing this?” Vanessa appears behind him. Points at the screen. “She went straight from your bed to his.”“We weren’t in bed. She left before, before anything happened after.”“Details.” Vanessa waves her hand. “Point is, she didn’t waste time mourning your relationship. She upgraded immediately.”Ethan zooms in on the photo. Ariana’s wearing the same dress from the night before. Hair messed. Makeup smudged.The walk of shame. Except she’s not ashamed. She’s smiling.At something Lucian said. Looking up at him like he hung the fucking moon.“I need to talk to him,” Ethan says.“You’ve tried. He’s not answering.”“Then I’ll go to his office.” He stands. Grabs his jacket.“That’s a terrible idea.”“I don’t care. He’s m

I’m sitting in my apartment. Lights off. Phone off. Staring at nothing.Second-guessing everything.Someone knocks.I ignore it.They knock again. Harder.“Ariana, it’s Lena. I know you’re in there. Let me in or I’m bribing your super for a key.”I open the door.Lena stands there with wine and Thai food. “You look like hell.”“Thanks.”“Can I come in or are we doing this in the hallway?”I step aside. She walks in. Sets down the food. Surveys my dark apartment.“Okay. Talk.”“About what?”“About why you’re sitting in the dark after fighting with Lucian. About why you left work early. About why you look like your world just ended.”“How do you know I fought with Lucian?”“Because his assistant told my friend in accounting who told me that you stormed into his office and left twenty minutes later looking devastated.” She opens the wine. “Also, he’s been calling everyone trying to find you. So. Talk.”I tell her. All of it. Catherine Miller. The warnings. The NDA. The fight.Lena listen

I wake to sunlight and the smell of coffee.Lucian’s side of the bed is empty but still warm. I hear him in the kitchen. Humming. Actually humming.I pull on his shirt from last night. Pad out to find him.He’s making pancakes. Badly. Smoke detector’s beeping.“Need help?” I ask.He spins. Sees me in his shirt. Grins. “Good morning.”“You’re burning breakfast.”“I’m attempting breakfast. The burning is a side effect.” He turns off the stove. Opens windows. “Maybe we should order in.”“Maybe we should.” I wrap my arms around him from behind. “Thank you.”“For terrible pancakes?”“For last night. For being honest. For not giving up on us.”He turns in my arms. Kisses me. Soft. Sweet.“I meant what I said. About loving you. About choosing you.” His forehead rests against mine. “I’ve never said that to anyone. Not and meant it like this.”“Like what?”“Like I’d burn my entire empire down if it meant keeping you.” He pulls back. Looks at me. “That scares me. How much power you have. How ea