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Chapter 10 Power Play
Huling Na-update:
2025-01-13 18:28:35
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Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 11 A Warning
(Lila)Nick had barely driven us off the Baldwin estate when my phone started ringing. Grace’s name flashed on the screen.“Don’t answer it,” Nick said with his eyes fixed on the road.“She’ll just keep calling.”“Let her. After what she pulled back there—”“I have to know what she wants.” I hit accept before he could stop me. “Hello?”“Meet me at Le Café Rouge in thirty minutes,” Grace said without preamble. “Come alone.”“Or what?”“Or I start making calls to every gossip columnist in the city. I’m sure they’d love to hear about the Montgomery heiress’s…complicated relationship with both Baldwin men.”My hand instinctively went to my stomach. “Fine. Thirty minutes.”“Lila,” Nick protested as I hung up. “You can’t seriously be considering—”“Take me to Le Café Rouge.”“No way in hell am I leaving you alone with her.”“Nick.” I touched his arm. “Please. I need to handle this.”He cursed under his breath but made the turn toward the café. “I’ll wait in the car.”“She’ll see you.”“Good
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 12 Carried Away
(Lila)I was still shaking when Nick’s car pulled up to the café. He took one look at my face and was out of the driver’s seat in seconds.“What happened?” He cupped my face in his hands, thumbs brushing my cheeks. “Did she hurt you?”“Not physically.” I leaned into his touch without meaning to. “Can we go home?”His hands stilled. “Your home or mine?”“Yours.” I couldn’t face the Montgomery mansion right now. “Please.”The drive was quiet, but Nick’s hand found mine across the console. He didn’t let go until we reached his penthouse.“Want to talk about it?” he asked as we rode the elevator up.“She knows. About the baby.”The elevator dinged. Nick pulled me into his arms as soon as the doors closed behind us.“I’ll handle it,” he said into my hair.“You can’t.” I pushed away enough to look at him. “She’s threatening to expose everything—the pregnancy, my relationship with Ethan, this engagement…”“Let her. We’ll survive the scandal.”“It’s not just about the scandal.” I broke away,
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 13 Engagement Party
(Lila)The ballroom of Montgomery mansion looked amazing for the engagement party. My red dress—another one my mother insisted on—made me feel like a warning sign among all the pastels and neutrals.“You look beautiful,” Nick whispered in my ear as we greeted another group of well-wishers. His hand never left the small of my back.“You don’t look so bad yourself.”I smoothed his black tie, letting my fingers rest there. We’d been careful since that kiss, not wanting to risk getting close lest things got out of hand again.“Ms. Montgomery. A word?”Ethan stood behind us, looking dashing in his bespoke suit. The same one he’d worn the first night we met—I wondered if that was intentional.“Actually—” Nick started, but I squeezed his arm.“It’s okay.” I forced myself to smile. “I can handle this.”Nick tried to figure out what I was thinking. “You sure?”“Positive.” I stretched up to kiss his cheek, making sure everyone watching got a good show. “Save me a dance?”“Always.” He shot Ethan
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 14 Connecting the Dots
(Ethan)Caroline Montgomery’s words kept repeating in my head like an old nightmare I’d remembered again. Eight years old. An accident. Lost memories.My glass nearly slipped from my fingers as decades-old memories rushed back.“Are you alright?” Grace touched my arm, but I barely felt it. “You look pale.”“I need air.” I set the glass down harder than necessary, ignoring the champagne that spilled from it.“Ethan—”I ignored her. I was already moving, pushing through the crowd toward the terrace where I’d seen Nicholas lead Lila. My mind’s eye saw fragments of a past I’d tried so hard to forget.A summer fair. Cotton candy. A little girl’s laugh.And then…darkness.The dates matched. The age matched. Even the way Lila had always felt familiar somehow, from that first night at the bar...“It can’t be,” I muttered, gripping the stone railing. “It’s impossible.”But was it?I’d spent years searching for that little girl after it happened. I’d lost track of her completely afterwards. No
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 15 The Breaking Point
