Betrayed By The Billionaire

10

Chloe froze. Her hand felt as if it had been branded by a hot iron, and she instinctively jerked it back.

In her haste, the glass of heavy liquor toppled over. A clear splash of alcohol soaked right into the expensive fabric of Xavier’s trousers, pooling near his thigh.

The man looked up. His gaze landed on her face, sharp and biting with a sudden, dangerous chill.

"I’m so sorry! I’ll clean it up right now."

Chloe was rarely this clumsy, but panic had seized her. She grabbed a linen napkin and leaned down to blot the spill. She had only made a few frantic swipes when a massive hand clamped around her wrist like a vice. He shoved her away with cold, effortless strength.

The disgust in Xavier’s eyes was even more intense than it had been in the elevator. His voice was a low, displeased growl.

"Miss Bishop. Have some self-respect."

Chloe’s face turned scarlet as the realization of what she was doing hit her. In her desperation to help, she had been scrubbing at a very suggestive area of a stranger's lap. "I... I’m sorry. I didn't mean to..."

She was losing her mind. Between the kidnapping and the bankruptcy, her brain was misfiring.

She looked at Quinn, whose expression had darkened significantly. Her heart sank to her stomach. She had ruined it. She had finally gotten into the room, only to offend the one person even the "Underworld King" seemed to fear.

"What are you standing there for? Drink three rounds as an apology to Mr. Grayson."

Nightingale’s voice cut through the tension like a life raft. To Chloe, it sounded as sweet as a church bell.

Chloe quickly gathered her composure and cleared the mess from the table. She poured a fresh glass, faced Xavier, and said softly, "Sir, please accept my sincerest apologies for my rudeness. I'll take three drinks as a penalty to show my regret."

Xavier didn't say a word. He picked up his chopsticks and calmly placed a piece of fish onto the little boy’s plate.

The "little puppy," however, wasn't having it. He glared at his father, his tiny fists balled up. The boy clearly felt Chloe was being bullied, and he was fuming on her behalf.

"Sir."

Chloe tipped the glass back. By the third round, she turned the glass upside down; only a single, stubborn drop clung to the rim.

The high-proof baijiu felt like liquid fire sliding down her throat and igniting her stomach. A soft, rosy flush bloomed across her pale skin, making her look ethereally beautiful, like a peach blossom in the snow.

Xavier’s eyes flickered over her flushed skin, but his face remained an unreadable mask.

For the rest of the dinner, every time Quinn offered a toast to Xavier, Chloe stepped in and drank it for him. By the time the meal ended, the world felt like it was floating. Her head was heavy, and her footsteps were dangerously light.

As they prepared to leave, Nightingale pulled Chloe aside and patted her shoulder. "Now you know who you really need to ask for help, don't you? There’s a gala at the Grayson estate tomorrow. I hope to see you there."

Nightingale reached into her designer clutch, pulled out a thick, gold-embossed card, and tucked it into Chloe’s hand. "This is as far as I can take you. You’ll have to fight for the opportunity yourself."

Chloe watched Nightingale walk away, then opened the invitation. It was for a birthday party for Xavier’s son, Liam Jr. (Tianyu).

Grayson.

Xavier Grayson...

Was the man she had just spent two hours with really the "Demon of the North" who made the entire business world tremble?

Justin walked into the suite then, smelling the heavy scent of alcohol on her breath. "Chloe! Why did you drink so much?"

"I'm fine," she murmured, trying to slide the card into her purse. But Justin was faster; he snatched it from her hand.

His face fell the moment he read the name. "You’re going to this party?"

Chloe thought of the little boy who had spent the whole night sneaking looks at her. A trace of softness touched her tired face. "Yes."

If Nightingale had pointed the way, she had to take the risk.

Justin’s temper flared instantly. "Do you have any idea who Xavier Grayson is? Do you know the real purpose of this birthday party? You can't go!"

The alcohol was finally hitting Chloe’s brain. She blinked her watery, almond eyes at him, looking confused and slightly wounded by his shouting. Her cheeks were stained with two bright pink clouds.

Looking at her like that—so vulnerable and breathtakingly cute—Justin’s anger evaporated. He couldn't stay mad at her.

He let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Chloe, this 'birthday party' was organized by a group of bored society grandmothers. Every eligible bachelor and bachelorette in the city got an invite."

In other words: it was a massive, high-stakes matchmaking event.

"So that's what Nightingale meant," Chloe whispered. She was tipsy, but her mind was still sharp enough to connect the dots.

Liam had abandoned her. Her father was in a coma. Her mother hadn't stepped foot in a boardroom in twenty years. They were sitting on billions in assets with no protection. If she solved the problem with Arthur Bishop today, another predator would appear tomorrow.

The "demon" Xavier Grayson was the apex predator. His family empire was the undisputed leader in the region. If she could get his protection, the Bishop family's troubles would vanish forever.

But... she didn't want to sell her soul. She didn't want to marry a stranger just to survive.

Justin saw her silence and tried to snap her back to reality. "The scandal with Liam hasn't even cooled down yet. Everyone is waiting to laugh at you. If you show up at a matchmaking event now, you’ll be walking right into a den of vipers. They’ll tear you apart."

Chloe knew this better than anyone. She was the fallen queen of high society. Every woman who had ever envied her was now sharpening their knives, waiting for her to show her face so they could claim her crown.

"Justin," Chloe said after a long silence. "Take me to the Bishop family mansion. I need to see Arthur."

Since the accident, the shareholders had been hounding her mother. They claimed the company couldn't survive a day without a leader and were demanding a vote for an "acting CEO." Their candidate of choice? Arthur Bishop.

He was moving fast, and he was being ruthless. Chloe feared that if she didn't face him now, Lily would pay the price.

As they walked through the corridor of the club toward the exit, Chloe saw three familiar faces. They were Liam’s lifelong friends, standing in a circle with cigarettes in their mouths.

She overheard their conversation, and the words stung like a physical lash.

"Ugh, that woman is so high-maintenance," one of them complained, blowing a plume of smoke. "Chloe never cared when we smoked around her. Now we have to hide in the hallway? Who does this Sara girl think she is? Is she more 'noble' than the city's top socialite?"

Chloe felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest.

He had already introduced Sara to his inner circle. He was already moving on, replacing her with the "delicate" woman who couldn't stand the smell of smoke.

It had taken Chloe years to truly belong in his world because he had never officially introduced her with pride. He had just let her linger in the background. But for Sara? He was already clearing the path.