I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis novel Chapter 232

Of course not.‘ I didn’t need to think before answering

If not for Yvaine and her two stalker–like suitors, I wouldn’t have come here at all.

And… I glanced at Ashton, who was treating the simple act of writing down his name on the lock with such grave solemnity, you’d think he was signing a peace treaty.

I hadn’t said the L–word to him yet, but I didn’t want him thinking his feelings, deeper and clearer than mine, were one–sided or unnoticed.

We hung the locks on the bridge, threw away the keys, grinned at each other.

Ashton leaned in.

I half–closed my eyes, waiting for the kiss.

‘Guys!‘

Ashton sighed.

I hid a smirk and turned towards the culprit who’d ruined the moment.

Yvaine walked towards us, hand in hand with Cade.

I glanced behind them.

Cassian was gone.

For the next three days, we followed Yvaine’s itinerary to the letter–hot springs, night market, lakeside shrine, psychic readings.

Cassian never showed up again.

The morning sun poured straight through the studio windows like someone had wiped the whole city clean overnight.

My post–trip good mood lasted until I spotted the mess on the front table.

Dozens of flower arrangements vied for space.

The ones on the left had started wilting, their petals shrivelled at the edges, water murky in the glass.

‘Priya, where the hell did all these come from?‘

She looked up from her laptop and spread out both hands. ‘You missed the circus. Daniel and Rhys have been dropping off bouquets like it’s a contest. One would show up, then half an hour later, the other one would too. I kept telling them you weren’t here, but they wouldn’t stop.‘

I dropped my bag on the bench. ‘You’re kidding.‘

‘Wish I was. I didn’t want them tearing each other apart in here, so I told them I’d hold on to everything until you got back. Didn’t help. Yesterday they ended up fighting, again. Not in the studio this time, though, thank God. They took it to the pavement outside.‘

1/3

Chapter 232 The Old Man’s–Will

‘Jesus Christ.‘

+15 BONUS

‘Dan’s the one who started it, I think. He hasn’t even recovered from the last round. Probably escaped the hospital just to throw another punch. But now he has to go back to his ward. Rhys didn’t look much better. EMTs had to scrape him off the concrete.‘

I stared at the flowers again and visualised punching both infantile men’s faces until they resembled those wilted petals.

They were still knee–deep in the inheritance fight.

Every move was about scoring points.

Neither one gave a shit about flowers, or me, probably.

‘Chuck them. All of it. Don’t even bring the next batch inside. Just leave a bin by the door.‘

Priya gave me a tight grin. ‘You got it.‘

I glanced around the studio.

Nothing was broken.

No smashed display cases, no blood on the tile.

For once, Daniel and Rhys had managed to beat each other senseless without wrecking the place.

Maybe that psychic visit actually did something. 1

At six, Ashton pulled up outside.

I climbed in.

‘We’ll stop by the hospital on the way,‘ he said.

‘What, are you sick?‘ I scanned him from head to toe.

Everything appeared to be in order.

‘No. It’s Edouard. His lungs are going again. He called the family lawyer to the ward, drafting a new will.‘

We reached the private wing in twenty minutes.

The nurse at reception nodded like she recognised Ashton.

She probably did.

Outside the room, I could see through the glass: some man in a grey pinstripe suit stood at the foot of the bed, flipping through paperwork.

Edouard was upright, awake, alert enough to scowl.

Ashton watched for a bit, then turned to me. ‘Give me a moment. I won’t take long.‘

‘Okay. Try not to get disowned.‘ 1

He pushed the door open.

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Chapter 232 The Old Man’s Will

Edouard jolted upright and immediately started choking on his own saliva.

‘You–what the hell are you doing here?‘

Ashton strode in ‘Just checking if you’re still breathing What, nervous?‘

Edouard glared past him, signalling frantically at the lawyer with wide eyes and a twitchy neck.

The guy either didn’t notice or pretended not to.

+15 BONUS

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