Betrayed By The Billionaire

191

Chloe felt a cold, bitter laugh rising in her throat. Chloe Bishop, oh Chloe, you've really hit rock bottom today thanks to Yumie.

Staring at Arthur Vance, she felt a profound sense of estrangement. This was Sarah’s husband, a man she had known for years. While they weren't best friends, he had always been courteous, even warm. Now, seeing him turn on her so viciously for the sake of Yumie, Chloe found it utterly pathetic. Had he forgotten he had a wife and child at home? It truly was an era where scoundrels reigned and mistresses flourished.

But before Chloe could lash out, a small, resolute figure stepped in front of her.

Liam Jr. stood there, his tiny frame acting as a shield. His small hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists, and his body trembled with a primal, concentrated fury. He looked like a cornered cub, his dark eyes burning as he glared up at Arthur Vance. His face was flushed crimson with rage, but he remembered Chloe’s earlier words; he was fighting with everything he had to stay in control. He had to protect Chloe. He wouldn't let her get hurt.

Giselle Zhao saw this and let out a sharp, mocking bark of laughter. "Chloe Bishop, have you no shame? Letting a little mute stand up and take the fall for you? How pathetic can you get?"

Chloe’s head was throbbing so violently she could no longer think straight. The searing heat in her blood and the sheer exhaustion had pushed her to a state of raw, jagged irritability. That one word—mute—snapped the final thread of her self-control.

"Liam Jr., move," Chloe commanded, her voice trembling.

She forcibly pulled the boy behind her and, with a sudden burst of adrenaline, lunged toward Giselle.

Slap!

The sound was even louder than the strike she had dealt Yumie. Giselle’s head snapped back, her eyes wide and bloodshot with shock.

"You dared to hit me?" Giselle shrieked, her hand flying to her stinging cheek. "Chloe Bishop, you’re just a desperate slut! What is there left to be proud of? You crawled to Xavier Grayson, and now that you can’t hack it in his house, you’re out here seducing other men to climb back up!"

Giselle was beyond reason now, the humiliation of being struck in public turning her tongue into a poisoned blade. "You even faked a fainting spell just to fall into Donovan Tang’s arms! Have you no decency? Look at his status—why would a man like that ever want a piece of damaged goods like you?"

Chloe was incandescent with rage. "I’ll give you foul-mouthed lies!"

As she raised her hand to strike Giselle again, a large hand clamped around her wrist like an iron shackle. Arthur Vance shoved her back with a violent force. "That’s enough, Chloe!"

Arthur’s strength was overwhelming. Chloe stumbled backward, her vision spinning so wildly she couldn't steady her feet. Feeling her knees buckle, she instinctively closed her eyes, preparing for the hard impact of the marble floor. She heard Liam Jr.’s gutteral, frantic roar of anger, and in that split second, she felt a wave of crushing guilt. She shouldn't have been so impulsive. The little guy had tried so hard to protect her, and she had failed him.

But the fall never came.

Strong, powerful arms snared her waist, pulling her flush against a broad, solid chest. The sudden scent of expensive tobacco and cold peppermint surrounded her. She looked up, her vision blurred by fever, and saw the sharp, unmistakable silhouette of the man holding her.

Perhaps it was the illness, or perhaps it was the sheer weight of being bullied by the crowd, but for the first time, Xavier’s chest felt like a fortress of safety. Her frayed nerves finally snapped.

"You certainly have a talent for trouble," Xavier’s voice was as cold and sharp as a scalpel.

Chloe’s lip trembled. She looked at him, her eyes brimming with a vulnerability she usually fought to hide. "Why did you only get here now?" she rasped, her voice breaking.

She had reached her limit. She had been fighting off a pack of wolves alone, and the one person who was supposed to be her shield had been standing back, watching.

Xavier looked down at her, his expression showing no trace of warmth. He glanced at her chest, where the dark wine stain had turned her white silk into a messy, transparent ruin. His eyes flashed with a thunderous rage. "Look at the state of you. You really know how to make me look good, don't you?"

With a cold shove, he pushed her away from his chest.

Chloe felt the rejection like a physical blow, her face turning ashen. But before she could stumble, a heavy, expensive suit jacket was draped over her shoulders. The wide, tailored garment enveloped her small frame, hiding the wine stain and shielding her from the prying eyes of the crowd.

Xavier’s sudden intervention and his silent claim over her made the surrounding women’s faces drain of color. Giselle, in particular, looked as though she were staring at her own executioner.

The Demon's Protection

Xavier stands in the center of the foyer, his jacket wrapped around Chloe, his presence so suffocatingly powerful that the room has fallen into a terrified silence. He didn't come to comfort her, but he also won't allow anyone else to insult what belongs to him.

With Arthur Vance standing his ground and the "White Lotus" Yumie watching from the sidelines, Xavier is about to deliver his verdict. Will he punish Chloe for the public brawl, or will he turn his lethal focus onto the people who dared to touch his wife? And more importantly, how will Donovan Tang react to seeing Xavier finally lay hands on the woman they both claim to protect?

Do you think Xavier will force Arthur Vance to apologize for pushing Chloe?