All Chapters of The Billionaire's Bride Hidden Identity : Chapter 61 - Chapter 69

69 Chapters

CHAPTER 61

ELIZABETH I walked into the boardroom with my spine straight and my face void of expression. But inside, something had already begun to unsettle me the moment I saw this morning's numbers.The directors were already seated, murmuring anxiously among themselves when I walked in."Begin," I said, taking my seat at the head of the table.One of the younger executives cleared his throat first before speaking with caution. “Lady Hart, three of our regional partners have formally requested to re-evaluate their contracts this morning.""On what grounds?" My voice was steady. "They cited... shifting priorities.”He hesitated, for a while, clearly choosing his words with care before speaking again."But the timing colides with Kingsley Holdings' withdrawal."Murmurs rippled around the table again, but I kept my face still, giving nothing away, even though I felt their words heavily against my chest."Investors have also begun making inquiries," another director added, flipping nervously thr

CHAPTER 62

ETHANNews of Kingsley Holdings terminating its collaborations had spread through Blackthorne City faster than I could have imagined. My phone hasn't stopped buzzing with messages since Liam Kingsley terminated collaboration with our company. I was in the middle of a client call when my mother's text came through.Come home now.Those three words made my stomach drop before I even finished reading them. I called her back immediately, but she didn't pick up. My father didn't either. That silence alone told me more than any explanation could have.My mother met me at the door when I got home. face was drawn tight with something between exhaustion and disappointment, and she didn't need to say a word for me to understand exactly why I was there."Your father's waiting in the study," she said quietly.I saw him standing by the window, hands clasped behind his back, staring outside the window like the answer to everything might be hiding somewhere in the landscape."Ethan." He didn't t

CHAPTER 63

My phone rang just as I was finishing up a report, and I nearly let it go to voicemail before I saw the name on the screen.Mrs. Sophia.A broad smile spread across my face immediately, warm and instant, the way it always did whenever I saw her name. I hadn't heard from her since after Elara's wedding. I answered before the second ring finished."Mrs. Sophia.""Nora, sweetheart." Her voice wrapped around me the way it always had, warm and steady, like coming home to something safe.Hmmmm. I missed her."I have been thinking about you. How are you holding up?""I'm okay." I said it automatically, even though I knew she wasn't going to accept that easily."Are you really?" She took a short pause. "I heard about the gala…what Elara did to you in front of everyone.” Her tone shifted to something apologetic. “I should have called you the moment I heard."My throat tightened unexpectedly. "You don't need to apologize for her, Mrs. Sophia.""I know." She exhaled softly. "But I still hate

CHAPTER 64

The drive home was quiet.I felt Liam staring at me more than once, though he didn't push. I stared out the window, replaying the conversation with Sophia over and over, still trying to piece together why he never mentioned it to me.By the time we reached the estate, I still hadn't said a word.Juliet met us at the door, wiping her hands on her apron, her usual bright smile in place. “Mr Kingsley, Mrs Kingsley, good evening.” She gave a brief nod. “Dinner's ready whenever you're ready for it.""Thank you, Juliet," I managed, although my voice came out distracted.She lingered half a second before disappearing back into the kitchen.The moment we were alone, Liam turned to face me fully, studying me the way he did when he already sensed something was wrong."You have been quiet the entire ride home." His voice carried real concern underneath it. "What's bothering you?"I didn't hesitate because there was no point in pretending, not after everything we have been rebuilding over the p

CHAPTER 65

ETHAN In truth, my marriage to Elara now felt like punishment. We barely speak to each other.The silence between us is thick enough to choke on every time we cross paths in our own house.When we have s*x, it is like we are trying to f**k our way out of each other's lives.Elara and I hadn't spoken to each other since that incident at my parents' house. This is the third dayI found her in the study that evening, with a glass of wine in hand. She was staring blankly at nothing in particular. I stood in the doorway longer than necessary, contemplating if this conversation was worth having at all, before deciding otherwise. "We need to talk," I saidShe didn't look up; she just kept staring blankly at the wall."Elara." I stepped further into the room. "This can't continue.”I paused, but she still wasn't looking at me.“The business fallout, my parents,” I paused. “The way you humiliated Nora in front of half the city.""Here we go." She finally lifted her eyes. She looked… tired

CHAPTER 66

I stretched lazily as I reached across the bed out of habit, Liam was nowhere close, the space was empty. I blinked my eyes open before I spotted him near the window. Liam sat in the armchair, dressed casually in a fitted grey shirt and dark trousers, his laptop balanced on his knee, the morning light catching in his hair.I glanced at the clock on the nightstand."Liam! We're late!" I sat upright immediately. He finally raised his head, closed his laptop without any sense of urgency and set it aside before walking back toward the bed."Liam, did you hear me?" I pushed the blankets back, already reaching for the edge of the mattress. "We need to—"He sat down beside me instead of answering, reaching up to brush a loose strand of hair behind my ear.His touch was slow and deliberate, then he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead."Good morning, sunshine."My heart melted despite the panic still humming under my skin. "Liam... Work..."“I think I should fire you,” Liam said, pressing a

CHAPTER 67

ELIZABETH I sat alone in my office, flipping through the folder of photographs spread across my desk, each one confirming the same maddening pattern.Liam's hand at Nora's waist during a business dinner, or Liam walking beside her to the car, or Liam opening the rear door instead of sending Collin. The most annoying was Liam canceling a scheduled meeting with a major supplier, for reasons best known to him— but I know it was because of Nora.I turned the photographs over one by one, studying each with the same clinical detachment I applied to quarterly earnings reports.The conclusion already forming in my mind carried more weight than any spreadsheet ever had.“This was no longer a man fulfilling the terms of a contract,” I murmured to myself. Liam Kingsley now protected Nora openly, without calculation or hesitation. He chose her over business decisions he would never have compromised one year ago. He put her first, publicly, repeatedly, without needing anyone to witness it for i

CHAPTER 68

SOPHIA Mr. Reyes waited for me at a quiet corner café. He was the private investigator I hired after I missed that man in black at the hospital. Two cups of coffee were already sitting on the table by the time I arrived."Mrs. Hart." He rose slightly as I approached, gesturing to the seat across from him. "Thank you for meeting me here instead of the office."I nodded and took the seat. "Discretion matters more than comfort at this point." I folded my hands in my lap, my pulse already climbing before he even uttered a word. "What did you find?" My voice was a bit unstable. He opened a slim folder, sliding it partway across the table without fully revealing its contents."Dr. Callahan is alive," he said. "That much I can confirm."Relief flickered through me, brief and immediate. "Where is he?" The question came out too quickly. "That's where it gets complicated." Reyes leaned back slightly, studying me for a moment before he continued. "He disappeared from public life years a

CHAPTER 69

I recognised the gold-embossed envelope that sat on Liam's desk that morning, even before he opened it."That's the annual charity gala invitation," I said, watching him slide a finger under the seal."Mmmmn." He scanned the card briefly, his expression unreadable as ever."You're not going, right?" I said it more like a statement than a question, even though deep down, I wanted him to attend."Elizabeth will be there…” I continued, “Elara and Ethan too, probably."He set the invitation down and gave me a matter-of-fact stare. "I'm going."I blinked. "What?" My mouth parted slightly in surprise."I said I'm going." He said it clearly."Ohh…" I twisted the hem of my blouse. “Are you sure?”"Hart Foundation belongs to Sophia." He relaxed his back on his chair, eyes fixed on me. "I won't punish Sophia for what Elizabeth and Elara have done."I stared at him, in open admiration. To be honest, it would have been so easy to let his anger paint the entire Hart family with the same brush, b

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