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Chapter 26: The Gold Digger
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The Billionaire's Runaway Bride Chapter 27: The Fallout
On her way home, Emily bought a pair of sunglasses to disguise herself. The gold digger story stared at her from the front page of the Chronicle on every newspaper stand she passed. When she got home, she collapsed onto the bed, exhausted by the stress brought on by the media scandal. It didn't feel like a very long nap, but she fell into a deep sleep. A knock on the door startled her, and she got up feeling completely groggy.A short blond woman in round glasses stood in the hallway, looking grave and determined. It was her neighbor Claire, the mother of her very first art student. "I saw the article," Claire said, "and I've come to tell you that I can't have my daughter take classes from you anymore.""It's not what you think," Emily began, but she knew it would be useless to protest."I don't think Riley saw the article," Claire said, "but I can't risk her seeing stuff like this and then wondering what a gold digger is. She's too young for this!"Emily could hardly look at t
The Billionaire's Runaway Bride Chapter 28: It's a Long Journey
It's a Long JourneyEmily was awakened when someone opened the blinds in her bedroom. The scorching brightness of the morning sun was more than she could handle even though her eyes were still closed."No," she protested, her voice barely working, "It's too early."She had stayed up late into the night to write the article defending her reputation, and now all she wanted to do was sleep."It's seven thirty already," Byron's voice announced cheerfully. He usually didn't enter the guest bedroom when she stayed over, and they would meet up first thing in the morning at the breakfast table, but then Emily remembered he had a trip in mind.She squinted against the light and beheld Byron looking freshly shaved and energized like some god in the golden rays of the sun."All you need to do is get dressed, and then I'll throw you in the car," he said."That sounds fun," she grumbled.He snickered evilly and left the room.Despite her tiredness, Emily liked the idea of getting out of th
The Billionaire's Runaway Bride Chapter 29: You Win Some, You Lose Some
Before the kiss, Byron looked at her like he was a predator who finally caught her, but now he was the prey, helpless in her power."You're never quite sure about me," he said, "but can you at least be sure of how I feel about you?"Emily had not quite recovered from the kiss, and she was almost dazed enough to give in to whatever he wanted, as long as she could experience something like it again. "That was amazing," she said, "but I think you're asking if we can make our relationship real... and I don't know if I'm ready.""It felt real to me," Byron said, and she caught the look of despair haunting his eyes. "You still don't trust me?""I do," she said, "You've shown me that you care, but it's you I'm worried about.""What do you mean?" he asked.They stepped off the bridge, away from the tumult of the water, and sat back against a giant boulder."Byron, you try to hide it, but I know there is something troubling you," Emily said. She never expected to have the courage to ta
The Billionaire's Runaway Bride Chapter 30: Her Biggest Fan
The fresh new day brought better prospects. When Emily awoke, she found a few emails already waiting for her. Three new students wanted to sign up for lessons!Emily arranged for them to come in as soon as possible, with the first one starting that same afternoon.Now that her brother was staying in the apartment, it would have been nice if she could use the studio Byron got for her, even if it wasn't fully refurbished yet, but Emily didn't know whether she was still welcome there. She texted Byron:Can I still use the studio space, or are you mad at me?Less than a minute later came the reply:Not mad at you but I want you. I can wait... take as long as you need.She should have been mad at him for insisting on his desires without even acknowledging that he needed to get help like she asked him to. But her first internal response to his words was a smoldering fire in her chest. Her feelings and hormones teamed up to agitate her body into a feverish state. The memory of
The Billionaire's Runaway Bride Chapter 31: The Blues
"We suspect it's that journalist, Christine What's-her-name," Alistair said as he drove along the busy downtown street. "Byron managed to get her fired by threatening to sue the newspaper for libel. After your article came out, public opinion turned against Christine, so the newspaper probably considered her more of a liability. We're pretty sure this latest scam is her handiwork.""Dammit, I told him not to get her fired," Emily said. Traffic was stalled, and she waited impatiently in the back seat of the limo. Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer, knowing that Byron was in a state of despair. "It'll be faster if I walk," she said, jumping out while the limo was stopped at a light, "Thanks, Alistair."She strode quickly to the familiar highrise and took the elevator all the way to the penthouse, fidgeting restlessly all the way."I said I don't want to look at the numbers!" Byron shouted as she came in. He sat on the couch with his back to her, and he must have assumed
The Billionaire's Runaway Bride Chapter 32: The Visitors
Emily started to sketch a picture of Rupert, illuminated by the setting sun. It helped her pass the time while she waited for Byron to come to his senses. It was probably going to take a long time since he had done nothing but drink, stare at the wall, then stare out the window. He crossed his legs, then uncrossed them and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. The sound of footsteps made Emily look up. A short, prematurely balding man entered the room, looking right at home."Hey man, you haven't returned my calls. Oh, hi," he said, spotting Emily, "I'm Nathan Clarke.""That's because I didn't feel like talking," Byron said."I've been his friend since elementary school," said Nathan, "and this is how he treats me. And you must be the lovely Emily."They shook hands, then Nathan went over and patted Rupert."Do you think the situation is all that bad?" Emily asked."I don't have an inside view of the business," Nathan said, pouring himself a whisky and plopping a couple of ice
The Billionaire's Runaway Bride Chapter 33: Out in the Open
Emily followed Sylvia into the next room, which was Byron's home office, and closed the door behind her. She didn't completely trust Sylvia, but at least she knew the woman was desperate to help her son in any way."It's his depression," Sylvia said. Now that she didn't have to put on a brave act in front of Byron, the worry came through on her beautiful if slightly wrinkled face."How often does that kind of thing happen?" Emily asked."Not very, but when it does, it's hard to get him out of it," Sylvia said, "Look, Emily, maybe I came across as a little too overbearing before, but I was wrong about you. You're not as stupid as you seem.""Thanks," Emily said, rolling her eyes. Since murdering Sylvia would probably be illegal and not win her any points with Byron, she decided that at least verbal fighting tactics such as sarcasm were permitted. "I'll be sure to get those words engraved on a plaque.""Don't get cheeky with me," Sylvia said, putting her hands on her hips, "If you h
The Billionaire's Runaway Bride Chapter 34: Sobering Reality
When Byron came out into the breakfast room the next day, bleary and exhausted, his mom was there sipping coffee and eating a croissant. He decided to have the same. His hangover seemed to have hit a reset button on his mood, the physical discomfort making it easier to ignore the mental suffering. "I'm glad you're finally eating something," his mother observed. "I could kill that Christine Tourneau for putting you through this! But soon it will be all right. She'll know not to mess with our company."Byron remembered the conversation from last night. He hadn't been as drunk as his mother might have imagined. It was his dire mood that had made him lethargic and unable to connect with people. "Have you gone ahead with the announcement yet?" he asked. "About me being depressed?""Not yet. Emily insisted that you should truly be on board.""I don't want to do it," he said firmly, "It would make me look weak.""How long can you go on not admitting that you have a problem?" his mothe
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