My Billionaire is A Gynecologist

Chapter 7 Friends With Benefits

Amanda heard the woman's voice on the phone, and she knew things were going as smoothly as they planned. She let out a sigh of relief but didn't waste a second before going on the offensive.

She shouted, "Ryan, what the hell is wrong with you in the middle of the night? Are you out there keeping a mistress and trying to push me into a divorce? You've been stirring up trouble lately! Fine, if you think I'm at a hotel, you can just wait there and catch me red-handed. But if you don't see me, you better apologize and sign those divorce papers!"

Ryan's face turned all shades of red and pale as he cursed Dereck silently. 'How could that stupid guy mistake someone else for Amanda?'

Realizing he had no real proof to back up his accusations, Ryan knew Amanda might find something wrong if he kept pushing her too hard.

He forced a smile and said, "Manda, it was just a joke. Funny, huh? Don't be mad..."

"Funny? Is that what you call it? You're just looking for trouble! If you've got nothing better to do, maybe go get checked out at the hospital instead of throwing around accusations!" Amanda ranted on, getting her frustration out.

Ryan was left speechless, and Amanda finally hung up the phone with a satisfying smile.

Her heart pounded, but she felt liberated.

For so long, she'd held back from confronting Ryan, worried about his pride, especially considering his health issues.

But Ryan? He wasn't just hiding it—he was out there, having a child with another woman.

The thought made her blood boil. She had nothing to hold back anymore. Now that he pretended to be erectile dysfunction in front of her, she'd let him stew in his own juice!

Breathing heavily, Amanda could hardly compose herself.

Her gaze flicked to Richard, yet she wasn't in the mood to go any further with him tonight.

Richard's sharp eyes took in her expression, and he raised his eyebrows. "Remember to keep your tail hidden when you come over next time. Don't ruin my mood."

Amanda rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "If you didn't drag me out here in the middle of the night without thinking about my schedule, do you think I would've gotten caught?"

"Excuse me?" Richard didn't catch it, his long strides bringing him closer to her.

Amanda instinctively stepped back, her confidence deflating. "Oh, nothing."

Richard gave her a lazy, amused look and added, "This time, I'll let it slide. But you still owe me a night and a favor."

Amanda's eyes widened as she retorted, "Are you seriously going to hold that over me? My reputation was almost ruined tonight, and you're telling me we can't just call it even?"

'Geeze, this guy's so petty!' she thought.

Richard chuckled, clearly entertained by her angry look. He gently lifted her chin and teased, "I'm the one who went out of my way to get rid of your husband, and I almost got myself ruined, too. Today was a loss for me, not you. You want me to call it even?"

Amanda blinked, instantly realizing she had no ground to stand on.

Seeing her lost for words, Richard leaned down and bit her lips. "Go ahead," he said, his voice low.

Amanda covered her mouth as she left the room, her mind still swirling. She pulled out her phone and checked herself in the mirror. Sure enough, there was a faint bite mark on her lower lip.

'That jerk,' she cursed silently.

Suddenly, a batch of photos from the private investigator popped up on her phone.

Amanda paused her steps, her heart sinking. She opened the message and clicked on the images.

Even though she knew what to expect, seeing the pictures still made her stomach churn. She spat with hatred, "Goddamn cheating assholes!"

The photos showed Ryan and Victoria, some kissing in a café, some shopping arm-in-arm in a luxury store, and others making out in a car without closing the windows.

Cold fury flashed in Amanda's eyes, and she tried hard to swallow down the disgust in her chest.

'They love to cheat, huh? Like playing with fire, huh? Fine, I'll burn them both to the ground!' she wondered.

As she seethed with rage, she suddenly heard the faint breath behind her.

Startled, she turned around, only to see Richard leaning casually against the doorframe and watching her.

Their eyes locked for a moment before Richard's gaze dropped to the screen of her phone.

It was the photo of Ryan and Victoria making out in the car.

Amanda quickly turned the screen off, feeling a rush of embarrassment. She barked, "Hey, stop looking!"

Richard's eyes darkened as he stepped closer to gently grab her chin.

