Betrayed By The Billionaire

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The silence of the Bishop Manor was deceptive. To Chloe Bishop, the luxury of her childhood home felt thin, a fragile barrier against the cold reality of her marriage. Compared to Xavier Grayson, she felt utterly powerless—a realization that stung more than any bruise.

When she spoke to Vince, his warning was immediate. "Don’t mention me to the President," he urged, his voice tight with the knowledge of Xavier's temper. "If you plead for my return now, it will only make things worse. When you truly need me, he will send me back."

Chloe didn't push. She didn't know the intricate chess match Xavier was playing, nor did she realize that her "Big Brother," Donovan Tang, was the one who had forcibly sidelined Vince that night. She hung up, feeling the weight of ten years of distance between her and the boy who used to change her diapers. She trusted Donovan, yet a seed of hesitation kept her from calling him.

The Fractured Mirror: Sarah’s War

To keep her mind from spiraling back to the dungeon, Chloe called Sarah Vance. The news from the Vance Estate was grim.

The night at the lounge had settled nothing. Arthur Vance hadn't returned home for two days, choosing instead to stay at the hospital by Yvonne Blue’s side. Sarah, in a silent fury, had purged his belongings from the master suite once again.

"I'm just going to drag this out," Sarah told Chloe, her voice raspy from smoke and silent screaming. "Let's see how long he can last."

"Sarah," Chloe whispered, "Arthur still acts righteous because he thinks he's 'clean' with Yvonne. Are you really ready to let go?"

"Do you think this man is even worth having anymore?" Sarah countered. The silence that followed was Chloe’s only answer. "I have people watching him. If he actually crosses the line and sleeps with that woman, I'll destroy them both. We’ll go down in flames together."

Chloe hung up, a cold chill settling in her chest. She knew that if it were her, she would choose divorce. But she wasn't Sarah, and she couldn't make that choice for a woman whose heart was being systematically flayed.

The Vigil and the Return

Chloe spent the rest of the afternoon in the nursery with Baby Bella. The infant’s wide, curious eyes were the only source of light in a dark day. Madam Bishop checked in periodically, finding Chloe either staring blankly at the baby or lost in a hollow trance.

When night fell, Chloe went to bed early. She didn't turn off the lights. The fear of the dark—of the mangled face in the cellar—was a physical presence in the room.

Meanwhile, across the city at the Grayson Estate, the "Demon CEO" returned at 8:00 PM. It was early by his standards, but the house felt cavernous and unnervingly quiet without the "First Socialite" there to annoy him.

He strode past the master suite, his gaze lingering on the closed door for a fraction of a second before he retreated to his study. The silence of the mansion was a mirror of the silence in his heart—a cold, expansive void that even his business triumphs couldn't fill.

The stage is set for the one-month celebration of Baby Bella. The Bishop family is hunkering down, Sarah Vance is preparing for a scorched-earth betrayal, and Xavier Grayson is brooding in his empty fortress. Tomorrow, the elite of Haicheng will gather, and the "Drunken Queen" must face the "Demon CEO" in the light of day.

Will Xavier use the public event to reclaim his wife, or will Donovan Tang’s presence trigger a scandal that destroys the Bishop family's fragile peace?

As the lights stay on in the Bishop Manor, what will be the first thing Xavier says to Chloe when they meet at the celebration tomorrow?