All Chapters of The Billionaire Bride of Convenience : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

With a shaky but determined voice, I said, "Kaila, you've been lying to me."Kaila's head jerked up from where she was sitting at the dining table, drinking tea as if nothing were going on in the world. Calm and composed, she arched an eyebrow, but as she put down her cup, I noticed a tiny flinch in her palm."Cath," she said in a condescending tone, "you'll need to be more specific." Now, what precisely am I being accused of?Refusing to let her dodge, I took a step closer. I was still thinking about the letter Mike had discovered, its contents churning like a tempest. Everything had pointed to Kaila, with her secrets meticulously concealed under charm and partial truths."Avoid playing games," I snapped. Eleanor's letter, which was about Mia, had a connection to you. Didn't you already know the truth about Mike's daughter?She didn't flinch, but her eyes darkened. She stated calmly, "That's a dangerous accusation." Cath, exercise caution. You don't want to make a mistaken statement.

"Don't you know something?"Mike slammed the door behind him, his voice a mixture of desperation and reproach. His eyes were on me, cutting through the brittle composure I had attempted to preserve since Mia vanished.I was sitting on the couch, holding my phone in one hand, waiting for an update that was not coming, when I looked up. "Mike, I—"He interrupted me and yelled, "Don't lie to me." He ran a hand through his already unkempt hair and paced the room like an animal in a cage. "Cath, I see it in your face. I need you to tell me what it is that you are concealing. Right now.I was gutted when his voice broke on the final syllable. Speaking aloud felt like standing on a precipice and gazing into space, yet the truth was weighing down my chest like a burden I could no longer support.I trembled as I said, "I was going to tell you."Mike halted his pacing and narrowed his gaze as he faced me. "What is meant by that? What were you going to tell me?I forced myself to look him in the

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

"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

"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