With a low and threatening tone, he asked, "So, you came to me to use me as a tool to get back at your cheating husband?"

Amanda, fully aware of what he was implying, smiled as she grabbed his fingers. "Can't I, Dr. Henderson?"

Before she could say anything else, Richard pulled her into his arms with a smirk, his hands gripping her chin as he kissed her fiercely.

Their lips met in a heated kiss, and their breaths mingled in the tense silence of the room.

Richard was a master at kissing. He didn't close his eyes as he kissed her, his gaze sharp and intense, as if he was reading her every reaction.

Amanda found herself lost in the depths of his eyes, and she was almost unable to resist.

Suddenly, she shoved him away, her heart racing. "I didn't think of you as just a tool. Once our deal is done, I won't contact you again."

Richard narrowed his eyes, his lips pressing into a thin line. He looked clearly displeased.

He studied Amanda for a moment before speaking, "What if I want to strike another deal with you?"

Amanda asked in confusion, "What kind of deal?"

He smirked, showing a glint of mischief in his gaze. "For example, I can make your husband's dirty laundry public. Expose him to the world and destroy his reputation. And no one would ever find out who's behind all this."

His words were dripping with subtle challenge, as if he were testing her reaction.

Amanda's eyes flickered with thought, and her interest was immediately piqued.

She pondered, 'This could work. Right now, gathering evidence to divorce Ryan and secure my fair share of the family business is a tricky task. Our families have business dealings, and on the surface, everything looks fine.'

'If I expose the truth, I may risk losing not only Ryan's assets, but also any leverage with the Brooks family. They probably won't agree to a generous settlement. But I must divorce that bastard and ensure Ryan and his lover are brought down. More than that, I want the whole Brooks family to feel sorry for me! That's the revenge I want!'

Thus, she needed a weapon for that—a sharp, effective tool, like the man standing in front of her.

When Amanda looked up again, her expression had shifted from anger into a bright smile.

She reached out and used her fingertips to lightly make circles in Richard's pam. "So, what's your price?"

Richard clasped her fingers with a firm grip, his eyes filled with intrigue. "I want you to maintain a long-term friends-with-benefits arrangement with me. And whether it ends or not is up to me."

Amanda was taken aback, unable to stop herself from blurting out, "Guys in your field are all so needy? You're handsome as hell—what kind of woman wouldn't want to be with you?"

Richard's expression darkened, irritation flashing across his face.

He hated hearing snarky remarks from her.

He flashed a grin, but there was a sharp edge to his smile. "No other woman has what you've got."

His gaze raked over her from head to toe, and Amanda couldn't help but flush.

The truth was, she and Richard did have an undeniable chemistry in bed, a kind of electric connection that was hard to deny. And in bed, he certainly knew how to make her feel good.

But Amanda had no intention of getting tangled up in some long-term arrangement with another man, especially not after divorcing Ryan. She wanted to be free, to enjoy her life on her own terms, not tied down by anyone.

She let her fingers curl around Richard's neck, her voice playful but tinged with a hint of feigned innocence. "Alright then, it's a deal."

She was only thinking about the compensation and the travel plans she'd make once everything was over.

In her mind, she was already picturing herself on a beach somewhere far away, far from the mess of her marriage and Richard's demands.

Little did she know, Richard noticed every shift of her expression.

He leaned forward and squeezed her waist. "Get your evidence together and hand it to me when you're ready."

Amanda nodded and left the hotel with confident strides.

*****

To avoid suspicion, Amanda decided to go straight to her parents' house.

She quickly touched up her lipstick, carefully covering up the faint bite mark on her lips from earlier.

Amanda's mother, Roselyn White, was startled when she saw Amanda walk in late at night. "Manda, what are you doing here? Did you and Ryan have a fight?"

"No, Mom," Amanda replied smoothly, her expression a picture of calm.

She hid all her emotions behind a well-placed smile and held her mother's hand to explain, "Ryan's working late. I was bored at home and thought I'd come to see you. By the way, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Just as Roselyn was about to speak, the headlights of a car flashed outside the window.

Amanda thought with a sneer, 'I knew it. Ryan comes to confirm what he suspected.'