Alle Kapitel von Billionaire’s Twin Deception : Kapitel 41 – Kapitel 50

EDEN'S POVI only came to the charity cocktail because Richard insisted my appearance would calm investors after the recent rumors, and I'd already decided I'd stay twenty minutes, shake a few hands, donate another embarrassing amount of money and disappear before anyone could trap me in another conversation about market confidence. That plan dies the second I step into the ballroom and spot Janice standing beside Amanda beneath the crystal chandeliers, laughing at something a waiter has whispered, because for one dangerous heartbeat the music, the crowd and the entire hotel disappear until she's the only person I can see."Well," Richard murmurs beside me, catching the direction of my stare before I even realize I'm staring, "there goes your twenty-minute exit strategy," and before I can come up with a denial that neither of us will believe, Amanda catches my eye from across the room, lifts her champagne glass with a smug smile and mouths, You're welcome.The ballroom is alive tonig

EDEN'S POVJack spends the entire evening pretending school didn't bother him, and honestly, if I hadn't watched his smile disappear the second he thought nobody was looking, I might've believed him. He laughs at dinner, argues with Chan's dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets over video call and even convinces Janice that broccoli is secretly invented by evil scientists, but every now and then his eyes drift toward me before quickly looking away again.The next morning I find him sitting on the balcony hugging his giant dinosaur plush while staring at children walking toward school, and something inside me refuses to accept that this is becoming normal.I sit beside him."You know..." I nudge his shoulder lightly, "I heard there's a Family Day at school today."His face brightens for exactly one second before it falls again."It's only for families."I blink."We are your family."He worries the sleeve of his hoodie between his fingers and whispers, "But…... what if they laugh again?"The

EDEN'S POVThe question hangs between us long after the words leave my mouth, and Janice doesn't answer right away because she can't, not without reopening every wound we've spent weeks trying to stitch together. She lowers her eyes, lets out a shaky laugh that sounds far too close to crying and quietly murmurs, "You always ask the impossible questions…... don't you?" before looking back at me as though she's deciding whether to protect my heart or finally trust it.I don't push her.For the first time in years, I'm not asking for an explanation about Chloe, Jack or the past.I'm asking if there's still a future.Janice takes a slow breath and shakes her head at herself."I kept thinking the answer would get easier if I waited another year…... then another one…... but it never did." She smiles sadly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear before admitting, "The truth is…... I don't think Chloe had anything to do with it anymore. Somewhere along the way I stopped seeing you a

EDEN'S POVThe photograph sits between us like it belongs to another lifetime, yet somehow it's still powerful enough to steal every bit of warmth from the ballroom. Around us the orchestra keeps playing, champagne glasses keep clinking and guests keep laughing, but none of it reaches me anymore because all I can see is Janice walking toward Chloe's apartment five years ago.She doesn't try to explain.She doesn't run.She just stares at the photograph until her fingers begin trembling."Janice…..."She closes her eyes."I know.""No." I shake my head gently, sliding the photograph back into the envelope before anyone else notices. "Not here."She looks at me, surprised."You're…... you're not going to ask?""I am.""When?"I reach for her hand beneath the table, hiding the movement from the guests surrounding us."When you're ready to answer."For a second she simply looks at our hands.Then her fingers quietly tighten around mine. Neither of us says another word.The rest of the ga

EDEN'S POVThe black SUV changes everything.The moment Janice shows me the photographs from the aquarium, every instinct I've spent years trusting starts screaming that someone isn't just watching us anymore. They're studying us.Jack doesn't need to know that.He deserves one more ordinary morning.So when he wanders into the kitchen wearing dinosaur slippers and rubbing sleep from his eyes, I smile like nothing happened."Morning."He yawns."Why do adults always wake up before the sun?""Because bills exist."He frowns."I've decided never to have bills."Janice looks up from the frying pan."I support this dream.""You can't.""Why not?""Because you're an adult."She sighs dramatically."You caught me."Breakfast is loud, messy and completely normal as Jack insists pancakes taste better cut into dinosaur shapes, then complains mine looks more like "a confused chicken.""It has artistic value.""It needs medical attention."Janice laughs so hard she nearly drops the spatula."I