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The unsettling stranger.
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-08 07:37:09
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The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The mysterious helper
|Aria’s POV|It’s been three days since the chase on the bridge. I still can’t explain how Zion managed to get us out of that hellish situation and lose the tail, but somehow he did. And for that, I couldn’t be more grateful.I sighed — again. I’d lost count of how many times I’d done that today. My arms wrapped around my knees as I curled up on the sofa, trying to find some sort of comfort in my own embrace. But there was none. Not really.Over the past few days, I’ve cried more than I ever did when Ace divorced me. That was heartbreak. This? This is suffocation. Zion warned me to stay off social media while he and Penelope worked behind the scenes to handle the mess, but I couldn’t help it. I kept scrolling, kept reading the lies people were conjuring up like some twisted fairytale.Do they even realize that celebrities have lives outside of their screens? That we’re just as human as they are? I asked myself for the hundredth time.The house felt too empty. Too quiet. Brianna and Pe
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-09The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love Poisoning?
Aria’s POV|These past few months, I might’ve gotten used to the white walls and the ever-present antiseptic scent clinging to every corner of this hospital.But nothing could ever prepare me for this—my baby lying there, pale and unmoving in a loose blue hospital gown she’s never worn, her usual glow gone.I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time and resumed pacing the cold tiles. I couldn’t sit still. My eyes were locked on her through the transparent door as the nurses and doctors worked around her. Despite all their efforts, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was failing as a mother.I didn’t know what had happened to her, but it should’ve been me. Not her. She doesn’t even know how to express pain, let alone endure it.My chest clenched painfully at the sight of the tubes hooked to her tiny arms. The doctor had already started speculating it might be poison. Poison. But who could hate my baby enough to do something so vile? What could an innocent child possibly have done t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-11The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The constant threat
|Aria’s POV|“Richard, I don’t give a fuck about what your selfish self says. I am not getting married when my best friend’s life is falling apart!” Penny’s voice exploded through the thin bathroom door.I winced and pressed my ear tighter against the wall. Her tone was wild with fury, her anger like a pulse you could feel through the drywall. I had followed her when I noticed her mood shift after that call. She’d been dodging the number for hours.Ace was with the baby. His personal doctor was almost here—despite me telling him it wasn’t necessary. But, being Ace, he had waved me off and declared, “These rookies shouldn’t even have their licenses if they can’t fix a sick child instantly.”Inside the bathroom, Penny raged on.“I’m telling you now—don’t call my bluff,” she warned darkly. “If you go through with this stupid arrangement, I swear I’ll crash your net worth in the first month alone.”A pause. Then a cold scoff.“Oh, that’s not all. I could name ten thousand other ways to ru
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-12The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The imperfections
|Aria’s POV|Ace balanced Zoe on his hip, and she grinned toothily. Her cheeks had slightly thinned over the few days spent at the hospital, but her skin was slowly regaining its tint, and she no longer complained of her stomach pinching her.“Miss Aria!”We all turned, and my smile widened when I saw Dr. Alexander standing outside his office, his door slightly ajar. I wouldn’t lie—he’s been a remarkable help to us these past few days.Walking toward him, I gave a small nod. “Yes, Dr?” I answered politely.“I just wanted to remind you—make sure she takes her meds regularly. Make it compulsory, until I say otherwise,” he advised with a firm but kind tone.I bobbed my head, feeling my chest warm with gratitude. “Of course, trust me. I will do just that,” I assured him with a soft smile.He gave a curt nod and turned to step back into his office.I turned back to Ace and Zoe, and we all walked outside together. My feet froze for a moment when I spotted nearly fifty burly men and women in
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The mocking laughter
|Aria’s POV|I shouldn’t have brought her back here…My knees buckled, and I gripped the window bars to steady myself, barely stopping myself from collapsing. My chest rose and fell in shallow gasps as panic crept up my throat. The room felt too small like the walls were folding in on me, stealing the air from my lungs.How did I end up leading the lions to the monkeys’ safe haven?“Aria.”Brianna and Penny flanked my sides and supported my weight, but all I could see were my dreams shattering in real time. The children I’ve struggled to keep off social media and away from public hate—are now exposed because of my foolishness.“No—no, please,” I choked out, shaking my head frantically. “Keep them away from my kids.”“They can do anything they want to me, but they can’t harass my kids,” I whimpered.“Ria, please calm down. Ace’s security is already working to get the fans away from the house,” Penny reassured.“H–how? How did they get to know my house?” I asked, fearing the answer I al
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-16The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The unfortunate coincidence