(Lila)Nick led me back into the ballroom from the terrace. The band was playing something classical, and most of the couples were on the dance floor.“A necklace? What was he talking about?”I rubbed my temples as Nick led me toward the bar. The pain behind my eyes wouldn’t stop.“He’s trying to get under your skin,” he said. “Don’t let him.”“But how did he know about it? I never told him about any necklace from my grandmother.”“Lila.” Nick turned me to face him. “Stop. Whatever game he’s playing, it doesn’t matter.”“But—”“There you are!” My mother joined us. “The photographer’s been waiting ages. We need shots for the media reports.”I glanced at Nick. “Mom, I’m not feeling—”“Nonsense.” She grabbed my arm. “This is the social event of the year. The Montgomery-Baldwin engagement must be shown properly.”Nick jumped in front of me. “Mrs. Montgomery, maybe if we—”“The fountain.” She pointed toward the huge centerpiece. “The lighting there is perfect.”She practically dragged us t
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 16 A Message from the Past
(Lila)Old Mr. Baldwin barked orders at security while guests split up and ran everywhere, shouting James’s name.“Lock down all exits!” The head of security spoke into his radio. “No one leaves until we find the boy.”“Call the police,” someone suggested.“No!” Grace grabbed the man’s arm. “No police. He was just here, he has to be here somewhere.”My mother came at my side, grabbing my elbow. “Darling, you look awful.”“I’m fine.”“You’re not. Look at you, you’re shaking.” She waved desperately. “Jonathan! Come look at her.”Dad rushed over, leaving his conversation with the security team. “Princess? What’s wrong?”“Nothing.” I tried to pull away from their hovering. “We need to help find James.”“You need to sit down.” Mom put her hand on my forehead. “You’re burning up.”Alexander pushed through the crowd toward us. “Give her space to breathe, Mother. She doesn’t need you smothering her right now.”“But she—”“Is perfectly capable of telling us if she needs help.” He squeezed my s
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 17 Questions
(Lila)I bolted upright in bed, gasping. “James!”“Hey, easy.” Nick sat on the edge of the mattress. “You’re okay. You’re in my dad’s home.”I opened my eyes to a strange room and blinked. Everything looked different, but my engagement party dress was thrown on a chair.“How long was I out?”“All night.” Nick poured water into a glass. “Drink.”I gulped it down, my throat raw. Nick took the empty glass. “James. Did they find him?”“No. Security’s still searching. Your brother’s coordinating with private investigators.”“But the message said no investigators.”“Alexander doesn’t care. He says something about this feels wrong.”I pushed back the covers, then realized I was wearing one of Nick’s t-shirts. “Did you…?”“Your mother changed you.” He smiled a little. “Though I offered to help.”“Nick!”I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My knees buckled but I forced myself to stand. “I need to go home.”“You need to rest.”“A child is missing!”“And you passed out cold at your own eng
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 18 Answers
(Lila)“We were at the summer fair. My mother let me go with the cook’s daughter—except it wasn’t really the cook’s daughter. It was you.”Ethan paced and turned the silver necklace over in his hands. Nick sat beside me on the couch.“Why would my parents lie about that?”“Because of who you were. Who we both were.” Ethan stopped by the windows. “The Montgomery and Baldwin heirs, kidnapped from a public fair? It would’ve destroyed both our families’ reputations.”“But—”“Your father had just closed a major merger. Mine was running for office. They couldn’t risk the scandal.”“So they covered it up?”“Made it disappear. Paid off witnesses, invented the car crash story. But I remember everything. The van, the men in masks, that basement…”“Stop.” I took my head in my hands. “I can’t—”“You have to remember!” Ethan knelt in front of me. “James is in that same basement. Those symbols—”Nick pushed him back. “Give her space.”“We don’t have time for space! They’ll do to him what they did t
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-13
Pinakabagong kabanata
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 100 Fear
(Ethan)Nick was already pulling emergency gear from the trunk—flashlights, rain ponchos, a first aid kit. “Call your security team,” he told the driver. “Have them continue monitoring from their position, but tell them we’re approaching on foot from the south ridge.”We set off into the storm-whipped forest, rain soaking through our inadequate protection almost immediately. The beam of my flashlight wavered and danced across the sodden ground as we picked our way along the ridge trail.“Still think this was a good idea?” Nick shouted over the wind after we’d been walking for about twenty minutes.“Better than sitting in that car,” I called back. “We should be getting close to the valley viewpoint. The cabin’s visible from there in daylight.”We pressed on, slipping occasionally on mud-slicked rocks, helping each other across washed-out sections of trail. Despite our business animosity, we coordinated our movements.Two men united by a singular goal.Finally, we reached the viewpoint,
