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CHAPTER 009
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-15 00:20:53
Bab terkait
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 10
THE CAFE DERRICK I sat in the corner of the café, a steaming cup of tea in front of me. My eyes firmly fixed on the road outside, watching as a fleet of cars passed by in a steady stream. The rhythmic hum of the city felt distant, almost muffled, as if I were underwater. My spoon clinked against the ceramic cup, stirring the tea endlessly, though I hadn’t taken a single sip. My mind was elsewhere, racing through a maze of regrets and what-ifs. Bridget. Her name echoed in my thoughts like a haunting melody. How had I let her go? How had I been so blind? Vera’s disappearance after my suspension at Atlas Corp had been the final blow. It was like the universe had pulled the rug out from under me, forcing me to confront the mess I’d made of my life. I had chosen Vera over Bridget, and for what? A fleeting sense of validation? A false promise of stability? Bridget had been my rock, my constant through every storm. And I’d thrown her away like she was nothing. I was a fool, I thought
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 11
THE CONFERENCE MEETING BRIDGETA sudden buzzing sound pulled me out of my thoughts, jolting me awake. My phone vibrated insistently on the nightstand, its screen lighting up with an incoming call.I sighed, dragging my tired body up from the bed. Ever since that disastrous day when my life had come crashing down, peace had been a distant memory. Sleep was hard to come by, and when it did, it was often restless, filled with dreams of what could have been and what was lost. Reaching for the phone, I glanced at the caller ID. *Lisa.* My coworker. A frown formed on my face as I tried to make sense of why she was calling me so early. Today was supposed to be my day off, a rare chance to catch up on rest and spend time with my baby. “Hey, Lisa,” I greeted, my voice still thick with sleep. “Hey,” Lisa’s voice came through, sounding unusually urgent. “The boss will be visiting the company today, and it’s mandatory for all staff to be present.”I sat up immediately, my frown deepening. “Wa
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 12
THE MEETING BRIDGETLisa nudged me excitedly, her voice barely audible over the noise. “Brie, that’s you! Get up there!”With shaky legs, I rose from my seat and slowly made my way toward the stage, my pulse racing. As I climbed up, I could feel all eyes on me, but none were as intense as the pair of stormy grey eyes watching me intently.Smith Spencer got up from his seat and walked toward me, his gaze locked onto mine. A flicker of recognition crossed his face, and for a moment, I wondered if he remembered me too. But his expression gave nothing away, his demeanour calm and composed.“Bridget Hales,” he said, his voice smooth yet firm. “Can we take a moment to talk about your recent performance?”I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. “Of course, Mr. Spencer.”He studied me for a moment before continuing, his tone measured and professional. “I’ve been thoroughly impressed with your work on the recent projects. Your dedication and leadership skills have not gone unnoticed
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 13
DERRICKA KNOCK ON THE DOOR Knock. Knock.I heard a firm knock on the door, pulling me from my thoughts. My mother had mentioned visiting today, but she was still supposed to be at Auntie’s. It was too early for her to be done with that visit.Curiosity filled the air as I walked over to the door. My fingers tightened around the doorknob before I twisted it open. The moment my eyes landed on the face standing before me, my breath hitched. Vera. My heart stilled for a fraction of a second before it resumed beating, this time with an uneasy rhythm. Of all the people I expected to see today, she was the last."Vera?" My brows furrowed in confusion. "What... are you doing here?"She looked just as put together as ever—her brown hair in perfect waves, her designer dress hugging her figure, and her lips painted a shade of red that used to make my heart race. But not today. Not anymore."Did you forget something?" I asked, my voice tight. A part of me already knew she wasn’t here for some
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 14
D NIGHT SMITH SPENCER The evening air was crisp, carrying the soft melody of birdsong through the open balcony doors. From my vantage point, the city stretched endlessly before me, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. The skyline shimmered as glass towers reflected the last remnants of daylight, casting long shadows over the streets below. Inside, my penthouse was a sanctuary of wealth and refinement. polished marble floors, towering glass walls, and chandeliers that dripped with crystal. The ambient lighting cast a warm glow over the plush velvet furniture, while the scent of expensive cologne lingered in the air. I stepped out of the bathroom, steam curling around me as I adjusted the silk belt of my golden robe. The fabric draped effortlessly over my frame, cool against my skin. A thick, white towel rested around my neck, absorbing the dampness from my freshly showered body. The air-conditioned space carried a sweet, savoring aroma—truffle, rosemary, and the unmis
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 15
ROMANTICBRIDGETIt’s been a year since Derrick shattered my heart and chose my best friend, Vera, over me. A year of pain, of rebuilding, of trying to find myself again. But tonight, for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel alive. Smith has a way of making me feel seen, cherished, like I matter in a way I haven’t in years. He’s wealthy, yes, and undeniably handsome, but it’s his kindness, his warmth, that draws me in. He’s not just a man with power; he’s a man with depth, and being around him feels like stepping into the sunlight after a long, cold winter.We’ve spent the evening laughing, talking, and drinking wine in his penthouse, the city lights twinkling like stars below us. The air between us is electric, charged with something I haven’t felt in a long time—desire, yes, but also a sense of connection, of being truly understood. Smith’s gaze never wavers when he looks at me, and it’s intoxicating. He makes me feel like I’m the only person in the room, in the worl
