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All Chapters of He Made a Bet About Me, I Married His Rival: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

12 Chapters

Chapter 1

I pushed him away, picked my clothes up off the floor, and pulled them on.I couldn't stop thinking about Serena's sexy photo or how casually Damon had talked about it.I was shaking so hard that the zipper at my back kept catching.Damon got out of bed, came over, and zipped it up for me.He wrapped his arms around me from behind, rested his chin on my head, and asked, "What's wrong?"My voice came out low and hoarse. "I want to go home."Damon paused, then gave a short laugh. "Layla, it's late. Stay here and get some rest.""I don't want to."Damon ruffled my hair. "Be good. You've stayed here before. I'll drive you back to the manor myself tomorrow."I pulled out of his arms, picked up the custom pistol from the nightstand, and tucked it into my thigh holster.Damon leaned in the doorway and lit a cigar. His expression hardened. "Layla, I don't like you acting like this."I didn't respond.Damon went on. "If it weren't for me, do you think you could have kept that rundown manor your

Chapter 2

It was still dark when I got back to the manor my mother had left me.The butler hurried to open the door. His eyes went to the mark on the side of my neck. "Ms. Blair, why are you back so suddenly? You..."I gave my instructions. "Have the manor's security system checked. Replace all the keypad locks tomorrow."I went up to the second floor and locked my bedroom door.Lying in bed, I deleted everything connected to Damon from my phone and computer.My phone buzzed again. Serena had posted a new update.It was a sexy photo of her in a swimsuit, nestled in Damon's arms and smiling sweetly.The caption: [He says I can come here anytime from now on.]I recognized the background. It was Damon's restricted port, the main hub of the shipping route my father had built himself.After my father died, Damon's father took it over on the grounds that I was too young.I'd asked for it back many times since I came of age, but was refused every time.Damon said that once we were married, he would giv

Chapter 3

The next day, the Commission held a public awards ceremony.It was one of the most important occasions of the year, and as the heir of the Blair family, I was invited.Halfway through the ceremony, Damon was called to the stage.He accepted an honorary medal, then waved at Serena in the second row.Serena, in a gold sequined dress, rose and went up to stand beside him.Damon took her hand. "I'd like to take this opportunity to formally introduce my girlfriend, Serena."My fingers tightened around my clutch until my knuckles went white.For two years, he'd kept our relationship secret, claiming it was for my protection. He'd never once acknowledged me in public.Now, with every family in attendance, he was acknowledging someone else.The crowd whispered.[Damon's already swapped her out? Wasn't he with Layla before?][Did he and Layla have a fight?]Damon had clearly heard them too. He leaned down and went on. "Layla is only my sister. Serena is my girlfriend."That said, if anyone bull

Chapter 4

When I got back to the manor, the butler brought me a document."Ms. Blair, three Corleone family ships passed through the West District docks last night. Two were flying Serena's family crest."I took the document and glanced over it.The butler's voice was urgent. "Ms. Blair, your father opened those shipping lanes himself.""I know."I got up and took a combination case from the safe.Inside were a key my father had left me, a seal, and a nautical chart.The chart was marked with seven hidden routes, each leading to a berth that existed in no official record."This afternoon, find someone to go with me to Damon's. We're taking back what's ours."The butler nodded and arranged for people to go with me.While Damon was out, I took the encrypted terminal from his study and the documents from his safe.I was having the bodyguards load the boxes into the car when Damon came home.He glanced at the boxes behind me. "Layla, what are you doing?""Let go. Do you want people watching you paw

Chapter 5

I threw the expensive jewelry Damon had given me into the sea, along with the custom-made pistol, box and all.From now on, I wanted nothing to do with anything that belonged to him.The Commission banquet came around soon after, and I went as promised.At the table, Damon shelled lobster for Serena and picked the onions off her plate.As everyone cheered, they linked arms for a toast. Then he fed her dessert from his own mouth.A bit of cream clung to the corner of Serena's mouth, and he leaned in to kiss it away.I kept my head down and pretended not to see, cutting my steak one slice at a time.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Damon's jaw tighten and his expression darken.When the banquet ended, the guests boarded their shuttle boats and left. I was alone on the floating pier.Damon came down from the yacht, his voice low and rough. "Want me to take you back on my boat?"Before I could refuse, Serena ran after him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "Damon, my feet