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 99 The Cabin
(Ethan)“Is it still in her family?”“Yes, but it’s closed for the season. No one’s been there in months.”Nick was already on his phone, pulling up a map. “Address?”I remembered Grace telling me about it, so I gave him the details, watching as he relayed them to his security team. “Have someone drive by, but don’t approach yet. If he’s there, we don’t want to spook him.”The police arrived, taking statements and photos of James. An Amber Alert was issued despite his voluntary departure—at eleven years old, he was considered at serious risk alone.Hours passed in panic as we did interviews and made phone calls. By evening, the police had confirmed a bus driver remembered James boarding a northbound bus around 1:15 PM. The cabin was looking more and more likely.“We should go,” I told Nick as we huddled in the school conference room. “Now. If he’s headed to the cabin, it’s at least a four-hour trip. He could already be there, alone in the dark.”“Agreed,” Nick said. “My team has a car
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 98 Desperate Measures
(Ethan)I sat at my desk, reviewing the latest filing in our legal battle against Nicholas Baldwin Shipping. Jonathan had outdone himself this time—the injunction was airtight, backed by connections that even Nick’s considerable influence couldn’t easily overcome.Victory should have tasted sweeter. Instead, I felt hollow, Cara’s words echoing in my mind: “Neither of you is willing to be the bigger person.”My phone rang—the school. I answered immediately, expecting another incident with James being bullied about our family’s public drama.“Mr. Baldwin? This is Principal Watkins. I’m calling because James didn’t report to his afternoon classes.”My blood ran cold. “What do you mean? He was there this morning.”“Yes, he attended his morning sessions, but after lunch, he didn’t return to class. His teacher marked him absent, and when we checked, he wasn’t on campus.”“Did you check everywhere? The library, the nurse’s office?”“We’ve conducted a thorough search,” the principal assured m
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 97 Escalation
(Ethan)“Sorry I’m late,” I said. “Work crisis.”“The injunction,” she nodded. “It’s all over the business news.”I followed her inside, noticing the apartment looked different—some of her things had been packed into boxes by the door.“You’re moving?” I asked, heart sinking.“Just organizing,” she said, settling onto the couch. “I needed something to do with all this nervousness.”I sat opposite her, unsure how to begin. “Cara, about what Grace said—”“Let me go first,” she interrupted gently. “I’ve had time to think, and I want to be clear about where I stand.”I nodded, bracing myself.“I love you, Ethan,” she said simply. “I believe you love me too, but I also believe Grace was right—you haven’t fully processed your feelings for Lila.”“I’m trying to,” I assured her.“I know. But trying isn’t the same as succeeding.” Cara folded her hands in her lap. “And here’s the thing—I can’t compete with a ghost. I won’t compete with her.”“You’re not competing—”“Let me finish,” she said fir
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 96 Family Feud
(Ethan)I hung up the phone, satisfaction coursing through me. The Singapore Trade Commission had just approved our joint venture’s licensing application—the same application Nick had spent months trying to block.“Good news?” Jonathan asked, entering my office without knocking.“The best,” I confirmed. “We’re cleared for operations. Nicholas Baldwin’s redirect strategy failed.”Jonathan smiled thinly. “Nicholas always underestimates the value of personal relationships. My connections in Singapore go back three decades.”“He’ll retaliate,” I warned. “This isn’t over.”“Let him.” Jonathan settled into the chair opposite my desk. “He’s run out of legal options. Anything more would cross into actionable territory, and Nicholas is too smart for that.”My phone rang with an incoming text from Cara: “Can we talk today? Important.”We hadn’t spoken much since she’d left my home three days ago. Both of us needed space to process Grace’s revelations and their implications for our relationship.
