All Chapters of Bound By A Billion-Dollar Lie: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

Anastasia's POVThe moment I got into my office I collapsed onto the chair, the weight of the press conference pressing down on me like a physical force. My body felt heavy, every muscle aching, and a thin layer of sweat had broken out across my forehead. The room seemed to tilt slightly, and I gripped the armrests to steady myself.The door opened, making way for Elias as he walked in. He was grinning, clearly pleased with himself that he had done today."Miss Anastasia, the press conference was a success." He was already rambling, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Public opinion is shifting in our favor, the stocks are already starting to recover. I think we might have just managed to turn things around to work in our favor.""That's... good." My voice came out weak, barely above a whisper.Elias paused, his smile fading as he looked at me more closely. "Miss Anastasia? Are you alright? You look pale.""I'm fine." I tried to straighten up, to look strong but then the room tilted ag

Bianca's POVMy life had become painfully basic, every single day was the same. I would wake up, eat, stare at the walls, and sleep. The guards Nikolai had stationed outside wouldn't speak to me, no matter how many times I tried to start a conversation. They just stood there like statues, their faces blank, their eyes watching my every move.The tracker on my ankle was a constant reminder that I wasn't free. It blinked faintly, a small light that mocked me every time I looked at it. If I dared to step outside, it would go off. I'd tested it once, just to see what would happen. The guards had been on me before I'd made it three steps past the door.So I stayed inside, left alone with my thoughts.Most of those thoughts were about Jason, the drug lord. The man I'd been working with for years. We'd had a plan, a good one. It was about how we would bleed Anastasia dry, take everything she had, and disappear but he hadn't called or reached out. I had no way of contacting him, and that lack

Anastasia’s POVMy words came out cold and blunt, cutting through the air like a blade."Do your worst, Bianca. Tell Nikolai, you know what also? Fucking tell the whole world. I don't care anymore."Bianca's smile faltered. She stared at me, clearly not expecting that response. Her mouth opened and closed, like she was searching for something to say but couldn't find the words."You don't mean that," she finally managed. "You're just saying that because you're scared but think deeply about it, Anastasia. Think about what you'd be losing. Nikolai would leave you, the company would suffer and everything you've built would crumble."I laughed, the sound hollow and bitter. "You think I haven't thought about that? You think I haven't spent years worrying about what would happen if you finally went too far?""Then why…..""Because I'm fucking done." I stepped closer, my voice dropping. "I'm done being your punching bag, done cleaning up your messes. I'm done letting you use me, manipulate m

Nikolai's POVI smiled and shook the hand of the businessman I'd just finished speaking with, keeping my expression warm until he turned and walked away. The moment he was out of sight, my smile dropped, replaced by a scowl I couldn't hold back.Leona.Her name burned in my mind like acid. She'd really made a mess of things. A complete, thorough mess that I was now forced to clean up. It's because of her most of my investors had pulled out, scared off by the scandal and the uncertainty. The few who remained required new deals and those deals were far less favorable to me than the ones I'd had before.I wouldn’t say I was losing entirely but compared to the position I'd been in just weeks ago, this was painful. Annoying. A constant, nagging reminder that Leona had gotten under my skin and taken what she could.I sat at my table in the restaurant, nursing a glass of whiskey. The place was quiet, upscale, the kind of establishment where business was conducted over expensive meals and hus

Anastasia’s POVMy phone rang, pulling me from a deep sleep. I groaned, reaching for it blindly on the nightstand. The screen was too bright, and I squinted at the name.It wasn't a name I was expecting to see. I frowned, confused as to why he would be calling me? Especially at this hour?I answered, my voice thick with sleep. "Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?""Anastasia." His voice was smooth, almost pleasant. "I need to see you.""It's the middle of the night.""It's important. I promise I'll explain everything when you get here."I glanced at the clock, it's three in the morning. What could possibly be so important that he needed to see me now?"Where?"He gave me an address, it was a restaurant I didn't recognize."I'll be there," I said, then hung up before he could respond.I stared at the phone for a long moment, wondering what I was thinking. I am not going anywhere and I didn't owe him anything. I didn't trust him, didn't like him, and certainly didn't want