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Chapter 22
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-02 22:44:56
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Billionaire Bonds: Arranged in Love Chapter 23
Ethan walked through the estate gate in the setting sun. The clouds were dark and heavy, signaling the impending rain. The weather perfectly mirrored his mood.Just as the first droplets started to fall, a cab slowed down near him.The driver, an elderly man in his sixties, rolled down the window. His face was weathered with time but kind. “Young man, do you need a ride?”Ethan nodded and slid into the backseat. “Can you take me to the hotel near the airport?”“Sure, son.” As they drove, the rain fell heavier, they passed Hillcrest Hotel— one of his family’s hotels. His gaze lingered on the grand entrance. His father had once brought him to those very doors.“Ethan, one day you will help Daddy take care of the hotel, okay?”“Yes daddy,” a young Ethan had replied. “We will make lots of money to buy mummy and Lily pretty dresses.”His father chuckled, stroking his head gently. Ethan shook his head to clear the memories.For a second, he almost told the cab driver to stop. But he didn
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“Will you be coming back for dinner?” Lily asked as Ethan sat at the table, reading the morning’s newspaper as he ate breakfast in quick bites. Ethan, already dressed in one of his tailored suits–it was a blue that matched his eyes, glanced at her briefly. “I have an important business dinner.” He answered flatly, getting up without another word and leaving the room.Today was their wedding anniversary. And once again he would be spending it elsewhere. A familiar ache welled in her chest. She wondered why she bothered anymore, like she hadn’t been disappointed enough, three years of marriage and he was still as cold as their wedding day. She should be used to this by now. But somehow, every year, it hurt even more.After breakfast, Lily told the butler to cancel the dinner she had planned since she was going out with friends. The butler–uncle Dan– watched Lily go upstairs in pity, she had been planning the dinner for weeks, and even personally baked a cake to celebrate.“What about t
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Lily watched the city lights flash by as Chloe drove to the club. A love song was playing on the radio, she had heard it before. It seems to be one of the songs that was played on her wedding day. Yes it was the one they danced their first dance as a couple to.“Oh my God.” Chloe’s sudden scream shattered the quiet. She stirred the car to the side of the road and pulled it to an abrupt stop.“What’s wrong?” Lily’s heart jumped. She twisted in her seat, scanning around for what could have possibly made Chloe panic. “What happened? Are you okay?” “We can’t have you going to the club like this.” Chloe declared, turning to face Lily. “Not with you dressed like this.”Lily blinked confused. She looking down at her dress. It was an elegant white dress that flowed down to her ankle. It was one of her favorite dresses–Ethan had given it to her for her birthday last year. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”“Everything, it is beautiful, but more appropriate for a picnic,” Chloe answered, shaking h
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When they pulled up in front of the club, Lily felt her nerves creeping in again. A huge signboard bearing the club’s name–Golden Arc– in bold, elegant lettering, stood imposingly at the top of the building.For a moment, Lily wanted to turn back and go home. Her hand tightened around the seat belt, her heart racing. But Chloe was already stepping out of the car, she took a deep breath and stepped out too. “It’s time for the night of your life.” Chloe came to her side and grabbed Lily’s arm. She led her to the entrance where a long line was already forming–stretching down the sidewalk– the crowd buzzing with excitement.As they walked past the crowd, many heads turned in their direction, taking in the newly arrived beauties. Lily felt a little self-conscious with all the eyes on her, her confidence wavering. She shifted closer to Chloe.At the door, two bouncers stood like sentinels, checking IDs and maintaining the crowd. They were huge and held guns in their hands. Their stern expr
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Lily stood in front of the large mirrors–her eyes red, struggling to calm herself down. She tried–really hard– to erase the image burned into her mind — Ethan and Stacy, walking arm in arm. But no matter how she tried, she kept seeing them.The bathroom was mostly empty, save for the two girls that stood taking selfies and even they soon left. From behind the closed bathroom doors, the muffled hum of the music continued. The near silence was a relief to her throbbing head, but did little to calm the storm that threatened to erupt inside her.She glanced down at the dark stain maring the red material of her dress and sighed shakily. Turning on the tap, she grabbed a tissue from her purse and wet it. Carefully, She dabbed at the stain trying to soak up as much of the wine as possible.“Lily…Is that you?” an airy, familiar voice spoke behind her.Lily stiffened, her fingers freezing mid-motion. Through the mirror she caught sight of the speaker. Stacy Peters.“Oh my God, I didn’t expect
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Hey—” Lily started, startled.Ethan's grip tightened around Lily’s wrist as he pulled her through the teeming crowd off the dance floor, his jaw was set in a hard line. “Ehan let go,” She shouted, twisting in his grip trying to free herself. “You’re hurting me.”He immediately relaxed his grip but didn’t let go. He continued to lead her through the hallway, but gentler this time. They stopped at a balcony at the end of the hallway. It was quieter here, the bass of the music could still be heard, but was reduced to a distant thrum. They were the only ones there. Ethan released her abruptly, and turned to face her, his blue eyes blazing with anger as he clenched his fists by his sides.“What the hell do you think you are doing?” he demanded, his voice low but harsh.”Why are you here?” Lily stood, rubbing her sore, reddened wrist. “I was dancing Ethan. What the hell are you doing?”His gaze swept over her, taking in the way her dress hug her curves, the tigh peeking out through the s
