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CHAPTER 17
Last Updated:
2025-03-07 21:28:57
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RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 18
I yanked my wrist free, the contact between us leaving an invisible imprint that I despised. "It doesn’t matter, Nolan," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "You shouldn’t be here."His jaw tightened, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he stepped back, shoving his hands into his pockets, his expression unreadable. "Fine," he said after a long moment. "I’ll back off—for now. But don’t fool yourself into thinking this is over."A sharp retort was on the tip of my tongue, but before I could respond, my phone buzzed in my clutch. I glanced down and saw Brent’s name flashing on the screen. I exhaled, grateful for the distraction.“I have to take this,” I muttered before answering. “Brent?”“Demi, we have a problem,” his voice came through, low and urgent.Instantly, my entire body went on high alert. “What kind of problem?”“There’s been a leak.”My breath caught. “What do you mean a leak?”“The details of our investment plan—someone released them early. And not just to one outlet
Last Updated : 2025-03-08RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 19
The morning after the event, I sat with Chelsea in the conference room, waiting for Brent to arrive. Though the initial panic over the project’s leak had subsided, a weight still lingered on my chest. I couldn’t shake the memory of last night—the tense confrontation between Brent and Nolan, the way Brent had pulled me away without hesitation.Brent finally walked in, exuding his usual confidence. He tossed a folder onto the table and leaned against the chair, arms crossed. “Crisis averted,” he said simply.Chelsea and I exchanged a glance before I spoke. “What do you mean?”He sighed and rolled his shoulders back. “Turns out the leak was a weak attempt at sabotage. Someone tried to twist the narrative about the missing permits, but we had everything properly documented. Legal and PR worked overnight to release a statement before the media could spin it out of control.”Chelsea leaned forward. “So, it’s settled?”Brent nodded. “We traced the source back to a competitor trying to rattle
Last Updated : 2025-03-09RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 20
I woke up the next morning with a sense of excitement buzzing beneath my skin. Today was going to be fun. I had convinced Chelsea to go shopping with me under the pretense of helping her find a dress for dinner, but in reality, I had an entirely different plan in mind. Chelsea needed a little push, and I was more than willing to give it.I found her in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of coffee, looking as if she were still half-asleep. "Morning, sunshine," I teased, sliding into the seat across from her.She gave me a drowsy glare before sighing. "You better not pick anything crazy for me today. I know how you get when it comes to fashion."I placed a hand over my heart, feigning offense. "Me? Crazy? I have impeccable taste. And besides, you need to dress well for this dinner. First impressions matter."Chelsea groaned but didn’t argue further, which meant I was already winning. Finishing her coffee, she resigned herself to the inevitable as we got ready to leave.At the boutique, Chels
Last Updated : 2025-03-10RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 21
The moment Chelsea’s eyes landed on me sitting across from Brent, her expression shifted from confusion to devastation. I could practically feel the air crackling with tension as realization dawned on her. I wasn’t supposed to be the one sitting there. It was supposed to be her.She didn’t move. She didn’t blink. She just stood there, her hands clenched into tight fists by her sides. And then, without a single word, she turned and walked away.Panic surged through me like a tidal wave. “Chelsea—wait!” I shot up from my chair, barely registering the look of surprise on Brent’s face. But Chelsea was already heading towards the exit, her heels clicking against the floor in sharp, quick steps.I bolted after her, weaving through the other restaurant guests and ignoring the curious stares. When I finally caught up to her outside, she had already hailed a cab.“Chelsea, please, let me explain!” I reached for her arm, but she yanked it away as if my touch burned her.“You don’t have to expla
Last Updated : 2025-03-11RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 22
The plane ride was silent. Not the comfortable kind of silence we used to share, but the heavy, awkward kind that made my chest tighten. Chelsea kept her eyes on her laptop, her fingers furiously typing away, while I kept sneaking glances at her, wondering if there was any way to break the ice."Do you want some coffee?" I finally asked, gesturing to the flight attendant. It was a small attempt, but an attempt nonetheless."No, thanks," she said curtly, not even looking up.Strike one.When we landed in Seattle, we took a cab straight to the hotel. We were booked in separate rooms, but we still had to spend the majority of our time together prepping for the meeting."We should go over the presentation one more time," I suggested after we checked in."I already did," she replied, flipping through her notes. "You should make sure you're ready."Strike two.By the time we reached the client’s office, the tension between us was palpable. I tried to focus on work, but it was hard not to no
Last Updated : 2025-03-11RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 23
