All Chapters of The Billionaire Behind My Divorce: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

THEODOREHe’d been watching her since she stepped into Rutherford. Her little son hopped behind her in happy strides.He was just about to leave when she came in through the doors, radiating confidence and beauty as she always did.She was so different from the last time he’d seen her, almost seven years ago, yet in some ways, she was the same.Her royal stride, her shining hazel eyes, her silky brunette strands that flowed down to her waist - he wondered if she still brushed them 50 times a day like he knew she used to do.The most striking difference was her kind smile. She was ever so gentle and kind to everyone despite her status. She had a feather touch and a soothing laugh that wasn’t withheld from the world around her.Somehow, even from three seats away, he could tell her smile was gone. And it bothered him.Alicia Rutherford was his first love. In fact, she was the one who taught his heart to love and healed him from the brokenness that had plagued him before he met her.He n

THEODOREHe watched her sleep, breaths even, chest rising and falling against his. He could hardly believe she was here with him, much less that they’d just done what they had done.It was very obvious that she wasn’t in her right mind, but he was.He’d watched her down bottle after bottle, not having the words to speak up even if he tried.It had been seven years since they were this close in proximity, and his brain was busy mixing truth and lies in his head like a skilled barista.The truth was married with a kid, and they should have nothing to do with each other. The lies were that she thought of him as much and in the same way as he thought of her. And that this was the universe proving to him that there was still something there.There was nothing there. There could never be.But here she was, drunk and closing the gap between them.He wanted to stop her. Call her name, perhaps. Let her know that he was there and make her understand the gravity of the situation. Not just that t

THEODORENovaris Holdings was an enterprise built from loss, sweat, and toil. At the top of the empire sat Theodore Lucian Banks, on his black leather throne, carved from the quiet arrogance of success and the cold permanence of survival. The chair had been commissioned from Italian craftsmen who spoke reverently about legacy while measuring angles and stitching perfection into every seam, yet Theodore often thought it less a symbol of victory and more a monument to endurance - proof that he had outlived every circumstance designed to break him.He hadn’t stumbled into this wealth and power, nor had fortune ever softened his path with convenient inheritance or family privilege. There had been no powerful surname waiting to open doors, no father’s empire passed down through reluctant hands. Every inch of Novaris Holdings existed because Theodore had learned early that the world rewarded neither innocence nor patience, only those willing to outwork despair itself.Life had never offered

THEODOREThe world seemed to still around him.His heartbeat slowed rather than quickened, a strange calm replacing motion as recognition settled deep within his chest with undeniable certainty. The city sprawling endlessly beyond the glass walls while the past quietly returned through a single message. He’d almost forgotten that he dropped his number on the table. He didn’t even think she’d notice it. Now he had to decide what to do.He first sat down to ponder the possibilities; there were only two people who could have sent the message. One, the person for whom it was intended. And two, a highly observant staff member who had to clean out the private room. But only one of them had a real motive to type those words.“What is wrong with you, Teddy?” He sighed, running a hand through hair. “Of all the stupid things you’ve done, this is by far the most reckless.” He continued to scold himself.“Your private number? Really? Right there on the table where anyone could have picked it!”H