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 16
DERRICK The room was a mess. A half-empty bottle of whiskey dangled from my hand, its contents splashing with the unsteady movement of my hand. The dim light from the flickering lamp drew shadows across the walls, making the space feel even more suffocating. The air was thick with the stench of alcohol and regret, a toxic combination that mirrored the storm that's raging inside me. I slumped into the couch, my body heavy, my mind a chaotic whirlwind of anger, guilt, and despair.I tilted my head back, letting the burning liquid slide down my throat. It didn’t help. Not really. The whiskey only dulled the edges of my pain, but it couldn’t erase it. Nothing could.Vera had taken everything from me—everything I had worked so damn hard for, everything I had built. The house, the car, the property I bought—all of it was gone, divided up like spoils of war. Leaving me with nothing but scraps. A hollow shell of the life I once had.There’s a saying that during heartbreak, your wealth and p
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 17
The ReturnBRIDGETThe Holiday had been a time of relaxation and reflection, but now it was over. My off day had come to an end, and it was time to return to the grind. Only this time, it wasn’t just any ordinary day at work. I was walking back into the office as the newly promoted Marketing Director. The weight of the title still felt strange, like a dream I hadn’t fully woken up from. The memory of the celebration with my friends at the company replayed in my mind—the cheers, the laughter, and Davis’s exaggerated scream of astonishment when she heard the news. It was a moment I’d cherish for a long time to be honest.As I stepped into the company building, my head held high, I could feel the shift in the air. Confidence radiated from every step I took. but this morning something was different. The stares from the staff who had arrived earlier than me were impossible to ignore. Their eyes followed me as I walked through the lobby, their expressions a mix of curiosity and admiration
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-16
Bab terbaru
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 50
GymDerrickAt the gym, the barbell moved in rhythm with my breathing. Each rep burned through my chest and arms, but the pain was a welcome distraction. The gym had always been my escape, a place to silence the noise in my head. Lately, though, no amount of weight could press away the burden I carried. There were too many moving pieces, too many loose ends.Smith had been a major problem, and for now, he was out of the way. But was it really over? I exhaled sharply and racked the barbell, my arms trembling slightly from exertion. Sitting up, I let the sweat drip down my face, wiping it off with the back of my hand. My heart was still racing, but it wasn’t just from the workout. Tomorrow was the day I was supposed to meet up with Bridget and baby Liam at SYNLAB for the D.N.A test, but since Smith's disappearance, I became hesitant.I had lost the guts to call her to talk about it. I kept thinking, what if she thinks I did it? The last thing I wanted was getting in the cross hairs. If
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 49
The rescue mission. Brie"Madam?" I jerked my head up. Mr. Donald stood before me, holding the small briefcase I had brought with me. "Your withdrawal is ready." I nearly sobbed in relief, snatching the briefcase and clutching it to my chest. The weight of it. $300,000 in crisp bills felt like both salvation and condemnation. "Thank you so much," I whispered. He hesitated, then slipped a small piece of paper into my hand. "My direct line. If you need help… call me." I nodded numbly and rushed out, clutching onto the briefcase. Outside, the night air was thick with humidity. I walked over to where I had parked my car. Got in and said a few words of prayers before igniting the engine and hitting the road.The ride was a blur of fear. The road looked like a haunted ghost highway. All I could see was darkness as I sped ahead. The car's engine roared in my ears, matching the frantic rhythm of my heart. After a long ride, I finally arrived at the old and abandoned gas station. I sat
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 48
Desperate WithdrawalBrieThe bank was crowded, a sea of impatient faces and restless bodies shifting in slow-moving lines. The air hummed with hushed conversations, the rhythmic clicking of keyboards, and the occasional sharp ring of a telephone.My legs trembled as I stepped forward, clutching the withdrawal slip in my damp fingers. The pounding in my chest was so loud I could barely hear my own ragged breaths. The bank official, a middle-aged man with wire-rimmed reading glasses perched low on his nose, barely glanced up before taking the slip. His name tag read Mr. Donald. His expression was neutral and professional. The kind of man who followed procedure without question. My stomach twisted. "Madam," he said, adjusting his glasses, "you’re requesting to withdraw $300,000 in cash?" His voice was steady, but his eyes flickered with curiosity and suspicion. "That’s a substantial amount. May I see your identification, please?" I swallowed hard, my fingers clumsy as I pulled out
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 47
