I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis novel Chapter 369

**TITLE: The Attention 369**

**Chapter 368: More to the Story**

“What is it?” I inquired, a hint of trepidation threading through my voice.

“It’s about your kidnapping from some time ago,” Daniel replied, pausing for a moment as if weighing his words carefully. “The truth of what happened… it isn’t what you think. I want to explain, but not over the phone. Can we meet?”

“Where?” I pressed, my heart beginning to race.

“Let’s meet near your studio. I’ll wait for you in that café on the high street,” he suggested, his tone urgent.

After ending the call, I found myself mulling over his words. There was a sincerity in Daniel’s voice that caught my attention; he didn’t sound deceitful. Yet, Ashton’s investigation had already pointed the finger at Rhys and Frank as the culprits behind my abduction. Was it possible that there was more to this tangled web of deceit? Daniel and Rhys had always clashed, but they were still half-brothers. Perhaps Daniel held insights I had yet to grasp.

Once I felt prepared, I instructed the driver to take me to the studio. The familiarity of the area enveloped me, guiding my steps as I made my way directly to the café. As I entered, my gaze landed on Daniel almost instantly.

He appeared worn down, a bandage wrapped around his forehead and stubble shadowing his jawline. His eyes were bloodshot, betraying a lack of sleep that suggested he had been through a considerable ordeal. At that moment, I barely recognized the man sitting before me.

“Mirabelle,” he said, rising awkwardly as our eyes met.

I offered a curt nod and took my seat across from him, cutting straight to the chase. “You said you had something important to tell me. So, tell me.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to the table.

In an instant, I understood the weight of his words. “You lied to me.”

“No, no! The thing I want to tell you is true,” he protested, shaking his head vehemently. “It’s something else I’m sorry for.”

His vague replies only deepened my confusion. “I just want to know the truth about the kidnapping. Please, get to the point.”

He met my eyes, his expression a tumult of emotions. “Rhys was involved.”

“I already know that,” I replied, my frown deepening.

“No, you don’t understand. Rhys was the mastermind behind it all,” he insisted, urgency lacing his voice. “After Frank got out of prison, he approached Rhys for money. Rhys refused, but Frank had some kind of leverage over him, something he used to blackmail him. Rhys felt trapped, so he devised a plan to target you. After all, you had married Ashton, and you controlled all that money Frank had left behind. Frank agreed to the scheme. They fabricated that recording together, creating an excuse for Rhys to contact you, to worm his way into your trust. That’s how they learned your schedule and managed to kidnap you so effortlessly.”

He paused, taking a shaky breath, gathering his thoughts before continuing. “They knew they couldn’t confront Ashton directly, so the original plan was to take you abroad. Making you call Ashton was just a cruel ruse, a way to give you hope before snatching it away. Rhys believed that after such an emotional upheaval, you would be vulnerable. He thought that, combined with your past together… he could make you fall for him again. Then, he’d convince you to write a will, leaving everything to him. After that, you’d just… have a fatal accident.”

I listened in silence, my heart heavy with the weight of his revelations. The Rhys I once adored in high school—the athletic, cheerful, and charming boy—was a distant memory. Yet, hearing the depths to which he had sunk left a bitter ache in my chest, a complex mixture of sorrow and disbelief.

“Do you know where Frank is now?” I asked, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

Daniel shook his head. “No. But I know where Rhys is.”

When I didn’t press further, Daniel’s agitation grew palpable. “Don’t you want to know where Rhys is?”

“No,” I replied firmly, shaking my head. I truly didn’t want to know.

After my rescue, Ashton’s men had taken Rhys for questioning. As of now, he was either in police custody or still detained by Ashton’s team. I knew that if I asked Ashton, he would tell me. But I hesitated; I didn’t want to jeopardize the fragile trust we had painstakingly rebuilt. He had drawn a clear boundary with Genevieve for my sake. I could do the same for him and sever all ties with Rhys completely.

“Thank you for telling me,” I said flatly, preparing to stand up and leave.

But just as I moved, Daniel spoke again, his voice laced with regret. “Mirabelle, I’m sorry.”

It was the second time he had apologized. Before I could inquire about what he meant, he sprang to his feet and sprayed something directly into my face.

Suddenly, everything went black.

**Chapter 369: Ashton’s POV: Courtesy’s Off the Table**

I received the alert about Mira’s kidnapping almost instantaneously.

I always had a team shadowing her, but today, since she hadn’t planned to go out, the detail had become lax. By the time the on-duty agent arrived at the café, she had already been drugged and taken.

The moment I got the report, I barked at Dominic, “Secure the entire Granger family. Do it now.”

Then, I rushed over with Harry to the address from the text.

It was an abandoned building.

We made our way up to the rooftop. The instant we stepped out, I spotted Daniel fumbling with a knife, pressing it against Mirabelle’s throat, his voice shaky as he blustered, “Don’t move! Don’t come any closer!”

He dared to threaten my woman? That meant all notions of courtesy were out the window.

I halted in my tracks and snapped over my shoulder to Harry, “Get Clive Granger, Louisa Granger, and Willow Granger under control. Bring them here.”

Harry stiffened, a look of determination on his face. “Yes, sir.”

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