The next day, our work obligations continued, but the weight between us remained. I could tell Chelsea was trying, but the awkwardness was still there. I wanted things to go back to normal, but I knew I couldn't force it.Then fate intervened in the most unexpected way.We had just finished a long day of meetings and were heading back to our hotel. Instead of taking the stairs, Chelsea and I both stepped into the elevator at the same time. The doors slid shut, and I pressed the button for our floor. But before the elevator could even move, there was a sudden jolt, and then—nothing.The elevator was stuck.Chelsea immediately pressed the emergency button. Nothing. She tried calling reception. No signal."You've got to be kidding me," she muttered, rubbing her temples.I sighed. "Guess we're stuck together."She shot me a look but didn’t say anything. For a while, we just stood there in tense silence, waiting for the power to come back or someone to notice we were missing. But the longe
Last Updated : 2025-03-12RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 24
The air between Chelsea and me was lighter after our talk in the elevator, but that didn’t mean everything instantly went back to normal. If anything, it felt like walking on newly mended glass—fragile, uncertain, and requiring careful steps. I knew Chelsea wanted to believe me, but years of hurt feelings don’t just disappear overnight. And if I wanted things to truly go back to how they used to be, I had to prove to her that our friendship was still worth fighting for.The morning after the elevator incident, we had a business conference to attend, one that required both of us to work together seamlessly. The problem? We weren’t quite there yet. Chelsea was professional, efficient, and sharp as always, but there was a hesitation in the way she spoke to me. Like she was holding back. Like we were just colleagues, not best friends. And that stung.During the coffee break, I made an effort to bridge the gap.“You did great back there,” I said, offering her a small smile. “You carried th
Last Updated : 2025-03-12RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 25
The relief of stepping out of that elevator with Chelsea felt like the weight of weeks of tension finally easing off my shoulders. But even though we'd had a breakthrough, I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. Forgiveness wasn’t a switch you could just flip on. I could tell Chelsea was willing to move forward, but regaining her trust? That was going to take time.And I was ready to put in the effort.The next morning, we had back-to-back meetings with the clients. The tension had simmered down between us, but the ease, the natural flow we used to have, wasn’t there yet. Chelsea still kept a polite distance, only engaging with me when necessary. I caught her staring at me a few times, as if she were still weighing my sincerity.I hated it. I missed the way we used to be.During lunch, I tried to close the gap. “Hey, want to grab a bite together?”She hesitated, her eyes flicking between me and the café across the street where some of our team members were heading. Then she gave a sma
Last Updated : 2025-03-13
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Around noon, I found a note taped to my computer monitor. Simple, clean handwriting. I didn’t need to ask who it was from."Dinner. Your place. 7PM. You don’t have to say anything. Just let me try. –J"I stared at it for a long time.It wasn’t a plea. It wasn’t a demand.It was... a hope.A quiet one. One I hadn’t earned yet. One I wasn’t sure I could accept.But when seven o’clock rolled around, I was home. I had lit candles. Put on soft music. Worn something that wasn’t just lounge clothes.And I waited.At 7:02, there was a knock.I opened the door, and there he was—holding a bag of takeout from my favorite Thai place, rain in his hair, uncertainty in his eyes.“Hi,” he said softly.“Hi,” I replied.He stepped inside, and we moved through the motions like a dance we hadn’t forgotten. Plates. Chopsticks. Steam curling from cartons. But the real heat in the room wasn’t from the food.It was the tension.I finally broke it.“Who was that message from?” I asked, voice even but my heart
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 100
I didn’t go far. Just to the small park down the block from Jeff’s condo unit—the one with the crooked benches and a fountain that hadn’t worked since spring. I sat there, my coat tight around me, watching the early evening swallow the sky whole.I didn’t cry. Not really.I was too tired for tears. Too wrung out from constantly stitching together the pieces of us, only to watch them come loose again.I pulled my phone out, stared at the blank screen. No texts. No calls. And maybe that was the point. Jeff had said he wouldn’t stop trying, but he hadn’t come after me. Not this time.Maybe he was learning to give me space. Or maybe he was just as exhausted as I was.A gust of wind tore through the branches above, scattering brittle leaves across my boots.Why does love feel like this sometimes?Not soft and soothing, but raw. Like walking barefoot on broken glass, hoping every step doesn’t cut too deep. Hoping the bleeding stops before the next fight.But despite everything, I didn’t wan
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 99
Around noon, I found a note taped to my computer monitor. Simple, clean handwriting. I didn’t need to ask who it was from."Dinner. Your place. 7PM. You don’t have to say anything. Just let me try. –J"I stared at it for a long time.It wasn’t a plea. It wasn’t a demand.It was... a hope.A quiet one. One I hadn’t earned yet. One I wasn’t sure I could accept.But when seven o’clock rolled around, I was home. I had lit candles. Put on soft music. Worn something that wasn’t just lounge clothes.And I waited.At 7:02, there was a knock.I opened the door, and there he was—holding a bag of takeout from my favorite Thai place, rain in his hair, uncertainty in his eyes.“Hi,” he said softly.“Hi,” I replied.He stepped inside, and we moved through the motions like a dance we hadn’t forgotten. Plates. Chopsticks. Steam curling from cartons. But the real heat in the room wasn’t from the food.It was the tension.I finally broke it.“Who was that message from?” I asked, voice even but my heart
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 98