|Aria’s POV|My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I perceived the aroma of the little feast I was preparing, wondering what would be his reaction. Will he like it or will he throw it at my face?“Signora. I am sure he would love it very much,” Elena, the head chef of my husband’s mansion assured me.“I am just so nervous, and I wanted to make it more special because it’s his birthday, But, I can’t stop feeling like I will mess it up.” I rambled.She dropped her apron, which she was adamant about wearing even if she didn't help with the preparation. “Signora, it’s perfetto!” Her Italian accent picked up my crumbled confidence.“Thank you very much, Elena. Now take your leave, Ace will be back soon.” I hurried, shoving her out of the kitchen playfully.I rubbed my hands on my apron back and forth as I checked the time, it was around 7 p.m., so he should be back already.My legs were shaking, so I decided to take a seat.“8 o’clock,” I muttered before going outside to check the drivew
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-07The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The familiar stranger
|Aria’s POV|I woke up with my heart drumming wildly against my ribcage. Beaded sweats started dropping from my face and my palms became sweaty. A puff of breath escaped my lips as I remembered the horrific dream I had just had.With a sigh, I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. As I reached for my phone, my eyes fell on a single, sealed envelope sitting on my bedside table. A wave of dread washed over me immediately after I recognised the handwriting. With trembling hands, I tore open the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper.My heart pounded as I read the words, My mind racing. “No, No. This was supposed to be the horrific dream.”The letter was a divorce decree, finalizing the end of my marriage and most probably the end of my life. I felt a cold numbness creep over me while I reread the words, the reality of my situation sinking in. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I let them fall freely, my heart heavy with sorrow and disbelief as I replayed yesterday’s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-07The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The betrayal
|Aria’s POV|It was Gabriella, my step-sister!There are moments when you feel your life turning over for the worse and all you can just do is watch it happen, your tongue becomes tied and you suddenly can’t do anything but remain frozen. For me, that time is now.As I stood in Ace's office, Gabriella wore nothing but a towel, her eyes locked on Ace with unnerving familiarity. Every second felt like a spear piercing my heart. A strangled sob escaped my lips as I staggered backwards, my whole body stiffened, and the event continued to replay in my head.Memories flooded my mind: Gabriella and her mother infiltrating our lives, manipulating my father's grief after my mother's tragic fall. The staircase accident still lingered, an open wound.“Aria..” Ace’s voice pierced the silence, popping the bubble. My eyes washed over him and slid to my step-sister, unsure of who to blame.“What? Why?” I croaked out, after recovering myself from the partial dumbness that enveloped me. She and her e
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-07
Bab terbaru
The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The mocking laughter
|Aria’s POV|I shouldn’t have brought her back here…My knees buckled, and I gripped the window bars to steady myself, barely stopping myself from collapsing. My chest rose and fell in shallow gasps as panic crept up my throat. The room felt too small like the walls were folding in on me, stealing the air from my lungs.How did I end up leading the lions to the monkeys’ safe haven?“Aria.”Brianna and Penny flanked my sides and supported my weight, but all I could see were my dreams shattering in real time. The children I’ve struggled to keep off social media and away from public hate—are now exposed because of my foolishness.“No—no, please,” I choked out, shaking my head frantically. “Keep them away from my kids.”“They can do anything they want to me, but they can’t harass my kids,” I whimpered.“Ria, please calm down. Ace’s security is already working to get the fans away from the house,” Penny reassured.“H–how? How did they get to know my house?” I asked, fearing the answer I al
The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The imperfections
|Aria’s POV|Ace balanced Zoe on his hip, and she grinned toothily. Her cheeks had slightly thinned over the few days spent at the hospital, but her skin was slowly regaining its tint, and she no longer complained of her stomach pinching her.“Miss Aria!”We all turned, and my smile widened when I saw Dr. Alexander standing outside his office, his door slightly ajar. I wouldn’t lie—he’s been a remarkable help to us these past few days.Walking toward him, I gave a small nod. “Yes, Dr?” I answered politely.“I just wanted to remind you—make sure she takes her meds regularly. Make it compulsory, until I say otherwise,” he advised with a firm but kind tone.I bobbed my head, feeling my chest warm with gratitude. “Of course, trust me. I will do just that,” I assured him with a soft smile.He gave a curt nod and turned to step back into his office.I turned back to Ace and Zoe, and we all walked outside together. My feet froze for a moment when I spotted nearly fifty burly men and women in
The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The constant threat
|Aria’s POV|“Richard, I don’t give a fuck about what your selfish self says. I am not getting married when my best friend’s life is falling apart!” Penny’s voice exploded through the thin bathroom door.I winced and pressed my ear tighter against the wall. Her tone was wild with fury, her anger like a pulse you could feel through the drywall. I had followed her when I noticed her mood shift after that call. She’d been dodging the number for hours.Ace was with the baby. His personal doctor was almost here—despite me telling him it wasn’t necessary. But, being Ace, he had waved me off and declared, “These rookies shouldn’t even have their licenses if they can’t fix a sick child instantly.”Inside the bathroom, Penny raged on.“I’m telling you now—don’t call my bluff,” she warned darkly. “If you go through with this stupid arrangement, I swear I’ll crash your net worth in the first month alone.”A pause. Then a cold scoff.“Oh, that’s not all. I could name ten thousand other ways to ru
The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love Poisoning?