Chapter 6

Nolan's words made my grip on the sheet go slack, and my eyes began to sting.I quickly turned away and buried my face in the pillow."What are you doing here?""I saw a flare go up from the yacht. When I checked the security footage, I spotted the shell-casing bracelet I lost to you."I went still.I'd won that shell-casing bracelet from him in a turf fight on my fifteenth birthday.It was an ordinary-looking bracelet. I'd never imagined he could recognize it at a glance in blurry footage.But we'd spent years fighting over everything—toys, shipping lanes, contracts, territory. We'd never said a kind word to each other.His sudden concern threw me off balance.My face grew warm. I turned away, unable to look at him. "Did you come to laugh at me?"He laughed softly, pulled a chair up to the bed, and sat down. "I came to see the fool who could've drawn her gun but decided to take the hit instead.""Who's a fool?"I turned and glared at him. "You came to the hospital in the middle of the

Chapter 7

Meanwhile, aboard the Corleone family yacht.Damon stood on deck, tugging at his collar as he tried to ease the strange tightness in his chest.He couldn't get Layla's faint smile out of his head.No concern. No jealousy.Even when she watched him kiss Serena, there had been nothing on her face.Her indifference—as though he were a stranger—bothered him far more than tears or a scene would have.Serena didn't notice. She pressed against him and hugged his arm. "Damon, I heard you have a private island in the Bay of Naples. Will you take me there?"Damon frowned and immediately pulled his arm free. "You're overstepping," he said coldly.He'd snapped up that island overnight, paying several times the price, as soon as he'd learned Nolan had bought one for Layla.He hadn't even had a chance to tell Layla yet.Serena looked confused. "I'm your girlfriend. Why can't I go?""You know perfectly well what we are."Damon swirled his drink. "When the month is up, I'm going back to Layla. I'll gi

Chapter 8

Nolan insisted on taking me back to his manor."If we're going to try being together, you have to give me a chance to prove I can be a good boyfriend."As I looked at him, I thought back to when we were children.Nolan, Damon, and I had always played together.Nolan was even more ruthless than Damon. By seven or eight, he could take apart a Beretta with one hand.Back then, I'd even insisted I would be Nolan's bride. But as he grew older, he became colder toward everything around him, with a constant edge of violence. Whatever fondness I'd felt for him got lost in my rebellion.So I challenged him at every turn, until we were always at each other's throats.Looking back, though, he was always the one who gave in when things went too far.He'd take my dock, then hand me a better shipping lane. He'd intercept my order, then make up for it the next day with twice as many goods.After all those years, our fighting looked more like a game.The car rolled smoothly up to the manor. Nolan carr

Chapter 9

Two weeks later, my father's favorite oil painting came up for sale at an underground auction.I intended to buy it back.Before I left, Nolan insisted on driving me. "If you go alone, Damon's bound to corner you."He buckled my seat belt and started the engine.I said, "Aren't you worried people will talk if you drive me there?"He turned the wheel, keeping his eyes on the road. "Afraid of what? Rumors about you and me?"He glanced at me, a smile tugging at his lips. "Layla, all of Sicily knows you have a crush on me. What more could they say?"Besides, we're boyfriend and girlfriend now. Last week you cried when you said yes to me. No taking it back."I had no answer, and my ears burned despite myself.The car pulled up in front of the estate.Nolan got out, came around to open my door, and straightened my dress strap.That was when I heard a gunshot.Nolan reacted instantly. He shoved me down into the car as the shot rang out, but the bullet still grazed his right shoulder. Warm blo

Chapter 10

News of Damon's shooting spread fast. A few days later, his mother came to my door."Layla, if you still care about us at all, go see him. Otherwise, we won't let Nolan off."In the end I went to the hospital.When I opened the door, Damon was propped against the headboard. After only a few days, he looked wrecked.At the sight of me, his eyes brightened. "Layla, you finally came."I was wrong. I admit I'm jealous of him. Seeing you with him nearly drove me mad with jealousy."He paused, then rushed to add, "I have nothing to do with Serena anymore. I sent her away that very night. The bet is off. Nothing happened. I've taken her family off our list of business partners."I looked at him, unmoved. "I don't care anymore. What happens between you and her has nothing to do with me."He struggled to sit up. "Layla, I don't like Serena. I've only ever loved you! I was too greedy. I didn't appreciate you when I had you. Forgive me, won't you?"I cut him off. "What will it take to end this?"

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