Semua Bab After Divorce, I became the untouchable Tycoon's sweetheart.: Bab 11 - Bab 20

(Lydia's POV)That night, I barely slept.Every time I closed my eyes, the conversation with A replayed in my head. I'd stare at the ceiling for a while, then check my phone, then put it down, then pick it up again until I fell asleep.By morning I was up early, checking my phone before I even got out of bed. His text was already waiting.“Good morning, sunshine. Today's the day. Can't wait to finally see you.”A flutter hit my stomach. I smiled at the screen like an idiot which was honestly embarrassing. I replied back quickly and went to brush my teeth. After getting ready, we chatted the whole way to work. Normal stuff about how I slept, what I planned to wear, and silly jokes that made the drive feel short. When the Uber pulled up to the office, I was still typing.Then he sent the address of the location. I saved it, and opened Google Maps before I'd even gotten out of the car, and read the place up. As much as I was eager to put a face to Mr. Mysterious, I had to be security co

(Lydia's POV)“I’m an executive at Apex Group,” he said. “Not the lowest level like I first said, but I’m not the only one making decisions either. I come from a regular middle class family. My dad worked construction most of his life, mom was a teacher. I’m the first son. I have one sister, she’s married now and lives in Dubai with her husband and kids.”He paused briefly. "I love sports and used to play hockey in college. I was pretty decent at it too. I still love sports, especially anything competitive. That’s probably the most normal thing about me.”I listened carefully. Some parts felt complete, others felt like they'd been edited before leaving his mouth. But his voice stayed the same and his eyes didn't move away from mine, so I let it go. For now.When he finished, he turned the question back on me. “Your turn. Tell me about you. The real version.”I took a sip of water, then set the glass down. “I’m an orphan. I lost both my parents when I was young. I studied hospitality m

(Lydia's POV)“I want 50% share in the company…”I waited for him to laugh.Surely this was the part where he leaned back and said he was messing with me. Where the smirk leaves his face and he admits that the whole thing was a joke just to watch me sweat. Because there was no way he could actually be serious.But he didn't laugh.Instead, he sat there with his coffee cup in hand, completely relaxed, watching me like a predator.“Sorry, what?” I was forced to blurt. Maybe that would reset his brain and make him take those words back."Fifty-fifty," he repeated. "You make me a shareholder in Dreamworld, I delete the pictures, and we both move on quietly. Simple."I stared at him.Then I laughed. Not because anything about this was funny, but because the sheer size of his audacity and ego was almost impressive. "You're insane," I said.He shrugged. "Disagree and I'll go to the media."And that was the moment it really dawned on me. He was completely serious. There was no version of thi

(Lydia's POV)Aaron was quiet for a few seconds after my response."Are you sure?" His voice was careful. "As much as this is the best move right now, I don't want you feeling like I pushed you into something you're not comfortable with."I almost smiled at that. How thoughtful. "I'm not a child, Aaron. I know what I'm agreeing to." I paused. "I just need this problem to go away as fast as possible."He let out a small breath. “Alright. We can do it tomorrow if you’re ready.”“Tomorrow?” I sat up straighter. “That soon?”“Yeah. I’ll handle the arrangements. Just send me your home address so I can pick you up.”I hesitated for a second, then typed it out and sent it. There was no point hiding where I lived anymore. We had gone way past that stage.We agreed on a time and ended the call afterward. Then I opened my laptop and went back to work. Knowing there was a plan made the rest of the day bearable.~~~The next morning, I stood in front of my closet feeling completely lost. I had no

(Donald's POV)"Are you there, Mr. Hawthorne?"I swallowed hard. My throat felt tight, like someone had wrapped a rope around it. I barely recognized my own voice when it came out.“Yes.”“Good,” he said. “We await your compliance before midnight. Have a good evening.”The line went dead.I sat still on the couch, the phone still pressed to my ear even after the call ended. I suddenly felt cold.Nora walked back into the room, still wearing the new dress, playing with the price tag between her fingers. “So? Did you send the money yet? I need to leave soon if I’m going to make it before they close the—”“Shut up, Nora!”She stopped talking, her eyes widening. “Excuse me?”I stood up fast, grabbed my car keys from the side table, and headed for the door without looking at her. I couldn’t deal with her right now. ~~~I drove aimlessly for a while, before ending up at a small bar at the far side of town. It was the kind of place where people minded their business. I slid into a corner bo