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Chapter 81
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2024-07-15 20:24:09Related chapters
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 82
“I was so scared. And then she got mad at me! Like I obviously did the right thing, right?” As I paced around her office, Deandra started to laugh at me. First, it was a chuckle, a rumble from deep within her chest that eventually escalated into a full-blown, mocking laugh, each note going up a crescendo that rang in my ears. “It’s not funny!” I exclaimed. How could she be laughing at something like this? Maybe I was missing the joke but with how much I mulled over it, I can guarantee that there wasn’t any. Deandra tried to compose herself but failed miserably, resuming another bout of uncontrollable laughter. It was beginning to get on my nerves. I had half a mind to walk out. Then she asked me a question that I wasn’t quite sure how to answer. “Why exactly are you telling me this, Remi?” Deandra asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. I was stumped. Why was she telling her? She wasn’t a therapist who could help me work through my issues, and neither were we friends. So why…
Last Updated : 2024-07-16THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 83
“You did what?” I asked, blinking rapidly in disbelief.“You heard me,” Deandra replied, matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow at me as if I was the crazy one. “Don’t pretend like he didn't have it coming. Are you getting soft on me, Remi? You wanted this so what's the problem?”I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “Look, Remi, it had to be done. Don't stress about it too much. I sent Mike and Hugo so it will never be traced back to you.” Her voice was cold and calculating, “Are you out of your mind?” I shrieked, my voice trembling with anger. “You're taking this way too far, Deandra. That's illegal!”Tristan was right. She was a wildcard. Once upon a time, my alliance with her was a thing I cherished. Now… Now it was an anxiety-inducing association.“Oh please, grow the hell up. You came to me for help, remember?” She shook her head, her gaze still fixed on me. “I don't blame you. Daddy's little girl who got everything handed to her. You never needed to get anything you wanted for
Last Updated : 2024-07-17THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 84
“J–Jesse?” I stammered, staring wide-eyed at him.Oh no, how long had he been there? Had he seen me kiss Oscar’s head? Idiot! That was completely unnecessary. I shouldn’t have done that! Surely he knew I wanted nothing to do with Oscar, right? He didn’t say anything. Just stared around the room and behind me to Oscar and Celia. But never back at me.“Jesse!” Celia exclaimed, brushing past me to get to him.She ran to Jesse, arms wide open. He didn’t stop her but it didn’t take a Behavioral Psychologist to tell he was uncomfortable with how stiff he was.I heard shuffling behind me. Oscar must have realized who his visitor was. “What the hell are you doing here?”“You said he was dying,” Jesse said, glaring at Oscar on the bed.Celia extracted herself from him. “What?” she asked.“You said he was dying,” Jesse repeated, shifting his withering gaze to her.“I–I–I” Celia stammered.“Well as you can see, I’m not. We don’t need you here. Family only,” Oscar spat.“Oscar!” Celia scolded w
Last Updated : 2024-07-18THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 85
I was on my bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about my life and how things got so complicated.Jesse had practically gone off the deep end, asking to be part of my revenge on Oscar. I was delaying telling Deandra because I knew how much she loved drama; she would welcome Jesse with open arms, potentially other open things too. And then there was Sadie. She had been calling and texting, but after my meeting with Deandra and the soft- reveal that Sadie wasn’t how she seemed, I decided I’d keep my distance.My phone rang again. I was at my limit with her. I picked it up to scream at her to stop calling me but froze when I saw the caller.Sighing, I answered. “Hey, Tristan.”His voice was calm and soothing. Such a jarring contrast to the storm of thoughts and emotions going through my mind. “Hey, Remi. It’s been a while. How are you holding up?” he asked, his words laced with genuine concern.My heart started racing. I knew this wasn’t a casual check-in because Tristan never called w
Last Updated : 2024-07-19THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 86
Tristan gave me a questioning look but dropped it when I gave him a sweet smile.“I heard you're still working with Deandra,” Sadie said. Her tone was neutral but the implication was crystal clear.“You heard?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “Well, Tristan told me. He said he warned you against it. You would think your mentor's words would be enough to convince you, but I guess not.”This woman was hellbent on getting on my nerves. But Tristan stepped in, stopping me from speaking my honest mind.“Oh stop, Sadie. I'm her mentor, not her micromanager. She's an adult. I'm sure she knows what she's doing. Sadie scoffed, casually taking another sip of wine. “If she's working with that… woman, I'm not sure she does.”This bitch. I wanted to rip her hair right off her scalp. I didn't realize how long I was glaring at her until Tristan touched my arm, jarring me back to consciousness.“Remi, are you sure everything's okay? You seem… distracted,” he said.My heart ached at his concern.