By Monday, we were back in the city.Jeff dropped me off at my place, and though we kissed goodbye with a promise to see each other soon, something lingered between us—something unspoken and tense, like a storm hovering just beyond the horizon.I tried to shake it off as I stepped into my apartment. I unpacked slowly, letting the quiet settle around me. But my thoughts refused to sit still.Why now? Why was Stella suddenly trying to reappear? And why did Jeff hesitate before telling me?It wasn’t fair—he’d done so much to regain my trust. He’d been showing up, loving me in all the right ways. But one whisper from the past, and the walls I’d slowly let fall started climbing back up.I turned on some music, something soft, just to quiet the noise inside my head. And that’s when my phone buzzed.It was a message. From an unknown number.Unknown: "You can believe him if you want. But you should know he came back to me once before. Right after the first time you left."I stared at the scre
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 97
There’s something strangely intimate about folding laundry with someone you love. Not the kind of love that’s still wrapped in red ribbons and candlelit dinners, but the kind that shows up in the quiet domesticity of Sunday afternoons—barefoot, soft music in the background, mismatched socks everywhere.Jeff held up one of my oversized sweaters, the sleeves drooping like tired arms. “This still smells like that coconut shampoo you use.”I glanced up from the pile of towels. “I haven’t used that shampoo in months.”“Must be haunted,” he smirked, then tossed it gently to my side of the bed.I laughed, but it came with a soft ache. This was good. Easy. Comfortable. Almost too comfortable.Maybe that’s why it blindsided me when the tension returned—sharp and unexpected like stepping on glass in a room you thought was safe.It happened that evening.We were cleaning out the hallway closet when Jeff’s phone buzzed on the console table. Once. Twice. Three times.He didn’t reach for it.I woul
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 96
Demi's POVI stared at the message long after Jeff disappeared down the stairs, heading toward the beach. The wind outside had picked up, brushing against the glass like a warning. I hated that this had happened—now, of all times. Things were just starting to feel steady again.I didn’t even know how he’d gotten my number. I’d deleted it all—his texts, his name, his presence from my life the moment I realized he was a distraction from what I really wanted.From Jeff.And now he comes crawling back, like the past didn’t already do enough damage.I grabbed my phone and typed a response, my fingers moving fast and sharp.“Do not contact me again. This is inappropriate and unwanted. I’m with someone I love—don’t ruin what little decency you have left.”Send.Block.Delete.My chest heaved as I placed the phone face down on the railing of the porch. The waves crashed in the distance, but I couldn’t hear them over the thud of my heart. This wasn’t fair—not to Jeff, not to me, not to what we
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 95
Chelsea popped her head into my office later that day.“You look like someone ran over your optimism.”“Not now, Chels.”She walked in anyway, plopping down on the chair across from me. “Okay. Spill.”I told her.Everything.From the breakfast to the journal to the half-confession that landed like a gut-punch instead of a step forward.Chelsea didn’t say anything right away. Then: “Do you regret telling him?”“No. But I hate that it hurt him.”“Demi, listen.” She leaned forward. “You did what most people wouldn’t have the guts to do. You gave him the full picture. He asked for proof you were in this for real, and you gave it. He needs to sit with it, sure—but that doesn’t mean he’s leaving.”“I know,” I said quietly. “But I can’t help feeling like I poked a hole in something just as it was starting to feel whole again.”“Maybe,” she said. “Or maybe that hole is where the light gets in.”I groaned. “Did you just quote Leonard Cohen at me?”She grinned. “Absolutely.”I managed a smile,
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 94
Demi's POVIt wasn’t the phone call that broke me.Not really.It was the pause. That flicker of hesitation in Jeff’s eyes. The microsecond where I saw him debate whether to tell me the truth. It was the weight of everything we were trying to rebuild pressing on one fragile moment.And I hated that it felt familiar.That split-second uncertainty—the one that made me question whether I was still the girl who could be forgotten. Set aside. Replaced.But I didn’t spiral. Not this time.Because I’d promised myself something too: that I wouldn’t run anymore. That I would stay. That I would speak instead of shut down.Even if it hurt.The morning after he blocked Stella, we went through the motions like nothing had happened.Coffee. Shower. Quiet music playing from my phone as I tied my hair up.But my stomach still twisted when I caught him staring at me—like he was trying to read between the lines of my silence.“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, gently.I thought about lying. I re
RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK CHAPTER 93
Trying is one thing.But staying?That’s the real test.And for the next week, Jeff and I tried.Not in grand, sweeping gestures. Not in dramatic confessions under the rain or fairy tale moments. But in the quiet decisions—the daily check-ins, the shared silences, the soft compromises that slowly stitched us back together.I started trusting him again. Not all at once, but in fragments. Like handing him pieces of a puzzle that used to be whole, asking him to rebuild without the picture on the box.And Jeff?He never once complained.He didn’t push when I asked for space. He didn’t flinch when I brought up Ethan, or Stella, or the silence that had almost swallowed us whole. He listened. He showed up. And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I was walking alone.Until Thursday.We were supposed to meet at the gallery.My newest commission piece had just been installed, and Jeff offered to help me with the lighting setup before the weekend preview. It was a simple ask—sh
