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Chapter 10 Power Play
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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
Last Updated : 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,
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 2025-01-13
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Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 69 Letting Go
(Lila)I walked down the aisle beside Nick, Fleur cradled against my white dress. She gurgled happily, reaching for the crystals sewn into my bodice.“Careful, little one,” I whispered. “Those aren’t toys.”Behind us, Alexander and Romy followed, their hands clasped tightly. The string quartet played softly as we approached the flower-covered altar.James stood proudly between the couples, clutching two ring pillows. “I remembered both sets!” he announced loudly, making the guests laugh.“Perfect job,” Nick praised quietly.The officiant smiled at us all. “We gather today to celebrate not one, but two unions…”I barely heard the words, too focused on Fleur’s warmth against my chest and Nick’s hand in mine as he stood beside me. Until movement caught my eye—Ethan shifting in the front row, Cara’s hand settling on his arm.“The rings, please,” the officiant requested.James stepped forward importantly. “Here are the rings that show your love!” he proclaimed, exactly as practiced.Nick s
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 68 Release
(Ethan)I stood in Montgomery Mansion’s ballroom, watching doves flutter in their ornate cages. Lila’s mother had gotten her wish—twenty pure white birds ready to be released at the reception.“The doves are staying in those cages until the actual wedding day,” Alexander said firmly to the handler. “My security team will monitor them.”The security team, dressed in matching navy suits Alexander had insisted on, nodded in unison.“Look how pretty!” James exclaimed, pressing his face against a cage. “Can I help release them?”“Of course,” I told him. “You’re the ring bearer for both couples, remember?”“The most important job,” Cara added, adjusting his bow tie.The wedding planner rushed past, barking orders into her headset. “No, the flowers need to be arranged by height! And where are the ice sculptures?”“You’d think we were hosting a royal wedding,” Nick muttered beside Lila.“Mother does love a spectacle,” said Lila as she bounced Fleur gently.She brought her daughter everywhere,
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 67 Choices
(Lila)I jerked away from Ethan’s arms like I’d been burned. Cara stood frozen in the doorway, her face carefully blank despite the hot chocolate threatening to spill over the mugs’ rims.“I should go check on James,” I muttered, moving toward the door.“No.” Cara’s voice rang firm. “We need to talk about what just happened.”“Nothing happened,” Ethan said quickly. “Lila was upset about Fleur—”“And you comforted her. I understand.” Cara handed us each a mug. “But we both know it’s more complicated than that.”I gripped the hot chocolate, letting the warmth seep into my trembling fingers. “I’m sorry, Cara. I didn’t mean to—”“To what? Hug someone who understands your trauma?” Cara settled into the rocking chair. “There’s nothing wrong with that. What’s wrong is pretending it’s just a hug when we all know there’s more beneath the surface.”“I don’t—I wouldn’t—” My face burned. “Nick and I—”“Are happy together,” Cara finished. “Just like Ethan and I are building something real. Which i
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 66 Anxiety
(Lila)I stared down at Fleur sleeping in her crib, counting each tiny breath. The clock on the nursery wall showed 6 PM. Nick’s arm slid around my waist.“You’ve been here for hours,” he said quietly.“What if she stops breathing? I’ve read babies do that sometimes. What if someone takes her while we sleep?”“The security system—”“There are spies! Remember how Thompson put cameras here? No, nobody can be trusted,” I gripped the crib railing. “Robert took James from our engagement party! He got through security. Grace got to James’s school. All the cameras and guards in the world didn’t stop them.”“Lila.” Nick turned me to face him. “Dr. Morris said this anxiety—”“Isn’t normal? That I’m being paranoid?” I pulled away. “The nannies think I’m crazy, hovering all the time, but they don’t understand. Maybe one of them will take her away…”“Neither do I, not really. Talk to me.”“I keep having these dreams.” I touched Fleur’s dark curls. “Someone breaks in, takes her. Or she stops breat
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 65 Complicated
