Billionaire's Bounty Cost Of Love And Revenge novel Chapter 113

Asher’s POV

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The dining room felt suffocatingly warm. Save for the clinking of cutlery against fine china and the soft hum of background music, it was eerily quiet.

The Sterling family dinners had always been like t this, formal, stiff, and thick with tension. It was a dynamic we were all used to.

But tonight, the atmosphere was different. It felt like a storm was brewing beneath the surface. I sat between Ivy and Janine, who was nervously picking at her food.

Across from us, Marcus was brooding, his jaw clenched, eyes darting betweerrour parents. Dad was quieter than usual, his face unreadable, while Mom did what she always did lately, filling the silence with polite questions about everyone’s well–being.

“So, Ivy, how’s work been? I saw your pictures the other day, the one for Cube Magazine?” Mom asked, her voice bright but forced, and I looked up at her.

Ivy smiled, nodding. “It was spectacular!” she declared, her smile widening. “Thank you so much, it means a lot that you like it.”

Mom’s lips curled into a small smile. “What’s not to like? You work so hard, yet make it look effortless. What’s it like?”

I glanced at Ivy, but she reached beneath the table, taking my hand in hers. “It’s great, Mrs. Sterling. Busy, but rewarding,”

“And you, Asher? How’s the winery? You’ve been working so hard lately,” Mom continued, her gaze softening as it fell on me. “I know you’re doing great, the numbers speak for themselves, but do you like being in charge of the company?”

Marcus’s attention sharpened, his eyes fixed on me across the table.

“It’s good, Mom,” I replied, offering a small smile. “It’s demanding, but I love it, So, it feels easy in a way.”

She nodded, her smile growing. “You’ve really found your path, haven’t you?”

I nodded but studied her carefully. There was something off about her tonight, something I couldn’t quite place. Dad had been unusually silent, his usual dry remarks absent.

He didn’t even engage Marcus in one of their boring office debates. He just sat there, cutting his steak with precision, his gaze fixed on his plate.

The servers moved around the table, refilling glasses and clearing plates, their presence ghostlike. I took a sip of m tongue. Ivy’s hand found mine again, her fingers squeezing gently!

the sweetness lingering on my

I glanced at her, finding comfort in her calmness, but then Mom cleared her throat, and the room seemed to hold its breath.

“I have an announcement to make,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

Marcus dropped his fork with a clatter, muttering a curse. “Here we go,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “I knew there had to be something.”

Janine’s eyes widened in panic. “Are you sick, Momma? Did something happen? What’s going on? Mom? Dad?” She looked between them, her voice rising with each question.

I sat up straight, my chest tightening. “Mom?” I asked, my voice low. I glanced at lvy, and that’s when I saw it, her calm, unreadable expression. She knew. She knew something I didn’t,

Mom bowed her head, clasping her trembling hands together. “I… I want a divorce,” she said, her voice breaking. “And I’ve been seeing someone else.

The room erupted.

Marcus shot to his feet, his chair scraping across the floor. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” he shouted, his face flushed with rage. “What the hell, Mom?!”

I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. “What do you mean?” I demanded, my voice rising to match Marcus’s. “How long has this been

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11:13 Fri, 4 Jul G A

Chapter 113

going on? Who is he?”

Janine was silent, her face pale, hands clutching the edge of the table. Ivy reached over, placing a comforting hand on her arm, murmuring something! couldn’t hear over the noise.

Dad remained still, his head bowed, expression unreadable. He already knew. He’d known, and he hadn’t said a word.

“How could you do this to us?” Marcus shouted, his voice cracking. “You’re supposed to be our mother! This is selfish!”

“Marcus, stop,” Janine said softly, her voice trembling. “Just… stop.”

“No, Janine, this is bullshit!” Marcus snapped, turning on her. “She’s tearing this family apart, and you’re just going to sit there?”

“Enough!” I shouted, slamming my hand on the table. The room fell silent. My anger was palpable, the weight of it heavy in the air. I turned to Mom. “Why, Mom? Why now? Why like this?”

She looked up at me, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I never wanted to hurt you. But he… he makes me happy. And I can’t. keep living like this.”

“Happy?” Marcus scoffed. “You think this is about happiness? You’re destroying this family!”

“Marcus, that’s enough,” Ivy said, her voice calm but firm as she stood. Her hand was still on Janine’s shoulder. “Your mother is allowed to want happiness. This isn’t easy for anyone.”

I stared at her, my mind spinning. How could she be so calm? How could she defend this?

I turned to Dad. “Are you just going to sit here, pretending nothing’s happening? Pretend you don’t know about this?”

“Asher,” Janine called, her voice pleading. “We need to listen to m-‘

“She has nothing to say that matters!” Marcus blurted out.

”

“Marcus…” Ivy began, but Mom stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. “I… I need a moment,” she said, her voice breaking as she hurried out of the room, her sobs echoing in the hallway.

The room fell into a long silence, the tension thick enough to slice through. Marcus sank back into his chair, arms crossed, his face stormy. Ivy remained standing, her expression unreadable.

I couldn’t stay any longer. Pushing my chair back, I stood, my hands trembling. “I need some air,” I muttered, torming out of the room.

Ivy followed me, her footsteps soft behind me. “Asher,” she called gently.

I turned on her, my anger boiling over. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I demanded, my voice low and harsh. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew about this, and you didn’t say a word!”

She hesitated, searching my eyes. “I didn’t know how to tell you,” she said quietly. “It wasn’t my place.”

“Not your place?” repeated, my voice rising. “You’re my wife, Ivy! How could you keep something like this from me?”

“Asher, please,” she said, stepping closer. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I thought… I thought it was better if your mother told you herself.”

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