Aria’s POV|These past few months, I might’ve gotten used to the white walls and the ever-present antiseptic scent clinging to every corner of this hospital.But nothing could ever prepare me for this—my baby lying there, pale and unmoving in a loose blue hospital gown she’s never worn, her usual glow gone.I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time and resumed pacing the cold tiles. I couldn’t sit still. My eyes were locked on her through the transparent door as the nurses and doctors worked around her. Despite all their efforts, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was failing as a mother.I didn’t know what had happened to her, but it should’ve been me. Not her. She doesn’t even know how to express pain, let alone endure it.My chest clenched painfully at the sight of the tubes hooked to her tiny arms. The doctor had already started speculating it might be poison. Poison. But who could hate my baby enough to do something so vile? What could an innocent child possibly have done t
The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The mysterious helper
|Aria’s POV|It’s been three days since the chase on the bridge. I still can’t explain how Zion managed to get us out of that hellish situation and lose the tail, but somehow he did. And for that, I couldn’t be more grateful.I sighed — again. I’d lost count of how many times I’d done that today. My arms wrapped around my knees as I curled up on the sofa, trying to find some sort of comfort in my own embrace. But there was none. Not really.Over the past few days, I’ve cried more than I ever did when Ace divorced me. That was heartbreak. This? This is suffocation. Zion warned me to stay off social media while he and Penelope worked behind the scenes to handle the mess, but I couldn’t help it. I kept scrolling, kept reading the lies people were conjuring up like some twisted fairytale.Do they even realize that celebrities have lives outside of their screens? That we’re just as human as they are? I asked myself for the hundredth time.The house felt too empty. Too quiet. Brianna and Pe
The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The unsettling stranger.
| Gabriella’s POV |“Are you out of your goddamn mind? Haven’t you done enough already? She’s your step-sister, for crying out loud!” Hannah’s voice shrieked through the speaker.I tapped the speaker icon and set the phone on the marble counter beside me, barely sparing it a glance as I applied a final swipe of my Fenty gloss. The golden tone shimmered under the bathroom lights. I admired the effect for a moment before speaking.“I’m just answering their questions, Han. That’s all,” I said coolly, brushing an invisible speck from my sundress.“You know, I’ve been meaning to say this for a while now.”“Oh God, please don’t tell me this is the moment you finally confess your undying love for me,” I deadpanned, smirking at my reflection.“Far from it. You’re a selfish narcissist who never sees herself as wrong. And this latest stunt of yours? It’s going to backfire. You’ll be dragged through the mud, worse than Aria ever was.”I rolled my eyes. “You do realize being nice to her won’t ear
The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love Background Investigation
|Penelope’s POV|I've always wanted to be a mom, for as long as I can remember. But not at the cost of my child growing up without a father. I know what it means to raise a kid alone—it’s not for the fainthearted. Watching Aria handle two children on her own, with little to no help, made me admire her strength even more. She made it look possible, but I knew better than to think it was easy.Honestly, my fear of marriage stems from what I saw growing up. My mother nearly lost her mind in hers. My dad made her life hell, always blaming her, causing drama, and then expecting her to clean up his mess like it was her job.And his worst quality? He was a misogynist to the core.My mom only had me before she was diagnosed with severe womb complications. Doctors said she couldn’t have any more children. I suspect I might’ve inherited those complications, but that’s not even the worst part.My father never accepted me. He never saw me as his. He’d proudly tell people, "I don't have a child,"
The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The bet
|Zion’s POV|Pacing around the restroom, I glared at my reflection in the mirror. My jaw was tight, the fury bubbling under my skin like lava ready to erupt.“You weren’t able to take the video down?” I barked into the phone, my voice echoing off the tiled walls. “Our reputation is hanging by a thread, and you’re telling me you couldn’t manage one job?”Matt stammered on the other end, but I didn’t let him speak.“You’ve got five hours,” I snapped. “Get those accounts down, or I’ll cut your paycheck in half. No reason to keep paying you for work you’re clearly not doing. And considering how fat that check is, you better get moving.”“Yes, boss. I’m sorry, we’ll handle it,” Matt muttered.“You better,” I hissed. “Because if you don’t, you’ll be the next name trending—for all the wrong reasons.”I hung up and slammed my fist into the wall. Pain exploded through my hand, but it barely cut through the rage clouding my mind. I stared down at my bruised knuckles, breathing hard.“Hey man, y
The Billionaire's regret: a second chance at love The familiar number
Aria’s POV |It’s been two days since I was admitted to the hospital, and today, I’m finally being discharged.Yay.As we walked out of the hospital, I kept my head down, ignoring the nurses who waved enthusiastically at me. It felt less like a warm sendoff and more like mockery. My chest tightened with shame, but Zion squeezed my hand gently, his reassuring smile doing little to ease my nerves.My kids were with Mr. Jimmy, and as much as I missed them, I couldn’t risk being around them right now. I didn’t know what to expect. Some deranged people, disguised as anti-fans, had been dragging me online, demanding that I speak up about the scandal unfolding around me.Some even claimed I wouldn’t dare because I was too busy warming Ace’s bed.In the last forty-eight hours, I’d contemplated breaking up with Zion more times than I could count. Every cruel comment made me question why he was even with someone like me. I knew he was acting unbothered, but he was human. These words had to cut
