The Billion-Dollar Divorce (Ian and Chloe) novel Chapter 113

Chapter 113

Ian adjusted his shirt cufflinks.

He reminded Andrea, “I accepted Clint as my son to prevent Edward from targeting you and Clint, so you both could have a safe place here in Kingsford.”

Andrea nodded, visibly anxious.

Ian continued, “I’m willing to help you because you’ve sacrificed so much for me over the past six years.

Andrea bit her lip and nodded again.

Ian added, “I’ll keep my word, but only if you stay out of trouble and remember your place.”

With that, Ian turned and walked away without sparing another glance.

Andrea stood frozen, her body trembling. Only when the door clicked shut did her legs finally give out, and she sank to the floor, utterly spent.

‘Turns out teaming up with that woman, Chloe, was a good call, Andrea thought, a sense of relief washing over her.

‘One day, I’ll stand proudly in front of Ian, out in the open, and the whole world will know I’m the woman by his side,‘ she swore to herself.

Near nine that evening, Ian waited outside the apartment building where Chloe’s parents lived, waiting for her to come downstairs.

When Chloe stepped out of the elevator, Ian stubbed out his cigarette.

He adjusted Chloe’s coat around her and pulled her into his arms.

He asked softly, “Are you cold?”

Chloe smelled the faint trace of tobacco clinging to Ian and scrunched up her nose.

She glanced up and saw three silhouettes at the window. She realized Ian was holding her in his arms, taking his time before getting in the car.

He wanted her family to see that they were doing well together.

Chloe calmly pushed Ian away, her face giving nothing away.

She said, “The Irvine family’s been bankrupt for years. We’re not even in the same league as the Hamilton family anymore. Even if you did something to me, my family couldn’t touch you. So, honestly, there’s no

need for all this.”

Ian just stared at Chloe, silent, making no attempt to explain himself.

19:03 Fri, Oct 3

Chapter 113

lan said, “Tomorrow’s your first official day at work. You should head home and make sure you get plenty of rest tonight.”

The next day–eighth day of the Lunar New Year.

Chloe was up bright and carly,

She picked out an understated winter outfit and kept her makeup minimal, wanting to look polished but not flashy.

It was her first day working at Jordan Family Hospital, and with new colleagues to meet, she was determined to make a good impression–even if she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous inside.

In the walk–in closet, Chloe and Ian stood side by side in front of the mirror, each straightening their own outfits.

Jan walked over to Chloe, bent down, and picked up the hair tie by her feet.

Chloe’s gaze fell on the tie in Ian’s hand. She took it from him and, with practiced hands, knotted it neatly at his collar.

They shared an unspoken understanding–neither brought up anything unpleasant.

Chloe picked up her bag, ready to head out, but Ian gently caught her by the wrist and pulled her back toward him.

They stared at each other in silence, and Chloe immediately got the message in Ian’s eyes.

She rose up on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth.

Ian went with the flow and hugged her tight.

They were totally in sync, but the vibe between them was still awkward as hell.

At eight on the dot, Ian dropped Chloe off right at the Jordan Family Hospital entrance.

Before heading inside, Chloe turned back and said to Ian, “Take care heading home, okay?”

Ian stood by his car, eyes never leaving Chloe as she walked away–watching until she finally disappeared from view.

The gentle winter sunshine wrapped Chloe in golden light, making her stand out even more, vibrant and beautiful.

Ian didn’t rush off. He leaned against the car door and lit up a cigarette.

He thought back to how Chloe had deliberately led a crowd upstairs to bust him cheating at the Grand Horizon Group’s annual party, then later swallowed her pride and knelt at The Old Hamilton Manor to save

his reputation, and how she managed to coexist peacefully with Andrea at the hospital.

She did it all with such calm, like she was just an outsider watching everything unfold.

19:03 Fri, Oct 3

Chapter 113

Turns out, Joanna was Ms. Judd’s niece.

19:04 Fri, Oct 3

Ms. Judd was the one who taught Chloe violin as a kid, watched her grow up, and was super close with the Irvine family. That’s why Eric hired Joanna to be Chloe’s assistant.

For the rest of the day, Chloe kept busy getting familiar with the hospital and bonding with her new

coworkers.

She got a clear idea of what she needed to work on going forward.

The whole day was packed, but she honestly felt happy and satisfied.

Work was the only thing that ever truly healed her.

From now on, she was determined to cast aside all distractions and give it her all–she’d do everything in her power to cure Arthur Logan as quickly as possible and make her department truly stand out.

As the workday was wrapping up, Eric took charge and invited everyone from the department out for dinner

The department was brand new, and with Chloe as one of the key figures, there was no way she could bail

But she also knew she had a deal with Ian–she’d promised him that aside from work hours, she had to be home.

After work, everyone planned to get together for dinner at a restaurant.

Once Chloe was out of the hospital, she gave Ian a call.

These past few days, Ian had been all gentle and caring with her, but it wasn’t because he felt bad about her getting punished by the family rules, and it definitely wasn’t because she was his wife.

He was just putting on an act, all to keep up his good guy image.

All that so–called comforting was just to make sure she kept playing her part as his cover.

But if she ever pissed him off, he’d turn on her in a heartbeat and make sure she learned her lesson.

When Ian picked up, Chloe kept her voice as gentle as she could. “Hey, my department’s having a dinner tonight, so I might get home a little late.”

On the other end, lan didn’t say a word–he just hung up.

Chloe couldn’t help but frown.

Right when Chloe was stuck, totally unsure what to do, lan showed up out of nowhere and walked right up to

her.

Hesitating, Chloe said, “My team’s got a dinner tonight… Maybe you should just go home without me?” She tried to sound casual, but deep down, she worried how lan would react.

Ian smoothly slid her bag off her shoulder and replied, “But I made a reservation–I was gonna throw you a little celebration tonight.”