(Ethan)I pushed open the door to James’s room, where he lay curled up on the hospital cot, clutching his space-themed backpack.“Dad!” He leaped up, throwing his arms around my neck. “Is the baby here?”“Yes.”“Can I see her? Can I see her?” he said excitedly.“Of course, buddy.” I scooped him up. “Ready to meet your sister?”“Is she tiny?” James asked as we walked down the hall. “Cara says babies are super tiny at first.”“She is tiny for us, but bigger than most babies,” I adjusted him on my hip. “Speaking of Cara…”“I miss her,” James sighed. “She always knows cool facts.”We reached Lila’s room. Nick stood by the window, rocking Fleur while Lila slept.“Look who’s here,” I announced quietly.Nick turned. “Hey James. Come meet your sister properly.”James squirmed down from my arms and tiptoed to Nick’s side. “She’s so small! Dad said she’s big.”“Big for her age,” Nick laughed. “Want to hold her?”James’s eyes went wide. “Can I?”“Here.” Nick placed Fleur carefully in my arms. “S
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 64 Bonds
(Ethan)I watched through the doorway as Lila’s eyes opened fully. Her fingers twitched on the white sheets as she smiled at Nick—she’d woken up after hours. Nick stared down at her as he stood beside her bed with Fleur in his hands.“Hey beautiful,” he whispered, brushing her hair back.I gripped the doorframe hard enough that my nails dug into the wood. Romy appeared at my side.“You don’t have to watch this,” she said.“I need to.”Inside, Lila turned toward Nick. Her voice came out raspy. “Fleur? Is she…”“Perfect.” Nick stared down at our daughter in his arms. “Ready to meet your mama?”My chest constricted as he placed Fleur in Lila’s arms. Tears spilled down her cheeks while she traced our daughter’s tiny features.“Hello, my love.” Lila kissed Fleur’s forehead. “I’ve waited so long for you.”Alexander cleared his throat. “Should we give them some time?”“No.” Lila looked up at all of us crowded in the doorway. “Come meet her properly.”The family flooded in—the Montgomerys, my
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 63 The Birth
(Ethan)I paced the waiting room, checking my watch again. Ten minutes since they’d taken Lila into delivery.“Sit down, Ethan,” my mother said gently. “You’ll wear a hole in the floor.”“We should have known.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “It’s too late. She should have gone into labor a week ago.”“Babies come when they want,” Romy said from where she sat beside Alexander. “Not when we plan.”Caroline Montgomery dabbed her eyes. “My poor girl. All alone in there…”“Nick’s on his way,” Alexander assured her. “Traffic’s bad, but—”The delivery room doors burst open. A nurse rushed out, calling for more hands.“What’s happening?” Jonathan Montgomery demanded.“The baby’s breech,” the nurse threw over her shoulder as she ran past. “We need—”Nick exploded through the waiting room entrance, his tie askew. “Where is she?”“Delivery room three,” I pointed. “But they won’t let—”He was already running, shouldering past orderlies. A doctor tried to stop him.“Sir, you can’t—”“That’s my
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 62 Legacy
(Nick)I stared at the draft contracts, each page detailing another piece of my empire I was signing away. The legal team had worked through the night, but it still didn’t feel fast enough.“Mr. Baldwin?” Davis knocked tentatively. “The second round of paperwork needs your signature.”“Bring them in.” I rubbed my eyes, exhausted from the sleepless night.My phone pinged—a message from Brigitte. The attachment showed young Fleur Renaud smiling at the camera, her father’s eyes shining from her small face. She wore a sailor dress, standing proudly on what I recognized as a yacht. Just like the yacht where I’d…“The Hong Kong acquisitions need immediate attention,” Davis said, placing more papers on my desk.“Not now.” I hit reply before I could stop myself:“She’s beautiful. He would be so proud.”Brigitte’s response came instantly: “He was. Every day. I have more photos, if you’d like to see them.”“Yes,” I typed back. “Please.”More images filled my screen—Fleur at ballet recitals, bir
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 61 Bad Blood
(Nick)I paced my office, checking the time again. Ten minutes until Brigitte Renaud arrived. The old merger documents lay spread across my desk—the ones I had saved five years ago when Jean-Paul’s died.Harlow knocked. “Sir? Mrs. Renaud is here early.”“Send her in.” I straightened my tie, bracing myself.The woman who entered looked nothing like the one I had met five years ago. Her hair was now dirty blonde rather than golden, as if she’d stopped dyeing it. Her face was lined deep by grief.But her eyes—they pierced straight through me, just like Jean-Paul’s had that night.“Nicholas.” She spoke my name softly. “You look exactly like you did then.”“Madame Renaud. Please, sit.” I gestured to the chair across my desk.“Brigitte,” she corrected, settling gracefully. “We’ve been corresponding long enough to use first names, haven’t we?”“Of course.” I sat down, hands flat on the desk to keep them steady. “I will have the transfer documents ready for review—”“I didn’t come for paperwo
