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Chapter 018
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-09 22:16:39
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The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 019
"Don't you think you know her?" Jemma's voice was sharp and caustic, cutting through the café's quiet hum.My coffee was halfway to my lips when I froze. It was enough to make me uneasy to see her across the table, looking well put together and sporting that annoying grin. Weeks had passed since I last saw Jemma, and I had hoped that would continue."Jemma," I remarked calmly as I put down the cup. "What are you looking for?"Without waiting for an invitation, she slid into the chair across from me and tapped her glossy nails repeatedly on the table. Her tone was deceptively informal as she said, "I want to talk about Cath."Anger flared up inside my chest. "You are not allowed to discuss her."She leaned forward and met my blue eyes, saying, "Oh, but I do." "Because I believe Mike, you should be aware of the truth. The whole truth.Unwilling to give her the gratification of witnessing my discomfort, I folded my arms. "Your version of the truth is not necessary for me."She grinned mo
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 020
"Why do grown-ups always lie?" The silence in the room was broken by Mia's tiny, startlingly keen voice.I was standing near the window when I turned, and her small form curled up on the couch caught my attention. Her brows were knitted in a manner far too solemn for a six-year-old, and she was clutching her favorite pet rabbit."Who lied to you, Mia?" I approached and sat down on the couch's edge to ask.She gazed up at me, her large brown eyes brimming with something I couldn't quite identify—confusion, despair, perhaps. "Not me. You. Concerning Cath.I was momentarily unable to react as her words struck me like a sucker punch. "What do you mean, Mia?"Her lips pressed into a narrow line as she gave the rabbit a firmer hug. "You're upset with her, but you're not sure why. Last night, I overheard you on the phone.With a sigh, I combed through my hair. She had overheard, of course. No matter how hard you tried to protect them, kids had a way of catching up on everything. "It’s... com
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 021
"Why do you never say anything?" The stillness of the living room was broken by Cath's forceful yet quiet voice.Halfway through tying my shoelace, I froze. "What do you mean?"With her arms folded and her eyes unwavering, she leaned against the doorway. "Mike, you pretend to be alright, but you're not. You've been carrying this burden around, and it's making you feel so overwhelmed. Every time you glance at Mia or at me, I can see it.I sat back on the couch and lowered my foot back to the ground. "I don't need a lecture right now, Cath."She moved closer and remarked, "This isn't a lecture." "I'm expressing my concern for you. Additionally, I can't see you destroy yourself in this way.Her comments struck a chord, and I averted my eyes, unwilling to look her in the eye. I whispered, "I'm doing my best.""No, you're not." Her voice grew softer, but the resolve in it was unmistakable. And it's alright. However, you don't have to work alone on this.I ran a hand through my hair and sig
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 022
"Cath, do you think this will work?" Jemma's voice was a sharp, poisonous dagger that cut through the air.When I turned around, I saw her standing at the living room doorway with her arms folded and her eyes flaming with hardly contained rage. After folding one of Mia's sweaters on the couch, Cath stood up straight and calmly and resolutely faced Jemma's look.Cath's voice was firm but had a sharp edge that I had never heard before. "Jemma, whatever you're here to say, I suggest you think carefully before saying it," she said.Jemma retorted, "Oh, I've given this a lot of thought," and moved deeper into the space. "Cath, you're the issue here. Mike can't see well because of you. Additionally, you must depart before destroying anything.I moved forward, putting myself in the middle of the two women. That's sufficient, Jemma. Please share your thoughts with me if you have any.She paid no attention to me; she was totally focused on Cath. "Have you succeeded in gaining access to his lif
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 023
"Cath, you don't know the half of it." Eleanor's normally firm and loving voice faltered a little as she carefully set down her teacup.Her tone made my heart race, so I stopped in the middle of reaching for my own cup. Since we first met, Eleanor had been a rock-solid ally and a calming influence in the chaos that was my life with Mike. Now, though, something about her behavior—the way she averted her eyes, the unusual rigidity in her shoulders—made me shudder."Half of what?" I leaned back in my chair and inquired cautiously.Eleanor's countenance wavered between indecision and determination as she folded her hands in her lap. Her eyes finally met mine as she inhaled deeply.Mike's history. He hasn't told you some things, and I've been keeping some things to myself for years.I was taken aback and blinked. "What are you saying? I believed I knew—She stopped me by raising a hand. "Cath, you are aware of the man he has become. However, you have no idea what molded him. Let me be clea
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 024
"She put yogurt in her hair once more, Mike."I crossed my arms and leaned against the living room doorway, my patience ebbing. Mia, who was now seated in the center of the floor, had an unrepentant smile on her face as though her impromptu hairstyle were the newest in high fashion. She smiled up at us as if she had just found a solution to world hunger, and her golden curls were streaked with blueberry yogurt.Mike looked up from his screen while he was sitting on the couch, his laptop placed on his knees. His forehead creased, then relaxed as he absorbed the view."Once more?" He raised an eyebrow in question. "Why is this child consuming yogurt?"I choked back a smile and said, "She says it makes her hair shiny." "She claimed to have seen a YouTube video of it."Before I could say another word, Mike's lips quirked and he laughed, a deep, uninhibited sound that surprised me.It wasn't the courteous giggle he used in public or the polished laugh I'd heard at meals. This was something
