Betrayed By The Billionaire

266

There is a saying that a beautiful face is common, but a truly distinguished aura is one in a million.

Xavier Grayson was the living embodiment of that truth. His nobility wasn't a costume or an act; it was innate, woven into the very fabric of his being. He possessed the natural gravity of a monarch, where a single, sweeping glance carried the weight of an imperial decree. As he strode across the Bishop Manor, he moved with the rhythmic, lethal elegance of a hunting leopard, his obsidian eyes locked with predatory focus on Chloe Bishop.

Despite the magnetic pull of his presence, Chloe didn't swoon. Instead, she felt a cold shiver of memory—the damp walls of the cellar—and she calmly turned her face away, refusing to meet his gaze.

The crowd instinctively parted. Guests who had been staring in awe moments ago suddenly lowered their eyes, unable to withstand the sheer pressure of his proximity.

Vince stepped forward and handed Xavier a leather-bound folder. Without breaking stride, Xavier accepted it and placed it directly in front of Jane Bishop.

"This is the gift Chloe and I have chosen for Baby Bella’s one-month celebration," he announced, his voice a smooth, low baritone.

The Private Kingdom

Jane’s hands trembled as she opened the contract. Her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. "Xavier... you... you bought the two neighboring villas? And the entire plot of land behind them?"

Xavier offered a curt, regal nod. "I thought it would be the perfect site for a large-scale private playground."

A collective gasp rippled through the room. The villas in this district were sprawling estates with astronomical price tags. To buy two of them, along with the adjacent land, just to raze them and build a playground for an infant was a display of wealth that bordered on the surreal.

In Haicheng, gifts usually consisted of jade, gold, or stocks. But Xavier had just dropped hundreds of millions—nearly a quarter of a billion dollars—on a whim. It was a "face-slapping" display of power that silenced every critic in the room. If anyone had doubted Chloe’s status in the Grayson family, this "extravagant" gesture seemingly settled the matter.

Only Chloe knew the truth: this wasn't a gift of love. It was a marking of territory.

The Meeting of the Patriarchs

Once Xavier took his seat beside Chloe, the stunned silence slowly dissolved into hushed whispers. Jane, realizing she was staring, quickly signaled a maid to tuck the contract away and began the formal introductions to the extended Bishop clan.

Following Chloe’s lead, Xavier addressed the elders with practiced, albeit icy, respect. "Grandfather. Grandmother."

Master Marcus Sr. gave a slight, imperceptible nod, his hand never stopping the rhythmic spin of his walnuts. His dark glasses shielded his eyes, but his intuition was already dissecting the man before him.

Old Mrs. Bishop, however, beamed at him. "He’s even more handsome in person," she remarked with a twinkle in her eye. "A man who looks like this must surely know how to cherish his wife."

Old Mrs. Grayson didn't miss a beat. "Absolutely. It’s a requirement in our family."

Chloe felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Cherish? The word felt like a mockery when applied to Xavier. Beside them, Donovan Tang watched the exchange, his eyes tracing the hollow exhaustion in Chloe’s features. He saw what the grandmothers chose to ignore: a woman who wasn't happy, regardless of how many villas her husband bought.

Donovan caught Xavier’s eye. The look Xavier returned was bloodthirsty and cold—a silent warning. Donovan merely smirked, his expression one of pure, unadulterated derision.

The Envious Cousins

"Chloe is truly blessed," Aunt Sarah sighed, her voice loud enough for the neighboring tables to hear. "To have a husband who pampers her like this! Tiffany, you need to keep your eyes open and find a good family like your cousin. Don't end up like me, having to check the in-laws' expressions every time I want to spend a little money."

The air grew awkward. Airing "family ugliness" in public was a major social taboo, but Aunt Sarah seemed oblivious to the winces of the guests. Uncle James and his children looked mortified, though the two elders remained calm, clearly used to her antics.

"Mom, stop it," Tiffany muttered, though her eyes were glued to Donovan Tang’s silhouette. "Everyone has their own fate. Not everyone is as 'lucky' as Chloe."

Aunt Sarah turned her attention to Xavier, her smile sycophantic. "Mr. Grayson, you should keep an eye out for your sister-in-law. Tiffany is twenty-four now, and since Chloe is already married, we really need to hurry things along for her."

Uncle James cut her off, his voice stern. "When the right time comes, things will fall into place. Tiffany is still young; stop worrying about things that aren't your concern."

The dinner service has begun, but the tension between Xavier and Donovan is a ticking time bomb. With Master Marcus Sr. watching every micro-expression, will Xavier’s "perfect husband" act hold up, or will a single comment from the Iron Commander provoke the Demon CEO into a public display of rage?