Betrayed By The Billionaire

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Liam immediately switched to another messaging app, but he couldn't find Chloe’s profile picture anywhere. She had vanished from his friend list entirely.

A cold realization settled over him: Chloe hadn't just deleted him; she had systematically purged him from her digital life. There was no "staying friends," no bridge left to cross. She was severing every tie, treating him like a ghost that no longer had a right to haunt her.

His face paled, the screen's light reflecting a growing, restless anxiety in his eyes.

He returned to his primary chat app, hoping to glimpse her life through her "Moments" or status updates, but he was locked out—a digital wall stood between them. Desperate, he scrolled back through their old chat history. The last message from her was a selfie on what should have been their wedding day.

In the photo, Chloe was a vision in a strapless white gown, her veil pinned delicately to her hair. She was smiling at the camera, her eyes soft and brimming with a terrifyingly pure happiness.

Liam remembered that day—how she had chased after his car in that very dress, a streak of white against the gray pavement, looking so beautiful it had been agonizing to look away.

With a frustrated groan, he threw his phone across the bed, only to snatch it back seconds later. He searched for Justin in his contacts, wanting to demand an update on the Bishop family’s situation. But then, Justin’s parting words rang in his ears: "Since you chose to abandon her, her life has nothing to do with you anymore."

Liam gritted his teeth and messaged another associate, Malik: "Where are you?"

"It's Leo’s birthday," Malik replied minutes later. "We’re at the Old Spot. You coming, Boss?"

"Be there in thirty," Liam typed.

The Confession at the Grand Elite

Inside the private suite at the Grand Elite, Chloe found Nora alone, surrounded by half-empty bottles.

"You're here. Sit," Nora said, her voice steady but her eyes suspiciously bright. She didn't wait for Chloe to settle before sliding a full glass toward her. "Drink. We aren't leaving until we're both under the table."

Chloe took a seat, her brow furrowed with concern. She accompanied Nora through two drinks before asking softly, "Nora, what happened?"

Nora let out a dry, jagged laugh. "Nothing much. Just Liam Martin calling Nicholas to complain about last night. They had a nice little chat, and then Nicholas decided to come home and pick a fight with me."

Chloe’s expression darkened. She hadn't expected Liam to go that far—to call another man to "rein in" his wife over a social spat. He truly was shielding Sara from even the slightest discomfort, regardless of the fallout for others.

"Did you explain things to Nicholas?"

"He didn't ask for an explanation," Nora said, draining her glass in one go. "He just walked in and called me 'arrogant' and 'overbearing.' Why would I explain myself to a man who has already decided I'm the villain?"

Chloe thought back to Nora’s question from the night before: Why do people have to change?

Given the years of devotion between Nicholas and Nora, a squabble over a friend’s ex shouldn't have triggered a war. But Nicholas’s patience seemed to have evaporated. He wasn't looking for the truth; he was looking for a reason to be angry.

"Did you... did you confront him about Cindy?"

"I tried," Nora’s grip tightened on her glass, her eyes flashing with a predatory, military-grade fury. "He stopped me. He deleted the photos from my phone before I could expose them. He’s protecting that woman, Chloe. And he still has the nerve to look me in the eye and say nothing is going on. Who is he kidding?"

Chloe watched her friend, unable to find the words to comfort her.

Among their circle—Chloe, Lyra, and Summer (who was currently abroad)—Nora had always been the strongest, the most grounded. A top graduate from the National Military Academy, Nora had been a rising star with a brilliant career ahead of her. She had given all of that up to marry Nicholas and become a full-time mother.

Everything Chloe knew about self-defense, marksmanship, and racing, she had learned from Nora. Seeing this warrior-woman reduced to tears over a cheating husband felt like watching a monument crumble.