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 025
"Please give me five minutes, Cath."I was about to leave the café when Alex's voice interrupted me. His abrupt appearance overshadowed the sidewalk's long shadows generated by the late afternoon sun. With his hands stuffed into his coat pockets, he stood there looking both desperate and determined."Alex, we've already discussed this," I stated in a composed yet forceful tone. "I have nothing more to say."He retorted, taking a step closer, "There's everything to say." "You can't simply erase us as if we didn't exist."I looked around, his words weighing heavily on me. Happily oblivious to the tension sizzling in the air, people rushed by."You're not allowed to do this," I whispered quietly. "Not after everything.""Everything?" he asked again, letting out a sour laugh. "Even though I made mistakes, I still cared about you, Cath."With my arms crossed over my chest, I yelled, "That doesn't change what you did." "Alex, you betrayed my confidence. You can't simply return to my life an
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 026
"Cath, is this too much? Be honest with me.As Mia stood in the center of her living room, slowly spinning in her glittering gold dress, her words drifted over the sound of clinking glasses and laughter. She swirled, her curls bouncing, her face flushed with excitement."You look fantastic," I responded with a smile. "But you could start a small fire if you spin any faster."Mia gave me a smile and protruded her tongue. "Noted. But really, I appreciate your assistance in getting everything together. Without you, I could not have completed it.I dismissed her with a wave. "This is your day. You are deserving of all the glamour and attention this evening.With music throbbing throughout the space and a group of Mia's friends chatting beneath the gentle glow of the fairy lights she insisted on hanging up, the party was already well underway. The scene was colorful, exuberant, and slightly chaotic—exactly like Mia.Mike was chatting with a bunch of strangers while he stood by the bar. Eve
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09
Bab terbaru
The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 050
"Are you certain of this?" Cath's hand shook a little as it was in mine, and her voice was quiet."Have I ever had more confidence in anything?" My gaze was fixed on hers as I asked.Although she smiled, a glimmer of uncertainty was visible on her face. "I just didn't think we'd get here after everything."I grabbed her hand more tightly and drew her in. This isn't about where we've been, Cath. It concerns our destination.The garden was drenched in amber and gold hues as the sun sank, creating the ideal atmosphere for the moment I had been waiting to give her—a genuine beginning free from fear, manipulation, or contracts. Even though it was just the two of us at the time, the little gathering of relatives and friends who had gathered around us demonstrated how far we had come.The officiant started talking, but I hardly heard him. The way Cath's eyes gleamed with unshed tears, how her breath caught when I put the ring back on her finger, and how her lips trembled into a grin that bro
The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 049
As I reached for her hand, Cath narrowed her eyes suspiciously and remarked, "You're hiding something.""Avoidance? Me? My lips formed a smile that I hoped would disarm her as I pretended to be innocent."Mike, you're awful at lying," she shot back, reclined on the park bench. Her silky waves of hair turned to liquid gold when the sunshine caressed them. Her eyebrows were raised in interest as she took a quick look at the canvas bag I had insisted on bringing.I joked, staring into her eyes for a little too long, "Perhaps I'm just full of surprises."The sound of her laughter was beautiful and light. "If that is the case, I am undoubtedly anxious."My heart was a frantic thumping inside. I had been anticipating this moment, which kept me up at night organizing every little detail. Despite this, I was afraid as I sat there next the woman who had completely changed my life for the better.I knew she loved me, so it wasn't rejection. but of not knowing how to express to her how much I lo
The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 048
Cath's voice was quiet but roiling with rage as she replied, "She thought I wouldn't find out." "Once again, she underestimated me."Her face was shadowed by the low light as I sat across from her at the kitchen table. She was holding a manila folder, the edges of which were worn from her overly firm grasp. Pages of evidence, each more damning than the last, were included within."She didn't simply undervalue you," I leaned forward and remarked. "She undervalued us both."Cath scattered the contents of the folder across the table after opening it. She continued, her voice trembling with barely controlled rage, "This is everything." "The falsehoods, the offshore accounts, the phony charities. For years, she has been defrauding her investors. You know whose name appears on half of it?I felt sick to my stomach when I looked through the papers. Kaila had exercised caution, but not enough. A few thoughtless errors—a traceable email here, a signature there—ruined her attempts to conceal he
The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 047
