Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire .Chapter 22: Backup . Isabella stood in the center of the room, surrounded by a throng of well-wishers, each offering their congratulations on her recent achievement. If the achievement meant congratulations on getting e engaged to Bancroft heir then she would gladly shake their offered hands and accept it. Her face radiated with joy and pride as she graciously accepted the compliments, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. She didn’t expect this moment at all, she didn’t expect Archibald to suddenly bring this much attention to her, she certainly didn’t expect him to acknowledge her like that in front of all these important people and now, as the accolades poured in, she felt a profound sense of validation wash over her.But amidst the sea of smiling faces, there stood a small cluster of figures who looked decidedly less jubilant. They were Isabella's family, a collection of individuals whose relationships with her were fraught with tension an
Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire . Chapter 23: a confession . Archibald strolled around the hall trying to avoid greeting people as he looked for Isabella when someone poked him harshly on his back. He turned around to see his nephew with a glare on his face. “You liar!.” Alan yelled as he pushed his uncle backwards. Archie felt a knot form in his stomach as his nephew, Alan, cornered him in the dimly lit corner of the room. “Why didn’t your pants catch on fire with all those lies you were spewing in your ridiculous speech.” Archibald sighed. “Alan, I don’t have the strength to deal with you. I have a girlfriend to look for.” Alan's eyes glinted with a cold determination as he stepped forward, his words dripping with venom. "Listen here, Uncle Archie," Alan spat, his voice low but laced with malice. "You think you can parade around with my woman, pretending like your little romance is real? Well, let me tell you something – it's not fooling anyone." Archie's jaw
Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire .Chapter 24: in the gardens ."Archie?" I called out, my voice tinged with a hint of desperation as I scanned the vast expanse of the crowded hall. But he was nowhere to be found, and a sense of unease began to gnaw at the edges of my consciousness.I hated standing alone in this kind of party. And just my luck that I couldn’t even find Dara too. Where the hell was my best friend? After she had Aileen had defended me in the restroom, I left to go back to Archie’s side but I didn’t see him again. And Archie’s sister wasn’t even of help, she only eyed me and scoffed.I groan to myself standing in one place. I couldn’t just run away from this party. I was kind of the main character here.All thanks to Archibald who made that announcement this evening and his father who thinks that I’m going to get married to him. Lost in my search, I was suddenly accosted by a guy who seemed to materialize out of thin air, his smirk oozing with cockiness. "Hey t
Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire . Chapter 25: Vulnerable . As Isabella returned to her table, her heart heavy with hurt and betrayal, she found herself faced with Alan's mother, a woman whose disdain for her was palpable. The atmosphere around the table was tense, the remnants of celebrations and congratulations now overshadowed by the bitter reality she had just witnessed. "You would never be enough for him, you know," Alan's mother remarked coolly, her words cutting through the air like a knife. Isabella's breath caught in her throat, her eyes stinging with unshed tears as she struggled to maintain her composure.With a trembling hand, she reached for the nearest glass, the burn of alcohol offering a temporary refuge from the emotional turmoil threatening to consume her. She didn’t want to let herself go but she just couldn’t stop herself. She took a deep gulp, the liquid searing down her throat as she fought to drown out the cruel words echoing in her mind.“Wha
Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire . Chapter 26: Anger . Alan felt a mixture of frustration and sympathy as he guided Isabella through the labyrinthine corridors of his uncle's grand mansion. Her soft whispers of Archie's name tugged at his heartstrings, reminding him of the pain etched across her face and the depth of her anguish. He couldn't help but feel irritated by her fixation on Archie, knowing that he was the one who had caused her so much heartache. Arriving at his uncle's room, Alan hesitated briefly before gently lowering Isabella onto the plush bed. She curled into herself, her fingers gripping the bedsheets as if holding onto a lifeline. Her tear-stained cheeks glistened in the dim light, and Alan felt a pang of guilt and helplessness wash over him. "Isabella," he muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "You need to let him go. He's not worth your tears." But Isabella remained lost in her own world of pain, her whispered pleas for Archie piercing the sile
Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire . Chapter 27: Misunderstandings . Archibald stood there, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions, as he pushed his friend away gently but firmly. Lisa's words hung in the air like a bitter accusation, her voice tinged with frustration and hurt. "I don't love you, Lisa," he said quietly, his tone laced with regret. "I never have." Lisa recoiled as if struck, her eyes wide with disbelief and pain. "You don't love me?" she echoed, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and betrayal. "But... Archie, you can't deny what we have." Archie sighed heavily, his gaze drifting away for a moment before returning to meet Lisa's accusing stare. "What we have isn't love, Lisa," he explained gently, his voice tinged with sadness. "I care about you deeply as a friend, but that's all it is." Lisa shook her head defiantly, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "Isabella doesn't have the right to have you," she declared, her words coming out in a ru
Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire . Chapter 27: Misunderstandings . Archibald stood there, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions, as he pushed his friend away gently but firmly. Lisa's words hung in the air like a bitter accusation, her voice tinged with frustration and hurt. "I don't love you, Lisa," he said quietly, his tone laced with regret. "I never have." Lisa recoiled as if struck, her eyes wide with disbelief and pain. "You don't love me?" she echoed, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and betrayal. "But... Archie, you can't deny what we have." Archie sighed heavily, his gaze drifting away for a moment before returning to meet Lisa's accusing stare. "What we have isn't love, Lisa," he explained gently, his voice tinged with sadness. "I care about you deeply as a friend, but that's all it is." Lisa shook her head defiantly, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "Isabella doesn't have the right to have you," she declared, her words coming out
Ditch the Ex, Date the Billionaire.Chapter 29: Glimmer of hope .Isabella sat beside her best friend, Dara, in the comfort of her home, watching the news unfold on the television screen. The room was filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the distant hum of the news anchor's voice narrating the scandalous events that had transpired at the mansion.As the video footage replayed—capturing her and Alan in a compromising position—Isabella felt a wave of embarrassment and shame wash over her. The images portrayed her in a light she didn't recognize, casting judgment and scorn upon her actions.Dara placed a reassuring hand on Isabella's shoulder, a silent gesture of support in the midst of the media storm. Isabella's heart sank as the news anchor's words painted Archibald as the villain, accusing him of breaking homes and labeling him with hurtful accusations.The weight of public scrutiny bore down on Isabella, the unfairness of it all twisting in her gut. She knew the truth—t