Billionaire's Bounty Cost Of Love And Revenge novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Ivy’s POV

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My eyelids fluttered open, and the first sight that greeted me was Asher’s sleeping face. A small smile crept onto my lips as I watched him. His hair fell over his face, and he looked peaceful in his sleep and handsome, too.

I reached forward and gently pushed his hair away from his face. My mind wandered to the night before when I had to change in front of him. A blush crept onto my cheeks as I thought about it. I wanted to act unbothered, so I had changed in front of him, even though I could have easily walked away, I was acutely aware of his eyes on me as I did.

I sighed in exasperation. It would be so easy to just let go. He already made it so hard to resist him. Every day, I felt my resolve weaken further. I could barely fight against his charm. It only it were that easy. If only it were easy to believe Asher was truly down for me.

I shook the thought away. I couldn’t weigh myself down with thoughts like that. I rushed into the bathroom with a change of clothes, remembering the drama from the night before.

My phone rang sharply, almost startling me. I stared at the number on the screen. It was unsaved. I hesitantly tapped the answer button. “Hello?”

“You finally picked up your damn phone, Ivy!”

1 froze. I would recognize that voice anytime, anywhere. “Max…”

“Oh! Damn, mama! You still remember my name?” he asked. “Because with how you were ignoring my texts, I was beginning to think you’d forgotten.”

I had blocked his number, but I didn’t block his social media accounts. I would occasionally look at pictures of us together and cry my eyes out. “What do you want, Max? I made it clear I didn’t want to speak to you again. I blocked your number. I don’t want you talking to-”

“But not the social media, huh?” he said. “If you’re going to stalk someone, liking and unliking their stuff isn’t the way to go.”

His words stung, but I played it off. “What do you want?” It was so much easier to end the call and never speak to him again, yet I couldn’t bring myself to do it. There were so many unanswered questions. We never spoke about what happened. We didn’t even have a proper breakup. I needed answers. I needed closure. “What do you want from me, Max?” I asked, walking toward the large glass door overlooking the ocean.

“What’s all this about you being married to that obnoxious punk?” he asked. “The media is going crazy with reports of you two being married. There are pictures…” He trailed off. “That’s the same bastard who tried to attack me the other time? You were with him? How long have you been with him?”

I blinked back tears. “Max, I don’t have to talk to-”

“If you end the call, it won’t stop me, and you know that, right?”

I couldn’t believe him. After everything he had done, he wasn’t calling to apologize; instead, he was accusing me. I tucked my hair behind my ear. “The blogs are right. I’m married to him. Asher Sterling.”

“What do you mean you’re married?” he yelled. “We’re in a relationship…”

“Were… we were. We are no longer in a relationship, Max. You need to get that in your head.” My voice had risen. “You cheated on me with Taylor. Our relationship died that very day.”

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8:28 pm DDXX.

Chapter 23

His voice softened. “Ivy, I’m sorry…” He sighed. “You didn’t even give me time to apologize. You can’t be married to someone else. Marriage takes time, years. How…”

“Max, you hurt me. You have no right to ask me these questions,” I snapped.

Then I felt hands hold me from behind. I knew instantly, from his scent, that it was Asher. I stared at his reflection in the glass doors, and he looked annoyed. “I don’t want you talking to him,” he said, his voice authoritative, leaving no room for

argument.

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“I…” I tried to protest, but he took the phone from me, ended the call, and handed it back. “It’s our honeymoon, remember? And you promised to lay your guard down?”

I furrowed my brows. “I don’t rem-”

“This trip is about us and us only.” He grabbed my hand and led me to the dining table. When I got there, I saw it was laid out with an abundance of food: toast, bacon strips, eggs, pancakes, waffles, coffee in a jar, creamer, a tumbler of orange juice, and so much more.

He pulled a chair out for me, and when I was seated, he sat next to me. I took a good look at him. His face was full, like he had a good sleep. He was dressed in a casual short–sleeved white shirt and black shorts. I was distracted by the lock of hair that fell over his face. When he looked up at me, I averted my gaze.

“What’s the excuse for so much food this time?” I asked.

He held my gaze. “It’s a vacation. I figured I should spoil you silly.”

I smiled. “Are you trying to make me overweight and unattractive?”

He didn’t answer immediately. “I think it’s impossible for you to look unattractive, ever.”

I looked up to meet his piercing stare. It would have been a sweet compliment that would have made me blush if I wasn’t too busy analyzing how perfect the answer was. Asher had his way with women. I couldn’t shake off the thought that he had probably used that line on someone else. I managed a small smile at him.

He seemed to notice something was off. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I overheard a bit of your conversation…” He trailed off.

I let out a huge sigh. “He saw the reports that we’re married. He was angry and-”

“I don’t want to talk about your ex on our honeymoon, Ivy,” he cut in. “I want to talk about you. I need to know everything about you. For instance, I don’t even know what you like for breakfast.”

There was a long silence that stretched between us. Then I drew the plate of waffles toward me and put a piece on my plate. “I love waffles with just the right amount of chocolate syrup,” I said, squeezing it onto my plate.

His eyes widened in surprise. “Just the right amount, alright.”

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