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CHAPTER 47

Author: CagalieYula
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-31 15:55:21

I didn’t sleep that night.

Even after I agreed to Nolan’s ridiculous demand, my mind refused to settle.

Every scenario, every worst-case outcome, played on a loop in my head.

I wasn’t stupid.

I knew Nolan was doing this for control.

He had already taken over my engagement, my future, and now—my home.

And I had let him.

I stared at the ceiling until the first light of dawn peeked through my windows.

Then, without giving myself time to overthink, I got up and packed.

Chelsea nearly exploded when I told her.

“Are you insane?” she hissed, pacing my bedroom. “Living with Nolan? Do you have any idea what you’re walking into?”

I rubbed my temples. “It’s temporary.”

Chelsea shot me a sharp look. “That’s exactly what people say before they get stuck in a situation they can’t escape.”

I sighed. “I don’t have a choice.”

“You always have a choice, Demi.”

I swallowed hard. Not this time.

She exhaled, shaking her head. “At least tell your dad.”

I flinched. “No.”

“Demi—”

“No,” I repeated, my voice h
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  • RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK   CHAPTER 49

    Sleep didn’t come easy that night.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Jeff’s face—contorted in pain, eyes filled with fear.Fear of Nolan.It should have scared me.But the only thing that truly terrified me was how much I didn’t feel afraid of Nolan.He had done something violent, something brutal.And yet, a part of me—the part I didn’t want to acknowledge—felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.Jeff had deserved it.And Nolan had delivered it without hesitation.What did that say about me?I shoved the thought away and turned over in bed, forcing myself to focus on the future.Jeff would return the money in three days.I could finally put this behind me.But something told me it wasn’t going to be that simple.Because nothing in my life ever was.The next morning, Chelsea was already waiting for me when I walked into my office.She had that look—the one she always wore when she knew I was hiding something.“So,” she said, crossing her arms. “Are you going to tell me what happened las

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    We left the warehouse in a convoy of black SUVs, Nolan’s men securing every angle as if Lorenzo might try something last-minute. My father was weak but stable, his head resting against the seat as he exhaled heavily. I held his hand, my fingers gripping his like a lifeline.The drive back was silent.I kept replaying the night in my head—Lorenzo’s threats, Nolan’s calculated control, the way the power shifted so quickly. My mind was spinning, trying to process what it all meant.But one thought stood out among the chaos.This isn’t over.Not by a long shot.We pulled up to a private estate—one of Nolan’s, no doubt. The moment we entered, medical staff was waiting for my father. They whisked him away into a large, well-equipped room that looked more like a high-end hospital suite than a bedroom.Chelsea was already there.She rushed forward the second she saw me. “Oh my god, Demi—”I barely had time to react before she pulled me into a tight hug.“You’re okay,” she whispered, her voice

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    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,

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