Betrayed By The Billionaire

94

Could he not give her a single path to survival?

Wait—cars. Racing!

Chloe’s eyes lit up, her voice crackling with sudden excitement. "I'm going to enter the International Grand Prix next month!"

Xavier finally looked at her again, his fork pausing mid-air.

The fire returned to Chloe’s gaze. "Every citizen has a responsibility to bring glory to the nation," she declared, quoting Lyra from the day before.

Xavier gave her a cool, dry look. "Just don't embarrass me."

Chloe’s lips curled into a confident smirk. "Don't you worry. I won’t let the Grayson name slide. I can’t promise a trophy at the Internationals yet, but I’ll bring you a top-three finish at the National Qualifiers, guaranteed."

Xavier let out a sharp snort. "If you’re going to compete, bring home the championship."

"Deal."

"And if you don't," Xavier added, his voice dropping to a warning chill, "don't plan on stepping foot outside these gates for the rest of the year."

Chloe winced. That was a high-stakes gamble. "Fine. It’s a promise."

Xavier didn't push her further. Seeing the vibrant, spirited glow return to her face, he decided to let her off the hook this once—mostly as a reward for the progress she’d made getting Liam Jr. to start communicating.

As Xavier finished his meal and headed for the office, Chloe realized he was surprisingly easy to please. As long as she avoided the few ingredients he hated, he ate whatever she put in front of him. There was a strange sense of accomplishment in feeding the "Demon" and his son.

The Little Puppy’s Confession

Soon after, Liam Jr. wandered out of his room. His pale, chubby cheeks were flushed with sleep, and his messy curls looked like a bird’s nest. With his cherry-red lips and sleepy eyes, he was "exploding" with cuteness.

Chloe knelt in front of him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Liam, want to go out and play with me in a bit?"

The boy’s mood was clearly at an all-time high. Without a second of hesitation, he nodded.

"Wonderful! You're such a good boy. I love you to bits!"

The boy’s face turned bright red. He looked like a puppy whose tail was wagging so hard his whole body shook. He sprinted back to grab his drawing board and, right in front of Chloe, scribbled: “I love you too.”

"You're amazing today, Liam! Your handwriting is even prettier than yesterday."

Chloe ruffled his hair, snapped a photo of the board to send to Xavier as a "progress report," and hurried the boy through his morning routine. After a quick breakfast, the two of them set off from the Grayson Mansion.

The Star-Studded Encounter

Chloe’s first priority was finding Nora. She was sick with worry about the confrontation with Cindy the night before. Plus, she had told Liam Martin to leave her phone with Nora; if he had any sense of decency, a courier would have delivered it by now.

As their car passed through a bustling commercial district, Chloe noticed a massive crowd gathered outside a flagship department store. Reporters with heavy cameras were jostling for position, the kind of frenzy usually reserved for A-list superstars.

Chloe had never been one for celebrity culture, but she suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the throng: Lyra. Since when was her bubbly friend a fangirl?

Curiosity got the better of her. Holding Liam Jr. tightly—and with Vince trailing at a protective distance—Chloe stepped out of the car. She stayed on the outskirts of the crowd to protect the boy’s sensitive ears.

The air was suddenly pierced by a deafening wave of screams.

"Lana! Lana!" the crowd roared.

Chloe recognized the name. Lana was a starlet who had spent years struggling abroad with zero recognition, only to return to the domestic market six months ago. She had signed with the country's top entertainment agency and had been catapulted to stardom almost overnight. Her resources were so elite that veteran actresses were green with envy.

Rumor had it she had a "Titan" backing her. And the most persistent whisper in the gossip columns?

That the "Titan" was Chloe’s own husband, Xavier Grayson.

Moments later, a woman in a stunning sapphire-blue gown emerged under a phalanx of security, gliding through the shouting fans toward the stage.

As Lana took the stage, her eyes scanned the crowd with a practiced, radiant smile. Chloe stood on the sidewalk, holding the son of the man Lana was rumored to be "involved" with. If the rumors are true, is Chloe looking at the woman who truly holds Xavier's heart—or just another piece of the Grayson empire's marketing?

Lyra is waving frantically from the front row. Should Chloe try to catch her attention, or slip away before the reporters recognize the "First Socialite"?