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Split the bill
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife An unwanted element
Alaric was seriously ticked off by Vespera's transfer. He'd never met a woman like her before. All the socialites in the city were usually dying for him to take them out to dinner and then invite them back to his place. That's how the game was played. But Vespera? Alaric treats her to a meal, and she turns around and pays him back for half of it? Was she that desperate to keep her distance from him?Alaric felt like his ego had taken a major hit. He started questioning his own charm. Had he lost his touch? Was he no longer the heartthrob everyone used to fawn over? He couldn't accept that!He knew he had to turn this situation around somehow. Otherwise, Lysander would never let him hear the end of it.Before he could come up with a plan, his secretary called. "Mr. Strider, the actresses for the commercial audition have arrived.""Got it, I'll be right there," Alaric said, hanging up and heading out to his car.Skyline had recently landed an ad deal that needed a female celebrity as th
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife Envy
Yvonne stormed home, fuming from the unexpected run-in with Alaric that left her humiliated. The last thing she needed was to hear the maids gossiping about Vespera being picked up by a sports car. Furious and looking for someone to take it out on, Yvonne burst into Vespera’s room.Vespera looked up, confused. “What’s going on?”“Who were you with today, Vespera?” Yvonne demanded, her voice sharp.Vespera blinked, caught off guard. “Just a friend.”“A friend? Since when do you have friends with sports cars? Are you sneaking around behind our backs?” Yvonne’s glare intensified.Vespera recognized Yvonne’s bad mood immediately and decided to ignore her tantrum. She kept her eyes on her book, hoping Yvonne would lose interest.But Yvonne wasn’t done. She snatched the book from Vespera’s hands and ripped out a page. “Vespera, have you no shame? Flirting with guys while holding onto the book Quinn gave you?”Vespera froze at the mention of Quinn’s name. She finally looked up at Yvonne. “I
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife For the first time...
But Vespera was determined to keep her distance from Alaric. As they struggled, Vespera's bag fell to the ground, spilling its contents. Before she could pick them up, a gust of wind blew one of the pages away. Vespera quickly gathered her things and was about to chase after the loose page when Alaric grabbed her arm. "Are you crazy? Don't run into the street!"Vespera lost her balance and fell against Alaric's chest. She tried to push him away and go after the page, but he held her tight. They watched helplessly as several cars ran over the paper before the wind carried it away again. Vespera realized she'd never find that page now.Furious, Vespera shoved Alaric away. "Mr. Strider! Don't you have anything better to do? If you're so bored, go bother someone else! Leave me alone!""I'm bothering you?" Alaric laughed in disbelief. He was trying to help, and this was the thanks he got? Talk about no good deed going unpunished.Vespera's eyes welled up with angry tears as she watched the
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife I came to apologize
Early the next morning, Alaric made sure to check if Vespera was at school before driving over.He pulled up to the dorms in his flashy sports car, phone in hand, calling Vespera. It was rush hour, with students coming and going, and many girls whispered among themselves, eyeing the expensive car and the handsome man who stepped out, wondering who he was here for.In his car were three pink boxes with pretty bows on top—obviously gifts for a girl. Some speculated whether they were packed with clothes or handbags, given their size.After waiting for a while with no answer, Alaric was about to head inside when he spotted Vespera in the distance. She was wearing a long coat that made her petite frame look even smaller, with her long hair flowing down her back, carrying a stack of books.Alaric waved, calling out, "Miss Thornfield!"Vespera stopped, visibly startled. She looked up and saw Alaric with his over-the-top sports car and the gathering crowd. Embarrassed, she tried to duck away,
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife May I have the honor of a dance
Vespera opened the boxes, flipping through the books inside. Despite having similar titles, they covered a wide range of subjects - design, architecture, and even history. She was at a loss for words. There were so many books she'd never use, but she felt too guilty to sell gifts. Resigned, she picked out a few useful ones for her bookshelf and packed the rest away. Out of sight, out of mind.This gesture changed Vespera's opinion of Alaric a bit. She'd previously thought of him as an arrogant trust fund kid, especially given what she knew about his history with Elowen. Her dislike for Elowen had unfairly tainted her view of Alaric too.But now, the guy had hauled three boxes of books to her dorm. While not exactly priceless treasures or replacements for Quinn's gift, it still warmed Vespera's heart. At least he'd shown up like a real man.After that, Vespera didn't hear from Alaric again. They seemed to have reverted to being mere acquaintances, not bothering each other.Alaric, for
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife I'm sorry, but I'm not available
As the year drew to a close, Vespera, being the good student she was, had already started her holiday break. Unable to stand staying at the Thornfield house, she found herself constantly heading to Aurora's studio or visiting Cheryl on set. Cheryl was currently filming a popular period drama called Autumn's Whispering Fan.Although Cheryl was a talented actress, she wasn't well-versed in the complexities of showbiz, which made her relationships with other celebrities on set somewhat strained. Vespera often visited her, taking the opportunity to chat during Cheryl's breaks."Ves, I heard from Zane that you've been getting pretty close to his brother lately?" Cheryl asked with a gossipy look on her face."What? No way!" Vespera's face instantly turned red as she denied it.Cheryl grinned at her. "You're still denying it? Your face is all red! Come on, spill the beans! Is there something going on?""No! Really, there isn't! Don't make things up!" Vespera waved her hands in protest. "Ever