Last Updated : 2024-07-20THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 87
Deandra picked up on the second ring, as if she was expecting my call.“Look, Remi. I'm not telling you–”“Tristan knows,” I said, shutting her down.“Tristan knows what?” She asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice.“He knows what I know,” I replied.After a brief pause, she sighed. “I guess we have a lot to talk about then. Let's meet at my office tomorrow.”She hung up, leaving me a bit bummed out. I'd thought up a whole convincing speech in my head but I guess this was better.The next day, I was in her office bright and early. She had informed her secretary of our meeting so I got to wait in her office, with her lion.A skinned lion, mounted on her wall behind her chair. Something about Deandra having a skinned lion in her office seemed fitting. Like a warning to all those who entered. She was ruthless and wasn't trying to hide it.I sat staring at it, half-expecting it to come to life and devour me. I was so engrossed in my awful imagination that the noise Deandra coming
Last Updated : 2024-07-21THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 88
It had been a hectic couple of days so I decided I was going to shut everything out and actually enjoy my vacation time. Dad, once again, was hounding me to wrap up my me-time and get back to work. The whole point of vacation was to de-stress. As far as things went, it had been nothing but stress. I was trying to relax in a lounge chair in a hot spring resort when my phone rang, jarring me and everyone around me. “Sorry,” I whispered, seeing all their pissed off faces. The caller ID showed it was dad. I hesitated, wondering if I should ignore the call, not wanting to be lectured about ignoring my responsibilities. But I ultimately picked it up. “Hey, Dad.” “Get home. Now!” his gruff voice boomed directly into my ears, making me cringe Even though he was my dad and I knew he would never hurt me, I started panicking. What could have made him so serious? The fact that he was so direct, with no explanation whatsoever made it even worse. My mind raced faster than my car as I sped ho
Last Updated : 2024-07-23THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 89
“The recent scandal is a glaring example of incompetence in leadership. The CEO’s failure to secure her own account reflects poorly on the entire company,” Mike said, his tone dripping with smug satisfaction. What a scumbag. The newspapers were fresh off the printing press and he was already mouthing off to the media. Dad looked like he wanted to reach into the TV and strangle Mike where he stood. I felt unspeakable rage watching the old fool speak his nonsense live on air. I felt helpless because there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. “What does this mean for the future of Renard Dynasty?” a reporter asked. “As it stands, the company is in dire straits. It is clear that the CEO is ill-equipped for the prestigious role she has been handed. That much is clear. I mean, she hasn't been CEO for a year and already has two major scandals under her belt. I call for an instant change and I urge my fellow board member to heed my words. No further questions,” Mike said as he stepped
Last Updated : 2024-07-24
Latest chapter
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 108
I sat in my office, staring at my CEO certificate.‘Congratulations. You’re ready to run a company!’ The golden words said.sI couldn’t believe how far I’d come since I last read those words. The last few months were loud and rough; the betrayals, the struggles, all the pain – it was all finally over.I stared at a picture on my phone – one of Jesse and I at a company event. We were mid-conversation, laughing our asses off at something. For a second, I wanted to be back then. I was care-free then, with no worries on my mind.My phone buzzed, startling me. Jesse texted that he was coming to my office.After a few minutes, the door opened and Jesse walked in carrying two cups of coffee. “Figured you’d need some fuel.”“You know me too well.” I accepted the warm cup from him.“I do.” He sat down and took his own cup. “Which is how I know there’s something on your mind.”I sighed, taking a quick sip and setting down my cup. “I can’t help it. I keep wondering ‘what next?’, you know what I
