บททั้งหมดของ Betrayed By My Husband, I Married His Billionaire Uncle: บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

ANIKAI looked stunning.The heavy silk of my dark emerald evening gown draped smoothly over my hips, brushing the hardwood floor of the penthouse suite. Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror, I fastened a delicate diamond clasp around my neck. The cool metal sent a brief shiver down my spine. Tonight was our first official foray into New York high society since the press conference. We were attending an exclusive charity gala hosted at the Plaza Hotel, a gathering of the city’s most influential figures.A few feet away, Icelyn stood near the edge of the bed, threading silver cufflinks into the sleeves of his tailored black tuxedo. He looked sharp and dangerous, his broad shoulders filling out the dark wool. The familiar, intoxicating scent of cedar and expensive scotch drifted across the room, making my pulse hum with a steady, nervous rhythm.Behind us, the large flat-screen television played the local evening news on a low volume. I reached for my matching clutch, ready

ANIKAPeter held the car door open. Icelyn guided me inside, sliding onto the leather seat beside me before the door clicked shut. The partition between the front and back seats slid into place instantly, sealing us in quiet privacy.For the first few blocks, the silence inside the vehicle felt heavy. Streetlights flickered past the tinted glass, casting fast shadows across Icelyn’s chiseled jawline. He stared straight ahead, resting his arm along the back of the leather seat. The tension radiating from his large frame was palpable."You lost your temper," Icelyn said. His voice was a low, dangerous rumble that cut through the quiet.I turned my head to face him, crossing my arms over the emerald silk of my dress. "Karla cornered me. She insulted me, she threatened my position, and then she tried to hit me in the middle of a charity gala.""And you handled it by brawling in the corner of a hotel booth," he countered, finally turning his grey eyes to lock onto mine. "We are playing a l

ICELYNThe heavy mahogany door clicked shut behind us, sealing off the rest of the penthouse. Anika stood in the center of my master suite, looking small but formidable in the dim lighting. As always.City lights from the floor-to-ceiling windows sent long, shifting shadows across the plush carpet. She exhaled a long breath, and the subtle scent of vanilla and dark amber drifted toward me. It was a fragrance I had memorized over the past month, but tonight, it felt like a weight settling directly into my lungs."We need to look like a real couple," I had told her in the hallway moments ago.The logic was flawless on paper. The security team gossiped, the cleaning staff noticed unmade beds, and Merrick’s legal team would search for any sign of weakness. But standing here, watching the rapid beat of her pulse jump against the delicate skin of her collarbone, the excuse tasted like a bitter lie on my tongue. I wanted her in my space. I needed the constant, physical reminder that she bel

ICELYNLeather cracked against leather, the sharp sound echoing off the exposed brick walls of the underground vault. Sweat stung my eyes. I threw a brutal right hook, my heavy boxing glove connecting with the padded mitt held up by my sparring partner. The impact sent a shockwave up my forearm, but the physical strain offered no relief. The fierce, burning energy humming in my veins refused to dissipate.Vance stepped back, lowering the padded mitts with a heavy sigh. He was a billionaire tech mogul who owned half the cybersecurity infrastructure on the East Coast, but down here in the private fighting ring, he was just another man trying to sweat out his demons."You are swinging like you want to put a hole through my chest, Ice," Vance observed. He unfastened the velcro straps of his headgear and tossed it onto the canvas. "We are supposed to be sparring, not fighting for the heavyweight title.""Keep your guard up, then," I replied, my voice rough and breathless. I paced the lengt

ANIKASaturday morning brought a rare, delicate stillness to the penthouse. The usual sharp edge of corporate warfare felt miles away, replaced by the soft hum of the central heating and the distant sound of cartoons playing on the living room television. Kimberly had spent the better part of the morning rubbing her temples, a deep exhaustion settled into the lines around her eyes. She needed a moment to breathe without her children asking for constant direction in a foreign city.To give her a break, I offered to take the kids out for a few hours. The suggestion was met with immediate, enthusiastic cheers from young Sam and a grunt of teenage indifference from Leo. Mia simply grabbed her phone charger and followed me to the private elevator.Our driver took us across the bridge to a sprawling Costco warehouse in Brooklyn. The kids had never experienced American bulk shopping. Growing up in the refined, quiet wealth of Geneva, their idea of grocery shopping probably involved local bak