Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire’s Rival Contract: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

BellaI had just opened my mouth to ask Sebastian another question about his childhood when a loud, excited female voice suddenly echoed across the peaceful garden.“Oh my God, baby, you’re actually here!”The unexpected voice caught both of our attention.Confused, I instinctively turned over my shoulder to see who had called out to him so enthusiastically.The moment I looked behind us, I saw an incredibly beautiful woman rushing toward us with hurried steps.She looked like she had walked straight off the cover of a fashion magazine.Everything about her screamed elegance.Her long hair flowed behind her as she ran, and even from a distance, she carried herself with the effortless confidence of a professional model.Before I could even process what was happening, Sebastian and I both rose to our feet.The woman closed the remaining distance between us within seconds then she threw both of her arms around Sebastian and hugged him tightly.She held onto him as though she had finally

SebastianThe question lingered in the air longer than I wanted it to, and I could already tell where this conversation was heading if I did not stop it.I cleared my throat before forcing a small smile onto my face.“Perhaps it would be better if we changed the topic. I don’t think questions like that are necessary right now.”I hoped that would be enough to move the conversation elsewhere.Sadly, it was not.She folded her arms across her chest before looking directly into my eyes.“Sebastian, it was only a simple question, I don't think we have the kind of relationship that allows vague answers whenever I ask you something important.”For a brief moment, I remained silent.Before I could even think of another response, she stepped much closer to me again.Then, without asking for permission, she gently reached out and stroked my arm affectionately.Her voice softened noticeably as she looked at me.“I missed you so much, Sebastian. I had already been planning to come and visit you

Sebastian The following morning, Bella and I sat across from each other at the dining table, having breakfast.The silence between us was almost unbearable.Normally, even when we argued, one of us would eventually say something sarcastic or make some unnecessary remark.Today, however, there was nothing.Not a single unnecessary word was exchanged.I had honestly hoped that after sleeping on yesterday’s misunderstanding, things would naturally return to normal.I had convinced myself that today would be different.Instead, Bella looked even colder than she had the previous evening.She barely looked at me. She focused on eating her breakfast as though I was not even sitting across from her.For some strange reason, I hated it. I hated that she was avoiding me.I hated that she seemed determined to keep me at a distance.The silence eventually became too much for me to tolerate.I cleared my throat before looking directly at her.“Good morning, Bella, Did you sleep well last night?”

Bella I had not expected her to ignore me so openly after I had prepared breakfast specifically for her.Before I could stop myself, the words slipped out naturally.“Claire, did the fire somehow affect your ability to eat on your own?”The moment those words left my mouth, Claire’s eyes became watery.Almost instantly, tears began rolling down her cheeks.Her lips trembled dramatically as she spoke in a broken voice.“I… I am still feeling so frightened after everything that happened.”She continued speaking between soft sobs, barely making any sense. She kept mumbling about how scared she had been.She talked about the smoke.She mentioned the fire repeatedly. Most of what she said came out as emotional gibberish rather than a proper explanation.Before I could respond, Sebastian stepped in.“Bella, it’s not a big deal. She is probably still feeling weak after everything she has been through today, that’s why she wants me to feed her.”He spoke so calmly that I could not even argue

Bella The moment I heard Claire’s soft moan through Sebastian’s phone, I stiffened. I could not even remember ending the call because my fingers seemed to move on their own.My mind went completely blank. Then every terrible possibility came rushing in all at once.Sebastian had not shown up at the office today. He had ignored every one of my calls.Then another woman answered his phone.Not just any woman.His so-called best friend. And the only thing I heard in the background was her moans.A deep, aching pain settled inside my chest. It felt strangely similar to being betrayed.I hated that feeling. More than anything else, I hated the fact that I could not stop thinking about Sebastian.Every thought only made the pain worse.I had expected many things from him.Coldness, sarcasm and his usual grumpy attitude.But this was the very last thing I had expected.Without realizing it, I worked through the rest of the afternoon almost mechanically. Nothing around me seemed important a