Betrayed By The Billionaire

70

While Chloe was navigating the fallout of her "victory" on the track, the rest of River City’s elite were dealing with their own wreckage.

After Sara collapsed in the parking garage, Liam Martin spent a frantic, sleepless night by her hospital bed. By morning, the medical report offered a grim explanation: the fainting spell was a complication of old head injuries and physical scarring, triggered by severe emotional distress.

Blaming Nora for the previous night's confrontation, Liam’s fury boiled over. He called Nicholas directly, demanding he "rein in" his wife. "If she touches Sara again," Liam warned, his voice cold with steel, "don't blame me for showing no mercy."

That single phone call became the spark that ignited a massive row between Nicholas and Nora, pushing their already fragile marriage toward the abyss.

The Viral Mystery

Unaware of the storm she had helped brew, Chloe returned to the Bishop estate only to find her phone blowing up. Lyra had sent a grainy, long-distance photo taken at the West City Circuit the night before.

"Is this you?" Lyra messaged, followed by a string of exclamation points. "The whole racing association is turning the city upside down looking for the 'Twin Gods' of the track!"

Chloe tried to play it cool. "It’s so blurry, how could you tell?"

"In River City, who else drives like that besides you and Nora?" Lyra shot back. "And that profile definitely isn't Nora’s. Every team in the country is desperate to recruit you for the National Grand Prix next month."

The National Grand Prix was more than a race in China; it was a cultural phenomenon, drawing a fervor usually reserved for the World Cup. But Chloe wasn't interested. "My mom doesn't like me racing. Too dangerous."

"Liar!" Lyra teased. "You’ve already conquered the local circuit. After the Nationals comes the International stage. It’s your duty to race for the glory of the country!"

Chloe smiled bitterly. "I’ll leave the glory to the 'patriotic boys.' Besides, do you want to know who I was racing against?"

"Who?"

"Xavier Grayson."

The chat went silent for a full ten seconds before Lyra’s text exploded across the screen: "XAVIER?! You raced the Demon CEO? And wait... you won? Chloe, you’ve got some nerve. You better watch out, or he’ll kill you in bed for bruising his ego!"

Chloe’s hands went cold, her body stiffening at the joke. Lyra didn't realize how close to the truth she was. Xavier did want to break her—not with passion, but with the calculated cruelty he used to dominate everyone in his path. The memory of his bloodshot eyes and the crushing weight of his hand on her throat resurfaced, making her shudder in the morning sun.

The Reluctant Delivery

At lunchtime, Mrs. Bishop finished packing two exquisite thermal lunch boxes.

"Why are there two?" Chloe asked, eyeing the bags with suspicion.

Mrs. Bishop pulled Chloe up from the table before she could take a single bite of her own food. "One is for Xavier, and one is for you. Don't just drop it off and run back! He’s working hard to save our company. Go there, be a good wife—make him some coffee, rub his shoulders."

Chloe bit her tongue. If she actually tried to give Xavier a shoulder rub, he’d likely point at the door and tell her to "get out" before she could touch him. But she couldn't break her mother’s heart, so she took the boxes and headed for the car.

The last person she wanted to see right now was Xavier Grayson.

The moment she sat in the back of the Bugatti, she looked at Vince with a "sweet" and "caring" expression. "Vince, you’ve been working so hard and haven't had lunch yet, right? Here, this is for you."