Betrayed By The Billionaire

174

Resistance was futile, and Chloe had no choice but to endure the cold weight of Xavier’s possessiveness. The tiny wound on her lip split open again under the pressure, sending a sharp, stinging throb through her nerves. It was a pain that mirrored the deeper ache in her chest—the realization that her body and her life were no longer her own.

As the night deepened, the Han couple returned to their hotel suite. When Mr. Han finally revealed that Xavier and Chloe were actually husband and wife, Mrs. Han sat on the edge of the velvet sofa, speechless with shock. She replayed the memories of Chloe in Seoul—the way the girl’s eyes would light up like a galaxy whenever she spoke of Liam Martin. Chloe had once told her, with the absolute certainty of youth, that Liam was the only man she would ever love, and that she would marry no one else in this lifetime.

Now, that promise lay in ruins. Chloe had indeed married, but the man by her side was a cold, volatile stranger instead of the one she had cherished.

"How could they not end up together?" Mrs. Han whispered, her voice thick with disappointment and sorrow. "You could see it in their eyes; they belonged to each other. Why would that sweet girl throw herself into the arms of a man like Xavier Grayson?"

Mr. Han shared his wife’s heavy heart. "Go and look into it," he urged. "Find out what happened while we were away."

By the time Mrs. Han finished her inquiries, she was trembling with fury. She learned the gruesome details of the wedding day—the public abandonment, the shame Liam had heaped upon the Bishop family, and the desperate circumstances that had forced Chloe to trade her freedom to Xavier. She paced the hotel room, erupting in a barrage of angry rebukes that Mr. Han spent nearly an hour trying to soothe.

Seeing his wife's eyes red with indignation, Mr. Han eventually picked up the phone. He called Liam Martin directly, his voice stern as he delivered a blistering lecture. Mrs. Han snatched the phone away mid-sentence, her voice shaking with rage. "You are a scoundrel, Liam! A complete scoundrel! That girl loved you with everything she had—how could you hurt her like that?"

"You're a fool, Liam Martin!" she continued, her words cutting through the air. "You handed your own woman over to another man. You deserve every ounce of regret you’re feeling right now. You deserve it!"

In his own darkened room, Liam lay paralyzed on his bed. His skin was a roadmap of angry red welts—the allergic reaction making every inch of his body itch and burn with a relentless intensity. Yet, the physical torment paled in comparison to the words echoing from his phone. Mrs. Han’s voice was a serrated blade, plunging into his heart over and over until he felt he was bleeding out in the silence.

When the call finally ended, the sudden quiet of the room felt terrifying. It was nearly midnight, and Snow had long since fallen asleep in the guest wing. Liam stared at his hands, remembering how Chloe used to fuss over him whenever he was unwell, her hands gentle and her voice full of worry.

Mrs. Han was right. He was the most pathetic fool on earth. He had taken the woman who was meant for him and practically pushed her into the lion's den. If only he could go back—if only he could undo the moment he walked away from the altar.

Inside his mind, two voices began a violent struggle.

"It’s not too late," the first voice whispered, desperate and hopeful. "She loved you so deeply; she will forgive you if you just try. She’s miserable with Xavier. She needs you to save her."

But the second voice, cold and rational, struck back. "And what about Snow? You've already chosen her. You can't abandon her now after everything she suffered for you."

"You can compensate Snow with money or status," the first voice argued. "But your heart belongs to Chloe. You saw how Xavier treated her tonight—how can you let him continue to break her?"

"Chloe is married now," the second voice countered. "She has nothing to do with you anymore. Your duty is to protect Snow."

"No! Your duty is to Chloe! Snow was kidnapped by your uncle, Marcus Martin. It’s Marcus who owes her, not you. But Chloe... you are the one who personally destroyed her. She is the one you truly owe a lifetime of atonement to."

The internal battle felt like it would split Liam’s skull open. He clutched his head, curling his body into a tight ball of agony. After what felt like hours, the voices finally subsided, leaving behind a cold, hard resolve.

Liam forced himself upright. He moved with a slow, mechanical precision, taking a quick shower to soothe his burning skin. He wrapped himself in a silk robe and maneuvered his automated wheelchair out of his room, gliding through the silent corridors of his mansion until he reached the door to Snow's bedroom.

The Crossroads of Choice

Liam sat in the doorway, the moonlight casting a pale glow over his handsome but haggard face. He watched the sleeping woman in the bed—the woman who represented his past trauma and his current guilt.

Liam has reached a breaking point. The guilt of what he did to Chloe is finally outweighing the "responsibility" he feels toward Snow. As he stares at the woman he once thought he had to protect at all costs, he realizes that his "debt" to Snow might be the very thing keeping him from saving the woman he actually loves. Is Liam about to make a choice that will spark an all-out war with Xavier Grayson, or will his visit to Snow's room tonight only deepen the web of his own indecision?

What do you think Liam intends to say to Snow at this hour?