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 107
“Do you think he’s going to kill her?”My head had been on Jesse’s chest all morning. We talked and talked until I finally decided to bring up a burning question I had.“Who, Deandra?” Jesse asked.“Yeah. Those cops seemed like they would probably leak the details to Don Simeon, and apparently, he’s some big shot in the criminal underworld. So?”“I don’t know. Proba–”A loud knocking – no, banging on his front door jarred up alert. WHo the hell thought now was a good time.I reluctantly got off of him so he could go and check it out. I quickly put on some clothes just in case.“Ashley?” I heard him say.It had been ages since I saw his cousin so I went out to see her. Who I saw next stopped me in my tracks.“Mom?” Jesse said, standing stiffly at the door.Celia was standing on his doorstep looking like she’d been sentenced to death.“I’m sorry, Jesse. She wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Ashley said before turning to me. “Hey, Remi. I’m so sorry about this.” And just like that, she wa
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 106
“I knew you’d come around.” Deandra poured herself a glass of scotch.As some sort of power move, she made us wait half an hour before we met with her. Sitting in her office, for hopefully the last time, my heart was pounding a thousand beats a second. My mind was reeling. There is no way she was going to suspect us right? I mean, someone who’s had to deal with so many crooked people would be able to spot crooked behavior. Maybe this was a bad idea.Jesse squeezing my hand soothed me a little but the anxiety remained. Only this time, it was a shadow in the corner of my eye as opposed to a looming figure blacking out my vision.“And you even brought little Miss Perfect with you.” She smiled and took a sip from her cup.“I’m only here because you threatened Jesse,” I spat. “I can’t stand being near you.”I crossed my fingers, hoping she would take the bait.“Oh, so she’s the knight in shining armor and you’re the princess?” She asked, cackling. “Either way, I didn’t threaten him. I gav
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 105
I couldn't believe how much my life had changed. Things were going so much smoother without the drama from all the enemies I inadvertently made along the way.Better yet, Jesse and I had been making up for lost time. That part was amazing. Zero complaints there. I was firing on all cylinders, almost like all the stress was dulling my senses and now that they’d all been cleared up, I could finally see things. My judgment was impeccable.Which is why I noticed the uneasiness in Jesse. We were in a doughnut shop, satisfying my sugar cravings. He had been trying to hide it the whole time, checking his phone when he thought I wasn’t looking, fielding calls, until he eventually turned off his phone.“Jesse,” I placed my hand on his, “what’s going on?”He dropped his doughnut and sighed. “I thought I was hiding it well. It’s Deandra.”Hearing her name was like a shock. I knew she wasn’t done with us but why was she back so soon? “What does she want?” My voice showed more worry than I’d int
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 104
“What? You’ll try and kill me again?”“Stop saying that!” She stomped her feet and crossed her arms like a child throwing a tantrum. “I did that once! Can’t you let it go? Damn, why do you always have to bring that up and ruin the vibe?”Mission accomplished. I hoped Jesse heard everything.“I didn’t want to have to do this, Remi, but you’ve left me no choice.” She snapped her fingers, and like something out of a movie, two hefty men walked out of the shadows, flanking Debbie on both sides. “These men will teach you a lesson now,” Debbie said as casually as if she was ordering a burger. My stomach dropped when the men started to approach me. Run! The voice in my head screamed, but my feet were rooted to the spot. Everything went into slow motion. I couldn't run away from her again. But if I didn't, her men would do unspeakable things to me. Jesse would want to help but I couldn't put him in danger for my fight. Visions of Oscar from the previous day flashed in my mind. I cringed
