Betrayed By The Billionaire

135

As Chloe watched Xavier coldly abandon her to face the chaos alone, a wave of disappointment washed over her. More than that, she felt a sting of irritation—was that look he gave her actually... pity? Or was it pure disdain? Why on earth was he looking down on her now of all times?

Just as she was about to spiral into her own thoughts, Vince (Xavier’s assistant) stepped toward her. Simultaneously, the driver of Xavier's lead car climbed out and bowed respectfully. "Young Mistress, shall we head inside?"

Chloe blinked in surprise. "You’re coming in with me?"

A sudden thought struck her—was Xavier actually going to help Coach Lee? She peeked through the tinted window of the luxury sedan, but the man inside looked as immovable and heartless as ever. He didn't look like a philanthropist.

She hurried to the car door, her mind racing with questions. "Xavier? Are you going to save Team Swift?"

Xavier didn't even grant her a verbal reply. He gave her one last look of absolute mockery before cold-bloodedly rolling up the power window, sealing himself away from her.

Chloe stood there, stunned. Okay, I am one hundred percent certain now. He is definitely looking down on me.

The driver cleared his throat behind her. "Young Mistress, didn't you hear Coach Lee say he was going to sell the facility?"

Chloe frowned, still not catching the drift. "So?"

The driver smiled, though there was a shark-like glint in his eyes. "A piece of land this size, in this location? Buying it is a guaranteed profit. Especially under these circumstances... it’s the perfect time to drive the price down."

The realization hit Chloe like a lightning bolt. "Of course! If I just buy the land, all the problems are solved! The debts get paid, the team stays, and—"

The driver interrupted her with a polite but firm correction. "Young Mistress... it is Mr. Grayson who is buying the land."

Chloe’s jaw dropped. Right. Xavier is buying it. It has nothing to do with my 'heroic' rescue!

Inside the gates, the shouting had finally died down. Coach Lee had successfully reached Yuvraj on the phone and had walked to a quieter corner to negotiate the fate of his life's work.

Chloe, Vince, and the driver entered the wreckage. Vince effortlessly parted the crowd like a silent shadow, allowing Chloe and the driver to slip in behind Vince the Mechanic. They stood close enough to overhear Coach Lee’s trembling conversation.

"Yuvraj, you have the nerve to offer me only a hundred million?" Coach Lee’s voice was shaking with suppressed rage.

"Lee, listen to yourself," Yuvraj’s voice crackled through the speaker, oily and arrogant. "Thirty years ago, you bought that wasteland for two hundred thousand. Now I’m offering you a hundred million. What more do you want? Don't be greedy."

Vince the Mechanic turned white with fury, his hand reaching out to snatch the phone away, but Chloe was faster. She grabbed his arm, whispering urgently, "Vince, stay calm!"

At that moment, Xavier’s driver stepped up to Coach Lee. He leaned in and whispered a few short sentences into the old man’s ear.

Chloe watched Coach Lee’s face transform. It shifted from hollow despair to a complex mask of shock, and finally, to a flare of intense, burning hope. It was as if he had caught a glimpse of a sunrise in the middle of a hurricane.

Chloe was dying of curiosity. What did the driver say to him?

She glanced at Xavier’s assistant, Vince, but he stood like a statue, his long bangs shadowing half of his face, looking deeper and more mysterious than ever.

Yuvraj’s voice blared from the phone again, loud and threatening. "Lee, don't be a fool. This money is enough to fix your mess and leave you with a massive pension. If you ask for more, you might not live long enough to spend it."

It was a blatant, cold-blooded death threat.

Coach Lee’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the phone. He gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with a defiance that hadn't been there minutes ago. "Yuvraj, you want the Swift facility? You can wait for your next life!"

With a violent motion, Coach Lee slammed the "end call" button.

Miles away, in the plush office of Team 666, Yuvraj stared at his darkened screen in total shock. He hadn't expected the old man to grow a spine at the very last second.

His son, Ethan Jr., noticed his father's expression and stepped forward. "Dad? What happened? Did he sign?"

The "Demon CEO" has made his move. By offering a counter-deal through his driver, Xavier has stopped Coach Lee from committing professional suicide. But Xavier Grayson isn't a charity. What are the terms of the deal he offered? Has Chloe just traded one master for another, or is this the beginning of Team Swift's ultimate evolution?