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife Honestly, Vespera’s pretty nice
Lysander dragged Alaric into the bar, where he was a regular. Everyone from the manager to the staff knew him. As soon as he walked in, someone called out his name across the crowd.Alaric followed, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else, with a gloomy, don’t-talk-to-me expression. Lysander greeted the manager on duty and said, "Get us a private room upstairs. I'm having a drink with Mr. Strider."“Sure thing, Doc! Right this way!” The manager led them upstairs to the quietest room, stocked with the bar's finest. For a rich kid like Lysander, splashing cash was the norm, so the whole bar rolled out the red carpet for him, even bringing in a new girl to keep him company.Lysander didn’t mind at all. No girlfriend, no one special—he was a free spirit, not envious of Heath at all! And definitely not Alaric, who was moping around like a lovesick fool. Lysander was ready to use his charm to lift his buddy’s spirits tonight.“Hey, pour the gentleman a drink,” Lysander said, nodding to th
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife I think you'd be perfect for him
Vespera was feeling stuck. She couldn’t get anything useful out of Alaric, and half the time she couldn’t even understand him. He was mumbling like he had a bottle cap in his mouth or something.So, she called Cheryl, asking her to check with Zane about which bar they usually hit up when they drink. Cheryl got back to her quickly, and Vespera changed and headed out into the late night, hoping to find him. If she couldn’t, she’d have to bother Aurora and Heath for help.Vespera took a cab to the bar and went straight to the front desk. “Did a tall, good-looking guy named Alaric Strider come in tonight?”The bartender looked clueless, but just then, the music took a pause, and the sounds of shouting and breaking glass came from upstairs. The bartender was about to check it out when the manager stopped him. “What do you think you’re doing? Upstairs is reserved for Mr. Strider and his friends; don’t get involved!”Hearing that, Vespera thought, "Alaric Strider?" She headed upstairs. The d
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The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife The End
The next morning, Vespera was woken up at dawn, barely getting a few hours of sleep. Known as a dedicated designer, she was usually the first one awake, but today she could barely keep her eyes open. As the stylist worked on her hair and makeup, Vespera sat half-dazed, drifting in and out, completely unaware of the hands tugging her in all directions.Two hours later, with her hair and makeup done, Vespera finally slipped into her wedding dress. The reality hit her, and for the first time, she fully realized she was about to get married.Memories flooded back, particularly that first encounter with Alaric. He’d been sprawled on the steps outside, a bit too tipsy, looking up with half-closed eyes, asking, “What’s wrong with me?” Vespera, surprising even herself, had replied, “Nothing at all.”Back then, he was just a bright, headstrong young man, carrying so many dreams and frustrations. Somewhere along the way, he’d grown into this strong, grounded man. And somehow, after everything,
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife Ready to Be Married
It wasn’t until a few days after their engagement that it even crossed Vespera’s mind to ask about the villa.Alaric confirmed he’d bought it, explaining that he’d thought she might like it and decided to go for it. As for renovations, he wanted to wait until she officially agreed to everything; after all, they’d eventually need their own place—living with Zane forever wasn’t exactly an option.By now, the news of Alaric and Vespera’s engagement had spread everywhere. Alaric was practically ready to announce it to the world on social media, but thankfully, Aurora stepped in, suggesting he keep things low-key since he was the company CEO. Plus, Vespera wasn’t exactly a fan of the public spotlight.Alaric reluctantly held back but couldn’t resist dropping hints in his friend group chat every other day. Heath and the rest were used to it by now—except Lysander, who constantly complained that he was drowning in a sea of "lovey-dovey vibes," being the lone single guy among them.When Auror
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife I'm Impressed
The next morning, Alaric woke up, remembering last night’s events. He pinched himself—no, it wasn’t a dream. Vespera had actually said yes.He jumped out of bed, showered, changed, and even straightened his tie before driving to her studio. There she was, focused on work, wearing a stylish dress and light makeup, looking absolutely radiant.When he walked in, Vespera looked up, surprised. “Finally awake?” she asked with a smirk.Alaric simply nodded, taking her hand without a word and leading her downstairs. She stumbled after him, asking, “Where are we going?”Alaric gently nudged her into his car, driving her toward a villa. Vespera was clueless and a bit shocked, glancing around, unsure of what was happening.They finally arrived at a beautiful villa. Alaric opened the door, and she asked, “Did you just buy this?”&n
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife Alaric Proposed
