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Chapter 035
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2025-03-09 22:26:02
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The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 036
Jemma spoke the words, "Funny how betrayal always starts with someone you trust the most," with a tone full of phony sympathy. Her immaculately manicured nails tapping against the polished wood as she sat on the edge of Mike's desk, she was the epitome of casual malice.Mike was standing on the other side of the room, his jaw so tensed I thought it may break. He didn't immediately respond, but I could tell she had struck a chord by the storm that was building in his eyes.His voice was sharp enough to shatter glass as he continued, "Jemma, I didn't ask for your opinion.""Oh, Mike, hurry up." She crossed her legs and laughed a little, without amusement, as though she were getting comfortable for a lengthy conversation. "You can't really tell me that you're shocked. Cath had a secret all the while. She is liked by women who are long-term oriented. And you made things so simple for her since you are such a nice man.Mike said, "Enough," but Jemma could see the hesitancy in his voice, a
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 037
Eleanor's voice sliced through the tension in the room like a blade: "If you don't stop being so stubborn, you're going to lose her."With one hand clutching the back of the chair he had been pacing around for the past 30 minutes, Mike froze in mid-step. He cautiously turned and looked into his mother's serene yet sharp eyes.He yelled back, his voice tinged with annoyance, "This isn't about being stubborn." It has to do with trust. Cath broke it."And you're saying that you've never betrayed someone's confidence?" Eleanor raised an eyebrow in response. Mike was irritated by the severity in her tone, even though she was sitting on the couch with her hands folded neatly in her lap."You know it's not the same," he added, raising his voice.Eleanor calmly remarked, "Don't yell at me, Michael," using his entire name, which instantly stopped him. You're upset, and that's perfectly acceptable. However, do not conflate moral superiority with injured sentiments. Like Cath, you have made mist
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 038
"Kaila, do you think this is over? You have no idea who I am.Although I spoke steadily, my heart was pounding furiously inside. Kaila folded her arms and leaned nonchalantly against the wall, smirking, her satisfaction pouring like venom.With a mocking tone, she remarked, "It's cute how you think you can fix this." Mike is almost out the door already. He simply isn't aware of it yet.With every ounce of defiance I could conjure, I squared my shoulders and looked her in the eye. "That is not for you to decide. Kaila, this isn't your life. I own it. And just because you like to see people suffer, I won't let you ruin it.The sound of her laughter reverberated off the walls of the warehouse, hollow and cold. "Oh, Cath. How naïve of you. After everything, do you really think you can get him back? Following all the falsehoods?Even though her comments were pressing down on me, I chose not to show it. Mike had given me the pendant I wore as a present back when trust wasn't yet damaged by
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 039
"Mia, do you enjoy pancakes?"Her lovely eyes peered curiously up at me as she cocked her head. Like a lifeline, her tiny fingers gripped the edge of the kitchen counter. I lowered myself to her level in an attempt to seem less menacing."Pancakes," I said again, grinning. "My stack is mean." What are your thoughts?Mia paused, looking at the doorway as though she thought someone would enter and stop her. Cath, perhaps. Her mother, perhaps. Something inside me was warped by the concept.She nodded at last, her curls bouncing. "I enjoy pancakes," she muttered."All right. Let's prepare some.As Mia watched, her arms encircling a plush bear that had seen better days, I went to the pantry and took out the flour and sugar. I couldn't blame her, but her quiet was deafening. She had been caught in the center of a flurry of tension and half-truths during the past few days."Want to lend a hand?" I placed a bowl on the counter and asked.Her face brightened, hesitant but sincere. With her bea
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 040
"Do you believe that the truth will ever be revealed?" Alex's calm but challenging voice cut through the tension in the room.Jemma stopped in her tracks, her fingers still gripping the whiskey crystal decanter. Her expression, as composed as ever, showed the tiniest hint of uncertainty. It was sufficient to verify that Alex had touched a nerve.The air was heavy with unsaid accusations as I stood near the doorway. I wasn't going to get in the way of Alex's moment. His arms rested carelessly on the armrests as he sat back in the leather chair, but his manner was everything but laid-back. For the first time, Jemma didn't appear to be so untouchable as he fixed his piercing eyes on her.Jemma forced a smile and ultimately said, "Alex." "I don't understand what you're saying.""Well, I believe you do." Slowly and deliberately, he pushed to his feet, reducing the distance between them. The letters you sent to the board are a good place to start. Naturally anonymous, yet written in a way t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The Billionaire Bride of Convenience Chapter 041
"Didn't think I'd see you here, Cath," Mike came up to me with a cold, even uncaring voice.He was only a few steps away when I turned around, and even in a busy room, his towering figure demanded attention. As usual, he was dressed immaculately: no tie, dark suit, and white shirt. But there was a glimmer of something deeper in his eyes.I answered in a firm voice, "Believe me, this wasn't my first choice either."With clinking glasses, courteous laughing, and the soft strains of live jazz in the background, the charity dinner was a hive of activity. Mike and I were unable to refuse a mutual acquaintance who had planned the occasion. And suddenly we found ourselves standing clumsily beneath a glittering chandelier.Mike remarked, "I suppose we’re stuck with each other," with a hint of sarcasm in his voice."Seems that way," I said with a forced smile.We could feel the tension between us. Our last talk, a contentious one full of rage and accusations, had been weeks ago. Nevertheless,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09The 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09
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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
