LOGINShare
Chapter 22 The Basement Again
Last Updated:
2025-01-13 18:35:56
Related chapters
Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 23 Protection
(Lila)I stared at the freshly carved symbols. Nick was searching the basement for an exit, but all exits were closed, and we were stuck here. There was no way out.“Someone was studying me,” I whispered. “Learning my patterns.”“What do you mean?”“These marks.” I traced them. “They’re not just copies. They’re exact. Down to how deep I carved, which direction I dragged the blade—”A memory hit—the rusty nail I’d found in that basement corner, using it to scratch protection into concrete while Ethan slept beside me. I’d worked through the night, my small hands bleeding.“This one.” I touched a specific symbol. “See how the line breaks here? That happened because I was crying so hard I could barely see. My hand slipped.”Nick stepped closer. “And they copied even that detail?”“Perfectly.” I moved to the next symbol. “This curve—I had to do it three times because my fingers were shaking. You can still see the extra marks. They must have studied everything from fifteen years ago.”“Why
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 24 Full Circle
(Lila)My face was flat against the hard concrete floor when I came to. My head throbbed, and my mouth was dry from the chloroform. I blinked, trying to focus on the light that was coming through a high, grimy window.“Nick?” I rasped, pushing myself up on shaky arms.“Over here.” I heard his voice from my left. I turned to find him chained to a pipe—the same pipe I’d used to track time fifteen years ago.“Are you okay?”“Been better.” He yanked at the chains. “Though I have to say, this isn’t how I pictured spending time with you.”A small whimper drew my attention to the corner. James crouched there, knees pulled to his chest, surrounded by scratched symbols on the walls.“James?” I crawled toward him, ignoring the pain. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m Lila.”He pressed further into the corner. “You’re the lady my mom hates.”“That’s right.” I stopped a few feet away, not wanting to scare him. “Are you hurt?”He shook his head, but I caught how he cradled his right hand.“Can I see?” I held ou
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 26: Escape Plan
(Lila)I lunged for Nick’s chains, yanking at them desperately as multiple people came down the stairs, toward us. The metal dug into my palms but I kept pulling, even as my fingers kept missing the lock.“There has to be a way,” I muttered, searching the ground for anything I could use as a tool. “Something to pick the lock, or—”“They’re coming,” Nick whispered, his spare phone pressed to his ear. “We’re in a basement near the freight tracks, just past the old factory district. Everyone’s alive but—signal’s gone.”James clutched my arm so tight I could feel his nails digging in. “Are they coming back?”“Shh.” I grabbed a rusty pipe from the floor, trying to use it as leverage on Nick’s chains. The metal was mostly useless and made an awful screeching sound that stayed in my ears until I felt them ring, but I kept trying.“Please work, please work,” I begged, ramming the pipe against the chain links. My arms hurt so much from hitting I couldn’t even feel my fingers.Nick leaned forwa
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 26 Revelations
(Ethan)“Trace that call now!” I slammed my hands on Detective Dale’s desk. “Nick said they’re near freight tracks, didn't he? In a basement. That’s something, isn’t it?”“Mr. Baldwin.” Dale barely glanced up from his computer. “We have every available unit—”“Every unit isn’t enough!” I yelled and made myself even hoarser than I already was. “My son is out there. Lila’s out there. And you’re just sitting here typing!”Dale stayed behind his desk, watching quietly as phones rang constantly. Officers rushed past with papers, barking into radios, but nothing ever happened fast enough!“My baby girl…my poor baby girl…”It was Caroline Montgomery sitting in a corner chair. She had not stopped weeping since the police had informed her of Nick’s call. Her sobs got louder with every minute, and they made my head hurt.Jonathan Montgomery paced nearby, his phone pressed to his ear while his teeth ground together.“You understand how I feel? No, Senator, you clearly don’t understand! This isn’
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 27 Hidden Motives
(Nick)The huge man shoved me harder against the pipes, checking my chains while Lila struggled against her own ropes as she sat beside me.My wrists ached, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Lila and James. The man had tied her here as soon as he’d grabbed her and James from the tunnel, leaving only James free.“Leave her alone!” I yanked at the chains as the man moved to Lila and grabbed her chin, examining her face.“The mighty Montgomery princess.” He smiled cruelly. “Not so high and mighty now, are you?”I pulled against the metal uselessly, trying to get to Lila somehow. “Get your hands off her!”“Robert. Darling.” The blonde woman—I knew her from somewhere, but I couldn’t place it—touched the big man’s arm. “Perhaps we should give them some space?”Robert released Lila roughly. “Check their restraints again. Make sure they’re secure.”She moved to Lila first to check the rope, but I could see her shaking.“I’m sorry,” I heard her whisper. “I never wanted this.”“Save it.” Lila jer
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 28 Confessions
(Lila)“Grace? What does Grace have to do with this?” I fought my rope hard, trying to catch Romy’s eye, but she wouldn’t look at me.“We need ropes for the boy. Maybe chains for Little Lila.” Robert checked his platinum watch and then looked up at Romy, staring hard enough to make even me uncomfortable. “I can’t stay all day, and clearly, they can’t be trusted.”He grabbed James’s arm, dragging him back toward me. James stumbled, falling against my legs.“Careful!” I tried to cushion his fall despite my bound hands.“Sit.” Robert shoved us both against the wall. “Don’t move.”James pressed his small body closer to me, as if he’d find an escape there. I wished I could hold him properly, protect him from all this.“I wish…” James whispered so quietly I almost missed it. “I wish you were my mom.”My heart squeezed painfully. I thought of the baby growing inside me—James’s sibling, though he didn’t know it. Wouldn’t know it, if we didn’t get out of here.Nick’s eyes found mine and we kep
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 29 The Escape
(Lila)“Hurry!” I urged.Romy fumbled with a ring of keys she’d managed to retrieve from her purse, trying them one by one in Nick’s chains. Just like before, I kept hold of James’s ankle as he climbed into the tunnel entrance, making sure he was safe.The stairs creaked above—Robert would come any moment.“There’s too many,” Romy whispered, her fingers shaking as she tried another key. “I don’t know which—”“Try the brass ones first,” Nick said to her even as his eyes never left my face. “Most high-end locks use brass keys.”I still held James and guided him deeper into the tunnel, urging him to go on. “Remember what I told you? About being brave?”James clutched my hand. “Yes, I remember, but…but what if I can’t get to the police?”“You can.” I leaned toward him, touching his head. “Because you’re so brave. Count your breaths with me. In for four, out for four…”His small hand found mine in the tunnel. “You’ll stay until I’m out, right?”“The whole time.”“Promise?”“I promise. And
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Billionaire, I'm No Longer Yours Chapter 30 Four Against One
(Nick)Robert’s men advanced while James sobbed in the tunnel. I kept myself between them and Lila, scanning for anything I could use as a weapon. There were some rusty pipes there, but most were bolted down tight. The old chains on the floor were too far to reach.“Get him,” Robert commanded, adjusting his cufflinks.The first man rushed me and tried to punch me. I sidestepped, grabbing his outstretched arm and using his attempt to slam him into the concrete wall. My martial arts training kicked in instantly—block, counterstrike, dodge the follow-up. The second man came to my left, pulling a wicked-looking knife from his jacket. Behind me, James cried harder. “Help! I’m stuck!”“James, honey?” Lila pressed herself closer to the tunnel entrance. “Can you hear me?”“I can’t move! The walls are closing in!”“Yes you can,” Lila said calmly despite everything happening around us. “Remember what we practiced? In for four counts, out for four. Do it with me now.”The knife-wielding thug s
Last Updated : 2025-01-13
Latest chapter
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
