All Chapters of The Billionaire Forgot He Hated Me: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

One Bed. One Lie. One Heartbreak.Claire.I couldn’t stand the way he was looking at me. My chest felt too full, like it might crack open if I stayed another second. I stood up too fast. The sofa shifted under me.“I need water,” I said. My voice came out thin. “I think I’m thirsty.”I almost ran into the kitchen. The cool air hit my face. Mrs. Smith was stirring something on the stove. The smell of garlic and chicken filled the room. The moment I saw her, something inside me broke. I walked straight into her arms and started crying. The kind that made my shoulders shake.She put the spoon down and held me. Her hand moved slow circles on my back.“I know,” she said softly. “Tyler called. He told me everything. All of Mr. Cavendish’s staff have been told to play along.”I pulled back just enough to look at her face. My hands still held her arms. “Really? Tyler called and you agreed too?”My voice was shaky. “Mrs. Smith, don’t you see this whole thing will fall apart? It’s going to back

ClaireVictor ’s question hung in the air again, softer this time, but more curious. “I’ve really never been there before?”I didn’t want to answer. The truth sat heavy on my tongue. I looked at the floor instead. “It’s fine. We can go together.”He studied me for a second longer, then nodded like he was filing the silence away for later. I cleared my throat. “Get ready. I’ll fix your breakfast and get your pills sorted.”A small smile tugged at his mouth. “Yes, ma’am.” The way he said it was light, almost teasing. He turned and disappeared into the bathroom.I stood there for a moment after the door clicked shut. Then I walked to his wardrobe and pulled it open. The scent of his clothes hit me first—clean, familiar, a little like the cologne he used to wear even when he barely looked at me. My fingers traced the hangers slowly. Shirts, jackets, the soft cotton ones he preferred on quieter days. I used to sneak in here when he wasn’t home, fold his things, and put them back just right

ClaireThe moment I saw him, everything inside me locked into place like a door slamming shut.Across the street, leaning against a dark car as though the pavement itself belonged to him, stood one of the men from that day. Same hard face. Same flat, assessing eyes. My fingers went numb around the edge of the tray. The cheerful noise of the restaurant—plates clinking, customers laughing, the sizzle of oil—faded until all I could hear was the thick rush of blood in my ears. Memories crashed through me without mercy: the violent scrape of tables being overturned, the sharp smell of fear, and Victor’s voice cutting through the chaos that day, low and furious: Let her go.The man didn’t move. He simply stared, deliberate and patient, making sure the message settled deep in my bones. We’re still here. The debt is still open. Nothing has changed.I forced my gaze away, but the image stayed burned behind my eyelids. Dad had sworn Tyler handled them that they would not return. Standing here w

VictorI stayed where I was, staring at the empty space she had left behind. The air still carried the faint trace of her. Even without the memories, even without understanding the full weight of whatever history lived between us, I knew it. I had put those tears in her eyes. And the worst part was the quiet, instinctive certainty that this wasn’t the first time.My mind reached for something—someone—without permission.Tyler.The name surfaced like it had been waiting just beneath the surface. I didn’t know him. Not really. The face, the voice, the history—all of it was still blank. But the feeling that came with the name was absolute. When this kind of weight settled on me, when the ground under my feet felt unstable, I talked to Tyler. I didn’t know how I knew that. I just did.I pulled the new phone from my pocket. Tyler had set everything up for me after the accident because they never found the old one. My thumb moved on its own, scrolling to his name and pressing call before I

VictorClaire’s fingers tightened around mine.“I forgive you.”Her face had softened in a way it hadn’t yesterday. The anger was gone, replaced by something quieter and warmer. I looked down at our joined hands, and the simple sight of it steadied everything inside me.“Thank you,” I said.My phone rang before either of us could say anything else. I pulled it from my pocket and glanced at the screen. “It’s Tyler.”Claire nodded and gently slipped her hand free. I hated the sudden emptiness.I answered. “Hello, Tyler.”“Look, man, I know this isn’t the right time,” Tyler said, voice tight, “but the firm needs its CEO right now.”I frowned. The word caught somewhere inside me. CEO. It sounded familiar. But strangely, foreign. My eyes drifted toward the window.“CEO?”There was a beat of silence.“Yeah, Victor. You.”The title should have fit me. Judging by the size of the house, the cars, the people who apparently worked for me, it probably did.But it felt like someone had handed me a