"You mean you knew what?"Cath's piercing, incredulous voice broke the tension. With her arms folded tightly across her chest, she stood in the center of the living room, gazing at Jemma as if she had never seen her before.Jemma's face remained unflinching, but she was unable to conceal the fact that her fingers were twisting the gold bracelet around her wrist. She calmly answered, "I didn't think it was my place to say anything.""Where do you live?" I quickly retaliated, intervening before Cath could. "Jemma, you've been interfering in our lives for months. Don't act like you've discovered boundaries all of a sudden.Jemma's eyes narrowed as her attention strayed to mine. She yelled, "I was defending this family." "With the way you've been destroying it, someone had to.""Dismantling it?" Cath's voice raised, shaky with rage. "Can you hear yourself at all? All the things Mike and I have battled for, all the obstacles we have surmounted, and you— Shaking her head incredulously, she
The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 046
"Do you believe she will ever pardon me?"The silence in the room was broken by Cath's voice, which was gentle yet heavy with a vulnerability I wasn't used to hearing from her. With her hands gripped tightly together, she sat at the edge of the bed and gazed down at the faded carpet as if it held the solution to her query.I said, leaning against the doorframe, "Mia's a kid, Cath." "Perfection is not necessary for kids. They require affection. And you've given her that every day, even during difficult times.Cath's eyes met mine as she turned her head slightly. "What if it's insufficient?"I walked over to her and firmly replied, "It will be." I knelt down in front of her and held her hands. "Me and you? We will ensure that it is.We were silent for a time. I could see the cautiousness in her eyes relax slightly as the silent hum of the city outside filled the void between us.A tiny voice then resounded along the corridor. “Mom? Mike?”Cath suddenly straightened, a look of concern re
The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 045
"You don't think I'm telling the truth?" Cath's voice was low and tremulous, yet it was piercing enough to cut through the room's silence.Her words hit me like a challenge as I looked up from the coffee mug I was holding. Her eyes, which I used to believe I understood better than my own, were filled with an inexplicable mixture of hurt, rage, and perhaps even a glimmer of hope.I put the coffee down and stated slowly, "It's not about believing you." It's about determining how to proceed. Together.Cath gave a nasty, nearly barking chuckle. "Companions? Mike, do you even understand what that means?Her accusation stung more than I anticipated. I wanted to protect myself and fire back, but I refrained. She was not mistaken."Then demonstrate for me," I responded steadily. "Cath, tell me what you need from me. I'll do it, whatever it is.The tension between us stretched like a wire ready to break as she paced the tiny living room with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "It's not t
The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 044
"Mike, why do you always flee when things get tough?"Long after Cath had bounded out of the park that day, the question continued to haunt me. I didn't have a solid response back then, and I wasn't sure I did now. A critical and merciless reflection of myself gazed back at me from the café window. The city outside shifted as though nothing had happened, as though my whole universe hadn't been upended.I swirled my coffee because it was something to do, not because I intended to drink it—it had gone cold an hour ago. Something to help me stay grounded when my thoughts were racing.In actuality, Cath was correct. When things got tough, I did run. I was afraid of the potential of something real, therefore I had fled from her, from us. I now had to consider whether it was too late to repair the damage I had caused.I had been struggling for days with the decision to see her. It was the sensible thing to do, I kept telling myself. Express regret, provide an explanation, and attempt to pre
The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 043
"Cath, you lack the courage to interrupt me. You didn't.The arrogance that only Kaila could summon echoed in my ears as she spoke. Like a villain who always thought they had already won, she stood in the doorway of my living room, composed and unflappable.I kept my arms crossed so she couldn't see the quiver rising in my chest. "Kaila, you are not allowed to make that call. No more.Her chuckle was piercing. "Really? following all that I have done for you? For this household? You believe you can simply leave?""I don’t think," I responded, taking a step forward. "I know."Her eyes narrowed as she swiftly recovered from the little moment of hesitation in her smile. What about Mia, too? To play this little game with me, are you truly willing to risk losing her?I grounded myself by taking a deep breath. It was this. I had been postponing this moment for years because I was frightened of the consequences. This time, though, Kaila had gone too far, and I wasn't going to allow her to des
The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 042
"You don’t deserve her, Cath."I froze as the words struck me like a slap. The shrill, poisonous voice of Kaila cut through the café's silence. Her elegant designer suit and flawlessly done hair contrasted sharply with the turmoil she was bringing into my life, making her a picture of deliberate control as she stood across from me.I carefully put down my coffee cup so she wouldn't see my shaking hands. "What are you talking about?"Uninvited, she slid into the seat across from me and leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "Mia. You're not worthy of being her mother.My chest erupted with anger, but I made myself remain composed. "I have given Mia my everything. Everything. You're not allowed to enter here and—"She interrupted, dismissively waving a manicured palm. "Save it," she said. "You have deceived her, tricked her, and pulled her into a chaotic life. Is that really what's best for her, in your opinion?I gasped. Despite her gentle tone, Kaila's remarks had a weight that made my s