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Ethan and Chloe rushed outside, both now completely sober after the news they had just heard. His assistant brought the car around to the front of the bar. Ethan yanked the door open with urgency and slid inside. Chloe climbed in beside him, trembling as she sat.The ride to the hospital was a blur.Ethan barely registered anything going on around him, all his thoughts were on Lily. He should have gone home with her. If he had she wouldn’t have gotten hurt. He never should have argued with her in the first place. Lily’s face appeared in his mind, the glance she threw at him before she turned and walked away. It was all his fault. The streets were mostly empty with very few cars in sight at this time of the night, yet at each red light, it felt like he was further and further away from Lily. She was injured and he wasn’t by her side.“How much longer before we get to the hospital?” He barked."We’re almost there, sir," his assistant replied, gripping the wheel tightly. “Just two more
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The sting of Chloe’s slap lingered on Ethan’s cheek, but he didn’t flinch.It was nothing compared to the pain he felt inside.“You bastard,” Chloe spat, her eyes blazing with fury. “Haven’t you harmed her enough? Lily is already lying unconscious on the bed” She pointed to the room. “There’s no need to bring your mistress over to show off. You do realize she is your lawfully wedded wife, not Stacy.”“Chloe, I think you are misunderstanding something, me and Stacy are just friends–nothing more”“You don’t need to lie” Chloe continued, her voice shaking with anger”. “Nothing more, but all the news articles are about how you and Stacy Peters are a match made in heaven. Who remembers you have a wife? Every other week you go on business trips with Stacy, lodging in different hotel rooms. But you’re nothing more than friends.”Ethan‘s jaw clenched. “I never—”“Do you think I’m a fool? I have seen all the headlines and so has Lily!” Chloe shouted interrupting Ethan, her hands curled into fi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-23
Bab terbaru
Billionaire Bonds: Arranged in Love Chapter 23
Ethan walked through the estate gate in the setting sun. The clouds were dark and heavy, signaling the impending rain. The weather perfectly mirrored his mood.Just as the first droplets started to fall, a cab slowed down near him.The driver, an elderly man in his sixties, rolled down the window. His face was weathered with time but kind. “Young man, do you need a ride?”Ethan nodded and slid into the backseat. “Can you take me to the hotel near the airport?”“Sure, son.” As they drove, the rain fell heavier, they passed Hillcrest Hotel— one of his family’s hotels. His gaze lingered on the grand entrance. His father had once brought him to those very doors.“Ethan, one day you will help Daddy take care of the hotel, okay?”“Yes daddy,” a young Ethan had replied. “We will make lots of money to buy mummy and Lily pretty dresses.”His father chuckled, stroking his head gently. Ethan shook his head to clear the memories.For a second, he almost told the cab driver to stop. But he didn
Billionaire Bonds: Arranged in Love Chapter 22
“Five more minutes.” Only the rustling of papers and scribbling of pens could be heard. It was the last day of their finals.Ethan was already done with his exam. He leaned back and turned to Lily. Her head was bent over as she wrote, brows furrowed in concentration. A stray lock fell into her eyes, the strands looking golden in the sunlight. She quickly tucked it behind her ear.She was so beautiful.The bell rang, jolting him out of his thoughts and signaling the end of the exam. “Please pass your papers to the front.”Cheers scraped against the floor as students moved. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, different from the seriousness a few minutes agoAfter all the scripts were collected and counted, their homeroom teacher looked up. His gaze scanned the class– as if memorizing their faces. His eyes shone with moisture.Then, he gave a small bow. “Thank you for an amazing four years,” he said, his tone softening. “I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. This is jus
Billionaire Bonds: Arranged in Love Chapter 21
“How did you think of the algorithm you used for the last problem?”“I had seen a similar problem in a YouTube video, so I just twerked it.”A few people clapped and praised the student in approval.Ethan barely noticed. Conversation was buzzing all around him, but his attention was on his phone.Ethan stared at the avatar for Lily’s chat profile— a picture of Ivy, her dog. His hand hovered over the keypad. Should he ask her to meet up when he gets home?She might have already fallen asleep. They were on their way back from a competition. They won, so the bus ride was filled with joyful energy.“Ethan,” their teacher called from the front of the bus. “Here’s your prize money.” A brown envelope filled with cash was passed from hand to hand before it reached him.“Thank you, sir,” he replied, taking it and putting it in his bag.“It is what you deserve.”The money was a substantial addition to his savings for his expenses in England. Though his scholarship included a monthly stipend,
Billionaire Bonds: Arranged in Love Chapter 20
Ethan stared out the window, deep in thought. It’s been two days since he got the acceptance letter to Cambridge University.“Ethan, would you like to solve this equation?”Ethan didn’t move, he didn’t hear. His gaze stayed outside,Lily turned to the side and nudged him. “The teacher is asking you to solve an equation.”Ethan blinked, snapping out of his daze. He walked to the board and solved it in record time.He went back to his seat.“What were you thinking about ?”Ethan shook his head. “Nothing really.”He didn’t know where to start.She turned to Chloe and Miles, but they shrugged, equally confused.*************************************************************************************************************After school, Ethan, Lily, Chloe, and Miles stood in the parking lot, waiting for Chloe’s car to come pick them up.“Ethan,” a classmate called, jogging up to them. “Mr Riley said he wants to see you.”Ethan nodded. “Okay.”Just as the classmate left, Chloe’s car pulled up.