The Call Bridget It was 6pm in the evening. The fluorescent light filtered weakly through the kitchen as I sat hunched over the counter, my fingers wrapped tightly around my second cup of coffee. I have been stuck to the burner phone I had bought earlier, like my life depended on it. Waiting patiently for the next call since the last one, which came the day before yesterday, but nothing was coming through. The bitter warmth of the coffee in my mouth did little to soothe the restless knot in my stomach. After tonight would make it three days. Seventy two agonizing hours since Smith had vanished without a trace. The police had visited earlier to ask a few questions cause somehow they got to know Smith and I had something going on. I constructed a statement carefully, not giving out too much information that might end up putting Smith in jeopardy. The kidnapper from the phone earlier had warned me never to get the police involved, so I was super careful and selective with my words.A
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 46
The Wrong MoveDerrickThe sun was a merciless beast today, pounding down on the construction site like it had a personal vendetta against us. Sweat trickled down my temple as I bit into my turkey sandwich, the bread already soggy from the heat. The little café across the street was our only refuge. Air-conditioned, stocked with cold drinks, and, most importantly, far from the dust and noise of the site. Trevor, my foreman and the closest thing I had to a friend on the job, wiped his forehead with the back of his hand before taking a swig of his iced tea. "Man, if it gets any hotter, I swear I'm gonna start stripping layers right here," he joked, fanning himself with a napkin. I chuckled, but my mind wasn’t really in it. I’d been distracted all morning, ever since that call from Tyrell last night. The guy was unstable on a good day, and after what I’d asked him to do, or rather, not to do, I wasn’t sure if he’d actually listen. Then the TV above the counter caught my eye. The ne
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 45
The News of Smith's kidnap.It was Monday morning again. The office hummed with its usual morning inactivity. Keyboards clacking, hushed conversations, the occasional ring of a phone. I sipped my lukewarm coffee, scrolling through emails, my mind already drifting to the dinner plans Smith and I had made for tonight. He had promised to take me out to this new exquisite 5 star restaurant downtown. Somewhere low-key, away from prying eyes. Our secret had been held for months, and though sneaking around was exhausting, it was necessary. The last thing either of us needed was office gossip painting me as the woman who slept her way to the top. Suddenly came a shouting from the hallway. A sharp panicked voice sliced through the dull morning, followed by the heavy thud of the director’s door slamming open. My head snapped up. Across the floor, clusters of employees had frozen mid-task, necks craning toward the commotion. Murmurs spreading like wildfire. “What’s going on?” I muttered, mo
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 44
TakenSmith The first thing I felt after hours was the cold splash of water hitting my face, shocking me awake. My body jerked instinctively, but my arms were bound tightly behind me, the rough bite of the rope cutting into my wrists. I gasped, blinking rapidly as droplets of the water splashed rolled down my cheeks, some slipping past my lips, salty, like sweat or seawater.My head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing behind my temples. Where the hell was I? The last thing I remembered was leaving the club. I had spotted those three weirdos at the club staring attentively at me, I got uncomfortable and decided to leave there. A few minutes drive into the highway and bang, we were Ambushed by a vehicle I think, gunshots fired. Then nothing. A sharp pain at the back of my skull, darkness swallowing me whole. Harsh sunlight burned through the fabric of the hood over my head. A hand yanked it off, and I winced as the glare stabbed at my eyes. I squeezed them shut, my pulse hammering in my thr
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 43
The AmbushSmith I rested my back against the soft Vip couch, A Cigar in-between my fingers. The deep, pounding bass of the club’s sound system reverberated through the walls of the VIP section, drumming against my chest like a heartbeat. The low lighting cast long shadows across the leather booths, and the air was thick with the mingled scents of expensive liquor, cigar smoke, and the faint metallic tang of wealth I swirled the amber liquid in my glass absently, watching the ice cubes clink softly against the crystal, but my attention wasn’t on the drink. It was on them. Three men sat across the dimly lit club, sitting in a shadowy booth near the back. They weren’t laughing, weren’t drinking, just staring. Their gazes were locked onto me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. The tallest of them had a face like chiseled stone, his cold eyes unblinking. The other two flanked him like sentinels, their postures rigid, their hands resting too casually on the table.Cold prickle wo
BETRAYED BUT MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE. CHAPTER 42
D.N.A TEST. BrieAt the office, I couldn’t get my head to focus on the load of paperwork sitting on my desk. My fingers tapped restlessly against the mahogany surface, the rhythmic sound doing little to drown out the storm of thoughts raging in my mind. I couldn’t focus.My mind kept drifting back to Derrick. I had a gut feeling that he wasn't going to stop, and it amplified my worry. I knew Derrick, I've been with him almost all through college, and he wasn't the type that gives up that easily. Once he set his mind on something, he pursued it with relentless determination. And now, that determination was fixated on Liam.A cold feeling of anxiety tightened in my stomach. What if this changes everything between Smith and I? Smith had been nothing but patient, understanding, but how long could that last? What if one day he woke up and decided this was too much..that I was too much? He hadn’t called since I’d told him about Derrick’s threats, and the silence was deafening. Was he pulli
