Betrayed By The Billionaire

202

Chloe stood motionless, her gaze cooling as she watched the "gentlemanly" mask slip off Dr. Lang’s face. She actually wanted to hear exactly what kind of delusional fairy tale this man had concocted in his head.

Taking her silence as a green light, Julian Lang leaned in, his voice dropping into a sleazy, conspiratorial whisper. "A woman as stunning as you, Chloe... you were born to be cradled in the palm of a man's hand. You should be living like a princess, draped in designer silks and carrying the finest leather bags without a second thought."

Chloe tilted her head, a phantom of a smile touching her lips. "I didn't realize the medical profession had become so lucrative lately. Do residents make that much?"

Julian let out a confident, smug chuckle, his fingers tapping a restless, possessive rhythm against the back of her hospital gown. "You clearly aren't from around here. I’m a local. My family owns several residential blocks and a handful of commercial storefronts in the city center. Between the rent and the annual dividends, I pull in over a hundred thousand every month. Being a doctor is just a hobby for me—a way to give back. And between us? I’m on the fast track for a department head promotion."

Chloe arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "Is that so? Then, forgive my curiosity, Dr. Lang, but what do you drive? What’s the balance in your savings account? And how many properties are currently registered in your name?"

Julian suppressed a sneer. Typical, he thought. Every woman has a price tag. "I drive a mid-range BMW—sixty thousand dollars—and I have about thirty thousand in liquid savings. I don't own the titles to the buildings yet since I’m an only child, but they’ll all be mine eventually."

He leaned even closer, his breath uncomfortably warm against her ear. "What do you say, Chloe? Be my girl. I’ll settle your hospital bill right now. You can buy whatever clothes and bags you want, and I’ll throw in an extra two thousand a month for your 'allowance'."

Two thousand a month?

Chloe felt a hysterical surge of laughter bubbling in her chest. Did this man have any idea that a single one of her gala gowns cost more than his entire annual "hobby" salary? He stood there looking immensely proud of himself, as if he were offering her the keys to the kingdom.

She suddenly stood up, breaking his contact and looking down at him with a gaze of pure, unadulterated icy disdain. "Thirty thousand in savings? My, Dr. Lang, you must be incredibly frugal. To have an income of over a hundred thousand a month and only thirty thousand in the bank... how do you manage such a feat?"

The irony was biting. This man was bragging about his parents' rental income as if it were his own, all while trying to "buy" a woman whose daily lifestyle would bankrupt him in a week.

Julian’s face purpled with embarrassment. "What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying it's not enough? You think I can't afford you?"

Chloe let out a sharp, crystalline laugh that held zero warmth. "You truly couldn't afford me if you worked ten lifetimes, Dr. Lang. A man should have at least a shred of self-awareness before he chooses to humiliate himself. Now, walk out of this room before I decide to handle this personally."

Julian had been pampered his entire life—the star student, the wealthy heir, the "Golden Boy" of the nursing staff. He had never been spoken to with such vitriol, especially by a woman he assumed was a penniless wanderer who couldn't even pay for her own IV drip.

He surged to his feet, his professional veneer shattering completely. "Don't play the high-and-mighty saint with me! You’re just a woman who’s been dumped by her man and can't even cover a hospital deposit. Who do you think you’re talking down to?"

He stepped into her personal space, his voice rising in a snarl. "What? Did you snag a few big spenders in the past and forget where you came from? You're just another girl from the provinces who came to the big city looking for a rich husband. You should be thanking your lucky stars a man like me even looked at you twice!"

Chloe had never, in her entire life, been subjected to such ignorant, bottom-tier insults. It was so absurd it was almost breathtaking.

"First of all," Chloe said, her voice dropping into a lethal, low register as her aura expanded, "who told you I wasn't a local?"

"Second, who gave you the impression that I’m too poor to pay for my own medical care?"

She stepped forward, her gaze pinning him to the spot with the same intensity she had learned from watching Xavier Grayson. "And third, Dr. Lang... you’re still on the clock, aren't you? Using your working hours to target and proposition a female patient is the textbook definition of s****l harassment. Do you understand that?"

Julian, flushed with a mix of rage and panic, opened his mouth to bark another insult, but the door swung open with a resounding thud.

Lyra stood at the entrance, her designer sunglasses pushed up onto her head, her expression one of high-society boredom mixed with sharp protective instincts. "Oh? s****l harassment?" she drawled, her voice dripping with the effortless arrogance of the city's true elite. "Who's the brave little bottom-feeder trying their luck today?"

Lyra has arrived with the "essentials," including a bank account that could buy Julian Lang’s family buildings twice over. As the doctor realizes he has just tried to "buy" the Queen of Haicheng for the price of a used sedan, the shift in power is about to become physical. With Lyra’s sharp tongue and Chloe’s cold fury, Julian Lang’s career is on the verge of a very public, very messy end.

How do you think Julian Lang will react when he sees Lyra hand Chloe a black titanium credit card?