Betrayed By The Billionaire

11

She had been so naive. She had truly believed his distance was just a byproduct of his male pride—that he felt inferior being labeled a "live-in son-in-law."

She hadn't wanted him to feel slighted. She had spent months exhausting every argument to convince her parents to let her "marry out" into his family instead, just so he wouldn't have to carry that stigma.

Now, looking back, she felt like the world's biggest fool.

The three men were too busy complaining to notice Chloe and Justin’s presence until they were standing right in front of them.

"Si... Sister-in-law."

Malik was the first to spot her, looking instantly flustered.

Tyler and Leo turned toward her as well. Their expressions were awkward, caught between guilt and habit, but they spoke in unison: "Sister-in-law."

As fate would have it, Liam stepped out of the suite at that exact moment, leading Sara by the hand.

The second Sara caught a whiff of the lingering cigarette smoke, she began to cough. Her small, delicate frame shook so violently she looked like she might collapse.

Liam immediately wrapped a protective arm around her waist, his brow furrowing as he glared at his friends. "Can't you three take your smoke break somewhere el—"

The words died in his throat. He saw Chloe standing there—regal, cold, and breathtakingly elegant.

"Chloe? What are you doing here?"

Chloe’s expression didn't flicker. She paused for only a heartbeat, her gaze sweeping briefly over Sara before landing back on Liam’s friends. Her voice was detached and professional.

"That," she said, nodding toward Sara, "is your sister-in-law now. Make sure you don't use the wrong title again."

It was almost comical. A week ago, they were the city's most envied couple, mere hours away from their vows. A week later, he was holding another woman, and they had become the "most familiar strangers," passing each other like ghosts in a hallway.

How quickly the world turns.

Chloe pulled her gaze away and stepped into the elevator without looking back. Malik and the others stood frozen, reflexively looking at Liam. Liam’s thin, well-defined lips were pressed into a tight line, his expression unreadable.

After leaving the Grand Imperial, Chloe headed straight for the Bishop ancestral home.

On the way, Justin bought her some sobering medication. The heavy, spinning sensation in her head began to fade, replaced by a cold, sharp clarity.

As she entered the estate, a maid stepped forward to search her. They confiscated her purse and her phone before allowing her further into the house.

Finally, she came face-to-face with Arthur Bishop.

He was a slightly plump, middle-aged man with a smile that usually looked kind and paternal. Chloe had spent her whole life thinking he was a "good" uncle. Now, she realized she must have been blind. All those years of calling him "Uncle Arthur" felt like a bad joke.

Arthur looked at her with that same practiced kindness, a smile still playing on his lips. "Chloe, you’re here. Sit, sit. Someone, bring some tea."

"Don't bother. Where is my sister?"

Chloe didn't have time for pleasantries. She cut straight to the bone.

Arthur chuckled. "Young people are always so impatient. Your mother told you the deal, right? Did you bring what I asked for?"

Chloe remained poised. "My mother and I each hold 10% of the company's shares. If you acquire them, you'll become the majority shareholder. But tell me, Uncle... is a cake this big something you can actually swallow?"

In a company the size of the Bishop Group, 20% of the shares were worth at least two billion dollars.

Facing her razor-sharp gaze, Arthur’s smile didn't waver. "Chloe, we're family. Talking about money is so... uncouth. Besides, do you really think money..." He paused, his smile turning brittle and cold. "...is more important than the lives of your father and your baby sister?"

A blatant, naked threat.

Chloe let out a cold laugh. "If we aren't talking about money, were you planning on taking the shares for free?"

"Chloe, your father still has 20% in his name. The dividends alone are enough for your family to live in luxury for the rest of your lives."

Arthur adopted a tone of heavy-handed concern, acting as if he were doing her a favor. "Your father is in a coma. Your relationship with Liam is over. You know nothing about running a corporation. What use is holding onto so many shares? One shouldn't be too greedy."

"Arthur Bishop, you are shameless."

How could he even say those words with a straight face?

Arthur simply smiled, ignoring her fury. "Your Uncle has actually picked out a good family for you. He’s quite handsome and capable. Since you're here, you might as well meet him."

On cue, a mature man in his thirties walked into the room. He wore a perfectly tailored suit, his hair slicked back without a stray strand out of place—the image of a corporate elite.

"Felix?"

Chloe recognized him instantly. He was the company’s financial manager, a man her father had trusted implicitly. She never imagined he would be in league with Arthur.

"It’s me. I’m honored the eldest Miss Bishop remembers me," Felix said, his voice thick with excitement. He looked at Chloe with a gaze that burned like fire, making no effort to hide the hunger in his eyes.

Arthur chimed in, "Chloe, Felix has admired you for a long time. He’s hardworking and ambitious. Even your father used to praise his work."

"Your father is stuck in a hospital bed, and a household needs a man to lead it. Since your father can't do it, I’ll take charge of your future. I’m betrothing you to Felix."

"Arthur Bishop, how do you have the nerve to say that?"

Chloe’s hands were shaking as she fought to keep her voice level. "Do you really think that because you have my sister, I’ll let you pull my strings? You’ve severely underestimated me. We’re done here."

She turned on her heel to leave, her blood boiling.

Before coming here, she had considered compromising. If Arthur hadn't been so monstrous, she might have traded the shares for her family's safety. But she realized now that once a man's greed is awakened, there is no bottom.

Arthur didn't just want 20%. He wanted to cannibalize the entire Bishop estate. If she took one step back, he would push for ten more until he had picked their bones clean.

She wouldn't let that happen.

But then, a thin, high-pitched wail echoed from behind her.

It was Lily’s cry. Having spent the last week constantly with the baby, Chloe knew that sound better than her own heartbeat. She spun around, her face filled with horror. "What did you do to her?!"

Arthur calmly tucked his phone away and clapped his hands.

A man walked in carrying a beautifully wrapped gift box.

"Chloe, my patience is wearing thin," Arthur said, his voice dropping into a sinister growl. "Take a look at this 'gift' before you give me your final answer."

He nodded to the man.

The man walked toward Chloe and presented the box. Chloe stared at the elegant packaging, a sickening sense of dread rising in her throat.

The box was opened. Inside was something that made her stomach turn in terror.

It was a tiny hand. A baby’s hand.

The small, blood-stained hand lay in the center of the box. But as Chloe looked closer, her heart stuttering, she realized it was a meticulously crafted cake in the shape of a hand. It was a grotesque, stomach-turning warning.

Arthur finally dropped the fake smile. His eyes were vicious as he gave his command. "Stay here tonight and keep Felix company. In a few weeks, I’ll throw you a grand wedding. If you’re a good girl, I’ll make sure your family is looked after. If not... next time, it won't be a cake."

Stay here tonight and keep Felix company?

Chloe felt a chill of pure disgust.