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 95 The Breaking
(Lila)I paced the hospital corridor, counting tiles to keep my anxiety at bay. Fleur’s latest treatment had gone well, the doctors reported, but I couldn’t breathe easy. Couldn’t leave. Couldn’t trust anyone else to watch over her.“Mrs. Baldwin?” A nurse approached me. “Your daughter’s vitals are stable. Perhaps you’d like to get some rest? There’s a family lounge with comfortable couches…”“I’m fine here,” I said tersely. “I can see her door from this spot.”The nurse exchanged a glance with her colleague—the same look I’d been getting for days. Concern. Pity. Judgment.Nick appeared from the elevator, carrying a change of clothes and toiletries. “Hey. Brought your things.”“Thanks.” I took the bag without moving from my post.“The doctor called me,” Nick said carefully. “Fleur’s responding excellently to the treatment. Her numbers are improving faster than expected.”“That’s what they say,” I acknowledged. “But we need to be vigilant.”Nick’s hand settled on my shoulder. “Lila, wh
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 94 Uncomfortable Truths
(Ethan)I sat in my car for nearly twenty minutes, unable to join Cara and James where sat eating in a restaurant. Grace’s words still rang in my ears, stripping away the comfortable lies I’d told myself.“The way you still look at Lila…You haven’t fully let go, Ethan.”Was she right? Had I been fooling myself all this time?Cara approached my window, tapping lightly. She’d said the same thing to me the night I’d proposed, and I hadn’t even noticed her leaving the restaurant with James.“Everything okay?” she asked as I rolled down the window. “We’ve been waiting.”“Sorry,” I mumbled. “Got lost in thought.”The drive home was mostly silent, with James occasionally sharing observations about his mother’s changed appearance or demeanor. Cara kept glancing my way, clearly sensing my internal turmoil.When we arrived home, James ran inside to call Lila and tell her about the visit. I lingered in the driveway, dreading the conversation I knew Cara wanted to have.“Are you going to tell me
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 93 Healing Damage
(Ethan)Grace glanced at Cara gratefully. “Your therapist is very wise.”“She helps me when I have bad dreams about the closet,” James said.I tensed, waiting for Grace’s reaction to this direct reference to her abuse. Her face crumpled momentarily before she regained control.“I am so sorry about the closet, James. Whenever I think about putting you in there, I feel sick with shame. No child should ever be treated that way.”“It was dark,” James said softly. “And I cried for you, but you didn’t come.”A tear escaped down Grace’s cheek. “I know. And I will regret that for the rest of my life.”The conversation continued, James gradually asking more questions about their past—each one like a small knife slicing into Grace. She answered everything honestly, never minimizing her actions or making excuses.After about twenty minutes, Dr. Frey suggested a short break. Grace excused herself while James stayed with us.“You’re doing really well,” Cara told James. “How are you feeling?”“Okay
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 92 Difficult Reunions
(Ethan)I gripped the steering wheel tightly as we approached Pine Grove Rehabilitation Center.James sat silently in the backseat, dressed in his nicest clothes as if for a special occasion. Cara rode beside me, her presence both professional and personal support.“Remember what we discussed,” she said quietly. “The first few minutes will set the tone. Stay neutral, watch James’s cues, and be prepared to end the meeting if necessary.”I nodded tensely. We’d spent the week preparing for this moment—consulting other therapists, establishing ground rules, designing a safe environment for the reunion.Still, my stomach twisted with anxiety.“Is Lila coming?” James asked from the backseat.“No, buddy,” I replied. “Just us today.”“Because she doesn’t want me to see Mom?”The perceptiveness of children never ceased to amaze me. “She’s concerned, that’s all, but she respects that this is important to you.”The facility looked more like a resort than a psychiatric center, with trimmed ground
