Rejected By My Ex, I Married A Hidden Billionaire

Chapter 9 The Unexpected Confession

The next morning, I woke up to the warm sunlight streaming through the bedroom window, the faint scent of coffee wafting from downstairs. For a moment, I forgot where I was—forgot about the fake marriage, the deal, the revenge. I just lay there, listening to the quiet hum of the mansion, and for a second, it felt like a real home.

I stretched and climbed out of bed, slipping on a robe the staff had laid out for me. When I walked downstairs, Ethan was already at the kitchen table, a laptop open in front of him, a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked up when he heard me, and a soft smile tugged at his lips—one that didn’t feel like an act, one that felt real.

“Good morning,” he said, pushing a cup of coffee toward the empty seat next to him. “I made it how you like it—black, no sugar.”

I sat down, taking a sip of the coffee. It was perfect, just like he’d remembered. A warmth spread through my chest, and I had to remind myself this was just part of the act. “Thank you,” I said quietly, avoiding his eyes.

He nodded, turning back to his laptop, but his fingers paused over the keyboard. “I heard from the board this morning,” he said, his voice soft. “They’re impressed with your ‘wife’ act—said you fit the part perfectly.”

I laughed, a short, nervous sound. “Just doing my job.”

Ethan closed his laptop, leaning forward slightly. “Lila, about last night… I’m sorry I had to leave so suddenly. The emergency was a false alarm, but…” He trailed off, his blue eyes locking onto mine. “I meant what I said. You don’t have to be alone in this.”

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Jake—begging again, apologizing, promising to change. I showed it to Ethan, rolling my eyes. “He still doesn’t get it, does he?”

Ethan’s expression turned cold. “He’ll get it soon enough. I already called his new employer—they’re revoking his offer. By the end of the week, he’ll be lucky to find a job waiting tables.”

I stared at him, a sudden realization hitting me. “You’ve been watching out for me this whole time, haven’t you? Not just because of the contract—because you wanted to.”

Ethan’s cheeks flushed slightly, a rare show of vulnerability. “I told you, Lila. You’re not just a part of the deal. You’re… different.” He reached across the table, his hand covering mine again. This time, I didn’t pull away.

The doorbell rang suddenly, jolting us apart. The butler appeared at the door, his expression tense. “Mr. Hale, there’s a man at the gate. He says he’s your brother, and he insists on seeing you.”

Ethan’s face darkened instantly, his hand tightening around mine. “Tell him I’m not home,” he said, his voice sharp.

The butler hesitated. “He says it’s urgent. He’s been waiting out there for an hour.”

Ethan sighed, standing up. “Stay here,” he told me, his tone firm. “Don’t answer the door, no matter what you hear.”

I watched him leave, my heart racing. There was something he wasn’t telling me—something about his brother, something that made him so tense. As I sat there, holding the warm coffee cup, I realized I didn’t just want the revenge, didn’t just want the money. I wanted to know him—really know him.

And that scared me more than anything. Because if I kept feeling this way, the line between fake and real would blur beyond repair. And once that happened, there would be no going back.