Betrayed By The Billionaire

50

Seoul, South Korea

After the call with Chloe ended, Sara stood by the bed, staring down at the man who lay there in a drunken stupor. His shirt was off, and his broad chest and back were covered in angry, red hives. She set the phone aside and moved toward him.

As she drew closer, she could hear Liam’s muffled groans of pain.

Sara reached out and lightly brushed her hand against his back; his skin was scorching hot. She was panicked, yet she stubbornly refused to call for help—she didn't want anyone else intruding on their space.

She hurried into the bathroom and emerged with a cold, damp towel.

The moment she pressed the wet cloth against the flare-up on his back, the deep furrow in Liam’s brow began to soften. Sara felt a surge of relief; the cooling method was working.

But the relief was short-lived. Moments later, Liam began to thrash, his hands blindly clawing at the itchy red spots as he muttered incoherently about the irritation.

Sara quickly lifted the towel, intending to re-soak it in cold water. Suddenly, Liam’s hand shot out, gripping her wrist with surprising strength.

"Chloe... help me scratch it... it itches..."

Sara bit her lip until it nearly bled. This wasn't the first time tonight he had called her by the wrong name. She forced herself to believe it was just a lingering habit—that after she stayed by his side long enough, he would finally stop making that mistake.

She sat on the edge of the bed and said softly, "Where does it itch? I'll help you."

"Here... and here... and over here..."

Liam pointed to several spots in rapid succession, leaving Sara’s hands scrambling to keep up.

Dissatisfied, Liam began to grumble and shove her away. "Not like that... that's not right. Go away... go get Chloe. Go get her now..."

In his unconscious state, he gave Sara a forceful push.

She fell back, landing hard on the floor. Her eyes welled with tears of resentment. What is so great about Chloe? she thought. If she actually cared about you, she would have given me a real solution instead of letting you suffer like this.

To Sara, Chloe was a cold-hearted woman who didn't feel a shred of pity for the man she used to love.

"Chloe... it itches..."

Wiping her tears, Sara grabbed the fallen towel and darted back into the bathroom. She spent the rest of the night in a grueling cycle: cooling the towel, applying it to his back, and listening to him call for another woman. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that Liam finally fell into a heavy, quiet sleep.

The next morning, Liam opened his eyes to find Sara slumped over the side of the bed, exhausted. A damp towel was still draped over his back.

His head throbbed with a massive hangover. His memory of the previous night was a blurred mess of alcohol and itching, but he vaguely recalled a woman staying up all night to tend to him.

Clearly, that woman was Sara.

Liam stood up and carefully lifted Sara onto the bed so she could sleep comfortably. He then grabbed his phone and stepped out onto the balcony to make a business call.

His primary reason for stopping in Korea after leaving the States was to finalize a major partnership that had been in the works for over a year. This deal was crucial for the Martin Group’s future expansion. After several trips to Seoul, he was finally on the verge of a breakthrough.

The person who answered was a formidable, high-spirited middle-aged woman. "Mr. Martin! Awake so soon? My husband is still out cold and snoring. I didn't realize your alcohol tolerance was so legendary. You’ve certainly surprised us."

Liam chuckled politely. "Mrs. Han, you flatter me. I was no match for Director Han. If he hadn't been generous enough to let me slide on those last few rounds, I would have been the first one under the table."

"You're too modest," Mrs. Han replied warmly. "Regarding the partnership, let’s proceed exactly as we discussed last night. Come by the office this afternoon to sign the contracts. We’re looking forward to seeing your beautiful, elegant fiancée again."

The "fiancée" Mrs. Han was referring to was, of course, Chloe.

Chloe had accompanied Liam to Korea twice before, and the Hans had been deeply impressed by her grace and intelligence. It was exactly because of this that Liam hadn't dared to bring Sara to the dinner the night before.

Liam smiled thinly, avoiding a direct answer. "I look forward to a successful partnership."