The next morning, Alaric was finally over his fever. When Vespera woke up, he was already waiting in the living room. After breakfast, they both headed to their respective offices.Aurora’s team reported they’d successfully returned to the Whitmore family’s estate. For her, that had been a fierce battle. For Vespera, however, the real challenge lay ahead: the design competition.Ever since her last conversation with Yvonne, where Yvonne had hinted that everything she had was due to Aurora and Alaric’s support, Vespera had been determined to prove herself. She wanted to be worthy of Alaric and was pouring all her energy into this competition.After submitting her designs, Vespera anxiously waited at home for results. When the winners were finally announced online, she saw her name in second place. The relief and pride were overwhelming. She had finally achieved something worth sharing with Alaric. Now, with the award ceremony in the UK, she had no choice but to let him know.Expecting
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife She Misses Him
Vespera had reclaimed her brand, and Alaric seemed to be maturing by the day, treating her like she was his entire world. Everything seemed to be falling into place.After that showdown in Alaric’s office with Elowen, she hadn’t shown her face again. Vespera figured it was over, that Elowen had finally given up. Everyone else thought the same.But on the day they took graduation photos, Aurora disappeared. Heath and Alaric eventually tracked her down — Elowen had taken her. Vespera was frantic, blaming herself for not protecting Aurora better.Heath and Alaric couldn’t stop Aurora’s flight at the airport, so they booked tickets to the UK to get her back. Vespera had too much to handle here to join them, so she only saw Alaric off at the airport.He held her close, whispering, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon, and Aurora will be safe.”Vespera hugged him back tightly. She trusted him. Alaric and Heath would get this done — Elowen had crossed a line that couldn’t be ignored, and she knew
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife One Last Time
This past week, Aurora had been tirelessly setting up to counter Evelyn and her allies, Yvonne and Elowen. Meanwhile, Alaric, working alongside Aurora to reclaim Elowen’s brand.A week later, the press conference went ahead as planned. Alaric helped Vespera pick an outfit, stayed until she’d finished her makeup, and then drove her to the venue himself.The conference, led by Evelyn, was a disaster for her team. They failed to take over Aurora’s company, couldn’t drive her out of the Pendleton family, and made no progress in placing Yvonne and Elowen as CEO and head designer. Their plans had backfired entirely.Leaving the venue, Yvonne, clearly shaken, stepped in front of a car without looking and was hit, blood pooling around her. Vespera, stunned and dizzy at the sight, would have collapsed if Alaric hadn’t steadied her.Frantically, Vespera fumbled with her phone to call home, stammering, “It’s Yvonne… she’s bleeding so much…”As someone unaccustomed to such violence, Vespera was t
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife We’ll Get Everything Back
Alaric looked at Vespera with an innocent expression and said, “It’s not what you think. I’m not a creep.”“Not a creep?” Vespera glared at him. “Then what were you doing in my room?”Alaric almost groaned. “If I told you I was here to give you a massage, would you believe me?”“Total creep!” she shouted. “Sneaking into my bed while I was asleep!”Alaric shot back, “I did not! When I woke up, you were the one curled up on me!”Vespera paused, recalling the moment she woke up. Okay, maybe she had been cozying up to him. Wait a second—was he implying she was the one acting out of line?Seeing her hesitation, Alaric grinned smugly. “See? You were just as comfortable with it!”“Get out!” Vespera yelled.Alaric left the room, trying not to smile too much. Sure, nothing happened, but just getting to hold her felt amazing. Although… his shoulder was sore from her leaning on him all night, so he headed back to his room to grab a few more hours of sleep.Vespera, alone in her room, listened as
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife Close Your Eyes
Vespera walked ahead, casual and carefree in a T-shirt and shorts, no makeup, and even bare of high heels, while Alaric trailed close behind with a jacket in hand, grinning like a fool. Everyone in the lobby couldn’t help but notice—their usually composed CEO was tagging along, practically beaming.Catching up to her, Alaric draped his jacket over her shoulders. “How could you leave without dressing warmer? You’ll end up with a stomach ache tonight,” he said, his voice soft with affection.Vespera felt a warm flutter in her chest but stayed quiet, letting his jacket settle around her as they walked out. Alaric was thrilled she hadn’t brushed him off; emboldened, he slipped his hand into hers, wrapping her cold fingers in his.For a moment, she stiffened, then relaxed, letting her hand nestle securely in his. Together, they headed to the parking lot, Alaric practically floating with joy. This felt better than winning the lottery!Bringing her home, Alaric felt out of his depth—things h
The Billionaire's Deadly Doting Wife Do You Love Me
Alaric stood in his office, with Elowen right in front of him, her hand tugging at his tie, a faint smirk hidden beneath her slightly indignant expression.Seeing the scene, Vespera nearly turned around and left right then and there. But she reminded herself of her purpose for coming today. She was done hiding from Elowen. Even if Alaric wasn’t hers in the end, she’d be damned if he ended up with someone like Elowen.So Vespera strode into the office, fixed her gaze on them, and asked, “What’s going on here?”At the sound of her voice, Alaric spun around, fumbling to free his tie from Elowen’s grip. But Elowen held tight, glancing over at Vespera with a slight smile. “Miss Thornfield? You’re here?”Vespera closed the door behind her, gave a slight nod, and asked again, “What exactly is this about?”Elowen smirked. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanted to ask Alaric if I could borrow a few people to help promote my new fashion line. Not sure if he’s on board with it, though.”“Not a chance,