Billionaire Bonds: Arranged in Love Chapter 19
It had been a few months after Ethan’s father died. The funeral was over, and everyone had moved on.For Ethan, there was no real grief, just the feeling of emptiness and a quiet sense of relief. He hadn’t forgiven his father, but he didn’t hate him as much. He had been an orphan long before his father had died.At first, people had been sympathetic. His teachers, classmates, even the house staff—everyone had offered their condolences, given him space and time. But after a few weeks, the world resumed its pace, and Ethan was expected to keep up. The house staff, most of whom had been replaced by his stepmother with new people over the years, had already changed their tune and become dismissive. Their attitude shifted from one of care and respect to indifference. The house had a new master and it wasn’t him.He, Lily, Chloe, and Miles had already written their SAT exams and also submitted their college application. Now they were just waiting. Waiting to know the next step in their fut
Billionaire Bonds: Arranged in Love Chapter 18
Ethan’s mind was blank during the funeral, he had lost his only relative.Though he didn’t like his father, not after what he had done— in fact, he hated him— he didn’t want him to die.Now, he had no immediate family left.Unlike during his mother’s funeral, when it was rainy and muddy, soft sunlight filtered through the branches. The day was bright, a sharp contrast to the darkness in his heart. His stepmother sobbed throughout the ceremony— she played the grieving wife well. His stepbrother stood stiffly beside her with reddened eyes. But Ethan’s eyes were dry. He hadn’t cried.Not when he heard the news.Not even now.The truck that hit his father came out of nowhere when his father stopped at a red light. There was no chance to dodge. The driver of the truck had died on impact, while his father only held on for a night.He didn’t even get the chance to see him for the last time. While he was preparing for the competition, his father was fighting for his life. How could he just
Billionaire Bonds: Arranged in Love Chapter 17
Ethan’s fingers flew across the keyboard, his eyes focused on the computer scree as he wrote the last couple line of codes. Beside him his teammates worked frantically to write their programs before time went up.As the timer in the giant screen hit zero, a loud beep signaling the end of the competition echoed through the auditorium. Ethan’s hand stilled on the keyboard. He sighed in relief as he leaned back in his seat.“I didn’t finish writing the program,” one of his teammates groaned.“You did well,” their teacher said, patting the classmate’s shoulder. “You all did very well.”Ethan’s gaze shifted to the stage where the host stood, microphone in hand, to announce the final rankings.“After compiling the scores of all the teams…”Ethan’s fingers brushed over the blue hair tie on his wrist. He wondered how Lily was doing, She hadn’t replied to the message he had sent her this morning before the competition, which was unusual.As celebratory music began to play, the host’s voice ra
Billionaire Bonds: Arranged in Love Chapter 16
The smell of flowers and green grass after the rain filled the air in Lily’s garden.SAT prep books lay open on on the table before them. Ethan, Lily, Chloe, and Miles sat on the wooden chairs around the table, answering the questions, the occasional rustle of paper breaking the silence.“Time up,” Ethan announced, tapping on the table. “Hand over your papers.”“Five more minutes?” Chloe asked hopefully.Ethan shot her a look.They passed their papers across the table, Ethan started to mark using the answer guide at the back. “Have you decided on the colleges you would be applying to?” Chloe asked, playing with a flower branch. “The Academy of Art University.” Lily looked up with a smile, a dreamy look in her eyes. “The campus is so beautiful.”Chloe grinned. “That’s why we’re best friends. We think alike.”“You also want to go there?” Miles asked, lifting his head up from his sketchpad.“Of course,” Chloe said. “Henry Asencio went there. He’s my idol.”“I know him,” Miles quipped
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The math teacher walked in after Ethan left, and class started, but Lily couldn’t focus.“Does anyone know how to solve the equation?” ” Ms. Peller asked, scanning the room.A minute passed. Then two.Lily’s gaze flickered towards Ethan’s empty seat.Finally, she made up her mind.She raised her hand. “Miss Monroe, would you like to try? ” Ms. Peller asked gently.“No, ma’am. I wanted to ask if I may I go to the bathroom?”The maths teacher let out a sigh as she waved a dismissive hand. “Be quick. Would anyone like to try?”Lily closed her notebook and slipped out of the class. But instead of heading to the restroom, she turned in the direction of the principal’s office, her pace increasing with each step.The hallway was quiet as she passed by. Classes were in full progress, leaving the hallways empty.Just as she turned the corner—Slap.The sharp sound echoed through the hallway.“...Do you feel better now?”Lily’s breath caught.It was Ethan’s voice.Lily’s heart pounded with worr