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 103
“To-together?” I stuttered. He probably thought I looked silly with the massive grin on my face but I didn’t care. I was right where I wanted to be, staring into the eyes of the man I loved.My phone buzzed, ruining the moment we were having.It was a text from an unknown number so I didn’t bother.“You’re not going to get that?” Jesse asked.I shrugged. “I don’t know who it is.”He nodded thoughtfully and sat down. I began to feel awkward standing aimlessly in his office. I was hoping he’d say something to ease my tension but he didn’t. He didn’t even look bothered.“I’ll just… go.”The walk to his door seemed a mile long and my legs moved haphazardly like I forgot how to walk but I eventually got to the door. “Um, Remi? Do you want to get dinner la–”“Yes!” I turned around before he could even finish his sentence. I mentally smacked my forehead.“Cool.” He flashed me a smile. “I guess I’ll pick you up after work. When do you get off?”I burst into laughter – a bit exaggerated I wa
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 102
Things between Jesse and I weren’t quite back to normal but they were good. Better than I could have imagined in such a short time. We were talking and laughing together again. I was on my way to his office with coffee. I felt silly; I was his boss, why was I getting him coffee? I guess it didn’t matter because when I got outside his office, I froze. Through his slightly-open door, I could hear his voice, sharp and determined.“That was your plan all along?” He sounded shocked, like he couldn't believe his ears. “Something is very wrong with you, Deandra. You need help.”“I see that little miss perfect has gotten to you.” Deandra’s voice was smooth and deceptively soothing. “I had so much hope for you, Jesse. Oscar is a cancer that needs to be cut out, can’t you see that?”My breath caught in my throat. History had shown me Deandra wasn’t to be trusted, but to bear witness to this level of manipulation? It made my skin crawl. “So you want to frame him? What did he ever do to you th
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 101
“The day just keeps getting better and better.” Deandra chuckled and sat back down. “Come on in, Jesse. I have some news for you too.”We hadn’t talked much after he kicked me out but I was still his boss. “Did you need something, Jesse?” I asked.“No. Just wanted to say congrats. I heard about the confession,” he said.“Oh.” I puffed my chest out and sat up straight. “Thanks.”“I made it happen by the way so you should be thanking me,” Deandra said.I rolled my eyes.“By the way, Jesse, Remi wasn’t playing ball so I had to find a work around for your Oscar-sized problem.” Deandra’s smile was sinister. “Oscar will be picking up a package later today – I’ll give you the address. Let’s just say some friends will be paying him a not so friendly visit in a nearby alley. Now, you could join them or just watch; up to you.”“What did you do?” I asked, suddenly alarmed. I didn’t care for Oscar but to go to these lengths was just unnecessary. Surely even Jesse could see that.“What I had to,”
THE PRODIGAL BILLIONAIRE Chapter 100
I couldn’t shake the queasiness in my stomach. Despite the media frenzy around the bribery scandal dying down, questions still lingered, and Renard's reputation teetered on the edge. To make matters worse, the person I had to depend on for results was none other than Deandra.Just as I picked up my phone to call her, someone barged into my office.A snotty-looking man in an expensive suit, shortly followed by an angry-looking Jesse. “What’s going on?” I asked Jesse.“This person isn’t supposed to be here,” he answered, glaring at the man.“I’m here on behalf of Mr. O’Hearn,” the man said, turning his nose up at me.“In what capacity?” I asked.He rolled his eyes. “As his lawyer.”I already hated this man. He was a lawyer, an occupation that Deandra had shown me was untrustworthy. Strike two was the fact that he was Mike’s lawyer.I needed to make him feel as unwelcome as possible. “Jesse, it’s alright. He won’t be long anyway.”He looked amused. “I assure you, I’m not here to cause y
