Lahat ng Kabanata ng CHASING THE BILLIONAIRE'S SUBSTITUTE EX-WIFE: Kabanata 111 - Kabanata 120

EZEKIEL“Dad!” Vera’s voice was the first thing I heard. I woke up to the sound of tiny footsteps and hushed voices. My head was resting on my desk, and the soft light filtering through the window told me it was already morning. I blinked a few times, realizing I must have fallen asleep while working.“Daddy!” Vera called me again and when I glanced at her, she pouted, her arms crossed in front of her. “We looked for you in your room, but you weren’t there!”Vince stood beside her, looking a little more relaxed. “Yeah, Mom said you were probably still in your office, so we came here.”I rubbed my eyes and stretched, feeling the stiffness in my neck from sleeping in the chair. “Good morning, you two,” I said, giving them a sleepy smile. “I’m sorry, I had to stay up all night to finish some work.”Vera’s pout softened, and she smiled at me. “It’s okay, but we missed you! We’re supposed to have breakfast together.”I chuckled and ruffled her hair. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. So

VIVIENNEThe sun was warm, and the breeze was soft as we all gathered on the beach. It was time for our sandcastle competition, and I was feeling pretty confident. I glanced at Ezekiel, who was smiling at me."Alright, rock, paper, scissors to see who picks first," I said, holding my hand out."Deal," Ezekiel replied. Playfulness was evident in his green eyes. We counted down, "One, two, three!"I threw out paper, and he went with rock. I couldn’t help but grin as I looked at him. "Looks like I win," I said.Vera giggled beside me, while Vince stayed quiet, giving Ezekiel a small look. Ezekiel shrugged, not too bothered by it. "Okay, who are you picking?" Ezekiel asked, looking at me.I glanced between Vera and Vince. Vera was practically jumping up and down, hoping I would pick her. Then I looked at Vince. He was calm, as always, but I could tell Ezekiel was still trying to bond with him. They needed this. So, I made my choice."I’ll pick Vera," I said, smiling at her."Yay! Mom

VIVIENNEI didn’t know how I survived that confrontation with Ezekiel earlier. But fortunately, he seemed to respect my insights. It made me think he may have changed already, just like what he told me. That he was no longer the angry Ezekiel I used to know who never liked whenever he didn’t get what he wanted. I sat on the balcony of our villa, appreciating the cool evening breeze brushing against my face. My phone was pressed to my ear as I talked to Piper, who was on the other end of the line. She had called to check in, and I’d just finished telling her about the sudden trip we’d taken. “We just packed up and left,” I explained, shaking my head at how quickly everything had happened. "Ezekiel’s parents were insisting on staying at the house for days. I couldn’t handle that, so here we are, camping by the beach.”Piper's voice came through with her signature sass. "Good for you, girl. Honestly, I wouldn’t let those evil grandparents of Vince and Vera stay in my house either. You

VIVIENNEI sat by the pool, looking at the calm water in front of us. The sides of the pool had blue LED lights, making the pool seem tempting to me. “I think I want to go swimming,” I said quietly, more to myself than anyone else.Since I didn't take a swim earlier in the beach, I wanted to do it now. Actually I planned on doing it. Under my clothes, I wore a swimsuit. Ezekiel, sitting nearby, stood up right away. “I’ll join you,” he said, walking toward the pool. He dipped his toes into the water and smiled. “The water’s nice.”Vera, sitting with her feet already in the pool, started laughing. “Mom! Dad’s gonna swim with you! This is going to be fun!” she teased, clapping her hands. “Go, Dad!”I laughed softly at her excitement. “You really believe your dad can do everything, huh?”“He can!” Vera cheered, giggling again.Meanwhile, Vince was yawning. He looked sleepy, not paying attention to what was happening. “I’m going to the tent soon,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.“That’

EZEKIEL“Whiskey and swimming? That’s a dangerous combination,” Vivienne laughed and it sounded heaven in my ears. “Only if you can’t handle it,” I teased, walking over to where my resort’s staff had stashed drinks earlier. I grabbed the bottle of whiskey and two small glasses, raising them in her direction. “Come on, just a sip while we float around.”She hesitated for a second. Then she shrugged while still smiling. “Alright, why not?”We walked over to the pool, the cool night air brushing against our skin. I poured a small amount of whiskey into each glass and handed one to her. We clinked our glasses together with a soft “cheers,” and both took a sip. The whiskey burned a little, but it felt good, warming me from the inside out.“Back to the pool then?” I asked, motioning toward the water.Vivienne took another sip of her drink and nodded. “Let’s do it.”We stepped into the pool, and the water was cool against our skin but not too cold. I floated over to Vivienne, keeping a pla