Betrayed By The Billionaire

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Xavier didn't say another word, and Chloe turned off the lamp, settling back into the expansive bed. Although they shared the same mattress, the bed was so vast that they lay on opposite edges. The distance between them was a physical chasm; even if she stretched out her arm fully, she wouldn't be able to brush against him.

Chloe desperately wanted their relationship to progress, but the memory of the pain from their wedding night left her with lingering trepidation. She lay still, trapped between the desire to charm him and the fear of the consequences. She had the heart to tempt him, but lacked the courage to act.

Beside her, Xavier remained motionless. In the heavy darkness, lulled by the sound of his steady breathing, Chloe finally closed her eyes.

That night, the news of Chloe Bishop joining Team Swift spread through the racing community like wildfire. Her impromptu match against Serena became the topic of every conversation, and photos of the "Crawfish Carnival" at the West City Racetrack flooded social media feeds.

Chloe’s image was forwarded to every major racing group chat. Before she had even officially stepped onto the professional circuit, she was already a viral sensation.

Feifei sat in the dark, her face twisting with envy as she watched the notifications pour in. Even Jin, the international champion who usually remained silent in the groups, had surfaced to ask who the woman in the photo was.

The humiliation from the previous day burned in Feifei’s chest. Chloe’s public declaration of joining Team Swift was a direct provocation—a calculated slap to the face. Furthermore, because of Cyrus’s disgrace, Feifei’s father, Marcus, had been implicated as well. Xavier had not only suspended him but was moving to seize his 5% stake in the company.

"You want to enter my world?" Feifei hissed at the glowing screen, her eyes fixed on Chloe’s radiant face. "You’ll have to see if I allow it first."

The next morning, Chloe woke up early. Beside her, Xavier was still asleep. He was a remarkably disciplined sleeper, maintaining the same posture all night—one hand behind his head, the other resting on his abdomen. Chloe marveled at how anyone could stay so still for eight hours.

In the soft morning light, the icy distance on Xavier’s face had vanished, replaced by a rare, quiet vulnerability. Without his intimidating aura, he actually looked... gentle. His skin was flawless, his nose bridge high and straight, and his eyelashes were impossibly long—longer than her own.

"Eyelash monster," Chloe whispered with a faint sigh.

Suddenly, those thick, dark lashes fluttered open. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room shifted back to his usual electric intensity. Chloe started, caught off guard before she could look away.

Xavier turned his head toward her. His voice, still thick with the huskiness of sleep, was low and dangerously alluring. "Do I look good?"

Chloe froze, then gave a surprisingly honest nod. She had always been a sucker for beauty; it was Liam Martin’s looks that had first captured her heart years ago. And Xavier’s features were easily on par with Liam’s, if not superior. However, her appreciation for Xavier was purely aesthetic—the way one admires a masterpiece. A woman who had been burned as badly as she had didn't open her heart so easily.

A mocking snort escaped Xavier’s throat. He climbed out of bed, leaving Chloe with nothing but the sight of his tall, cold, and aloof back.

Chloe got up shortly after, heading to the nursery to wake Liam Jr. After they finished their morning routine, she led the boy to the dining room, only to find that Xavier had already finished his breakfast and left.

She returned to the bedroom to grab her bag, surprised to find that Xavier hadn't actually left for the office yet. She didn't ask questions, simply heading toward the door. As she was adjusting Liam Jr.’s hat in the hallway, Xavier’s phone rang.

It was Vince, his voice urgent. "Sir, I’ve spotted Liam Martin’s car parked right outside the main gates."

Xavier’s expression didn't change. "I know."

He hung up and stepped out of the bedroom, his eyes landing on Chloe and the boy. The "Demon CEO" watched his wife with a predatory stillness, knowing that the man she had once loved was waiting just past the gates, desperate for one more look at her.

Liam Martin is waiting outside, and Xavier is watching from the balcony. Chloe is about to walk right into a confrontation that could shatter the fragile peace of her marriage. Will she stop to talk to her ex-fiancé, or will she realize that the "Demon" behind her is far more dangerous than the ghost waiting at the gate?