The Billion-Dollar Divorce (Ian and Chloe) novel Chapter 177

Chapter 177

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Andrea burst into the living room, barely keeping her footing, when Carl snatched up a vase and charged at her, yelling, “I’m gonna kill you!”

Andrea hadn’t expected Carl to be home and was so startled that she turned and ran.

At the door, Andrea shouted to Chloe, “I’ll wait for you downstairs!”

Watching Andrea rush into the elevator, Chloe quickly stepped in front of Carl to stop him.

Carl was still fuming, ready to rush out. “That woman is way too arrogant. She actually had the nerve to break into the Irvine family home!”

Jill snatched the vase from her son’s hands. “Women like her have zero shame–she’ll stoop to anything. Just let her go; don’t get involved.”

Frank’s face darkened with rage as he sat there, seething in silence.

Chloe paused and said to her parents, “Mom, Dad, I’m just going downstairs for a minute. I’ll be back soon.”

She returned to her room, swapped out her clothes, picked up an umbrella, and headed outside.

Her maiden family–the Irvine family–was her lifelong sanctuary, the place she could always rely on if the world turned its back.

Her loved ones were her ultimate safeguard–no one was allowed to cross that boundary.

There was no way she’d ever let Andrea set foot here and disturb her family.

It was late at night, with a light rain softly coming down.

Andrea was standing by the grassy area near the entrance to the Irvine neighborhood.

She’d left her umbrella at Chloe’s doorstep when she rushed out, and now she was drenched, a total mess from head to toe.

Andrea watched Chloe strolling over slowly with her umbrella, and rage just exploded inside her for no

reason at all.

She charged up, shouting angrily, “Chloe, you shameless slut! You keep saying you want a divorce, but secretly you hook up with Ian and fly off to Europe to meet him–sleeping together, too! You swear you’ll leave with nothing, but you even try to steal the birthday present Ian bought for my kid!”

Chloe bent down to put down her umbrella.

She walked straight up to Andrea and grabbed her by the hair,

Slap!

Chapter 177

Slap! Slap!

Slap! Slap! Slap!

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Chloe started slapping Andrea back and forth, left and right, landing each hit with zero mercy.

Andrea kept stumbling backward, totally powerless, unable to fight back at all.

She was bleeding from both her nose and mouth.

After a barrage of slaps, Andrea was so dizzy she couldn’t even stand, finally collapsing into a muddy puddle nearby.

Chloe shook off the sting in her hand, finally calling it quits.

She bent down, picked up her umbrella, and looked down at Andrea with cold disdain.

Chloe warned, “If you ever come after my family again, I’ll smack you every time I see you.”

Andrea, teetering on her soaked high heels, struggled to get back on her feet, looking like an absolute wreck.

Clenching her teeth, Andrea snapped, “Chloe, what I despise most is that smug, self–righteous look of yours.”

“You blocked me in the hospital system so I can’t even book your specialist appointments anymore–All because you lost your own child and can’t stand that Ian treats my son better. It’s jealousy, pure and simple, isn’t it?”

“You hate me for it, and now you’re dragging out this divorce mess just to spite me.”

“Ian knew from the very beginning my kid wasn’t his, and he still chose us over you–even after all that hurt, you still won’t get a divorce?”

Chloe calmly watched as Andrea lost her mind.

She told Andrea, “Sure, things between me and Ian went south partly because of you, but no matter how bad it got, I never blamed you or made you my target.”

All the hurt, all the betrayal–that was Ian’s doing.

Chloe looked straight at Andrea and said, “Listen, from one woman to another: Stop counting on men to save your life. Marriage was never the answer for us. If you want a real future, rely on yourself–because honestly, that’s the only way you’re ever going to make it.”

Ian sat there, silently watching Chloe walk away–he didn’t look away until she completely disappeared from

Chapter 177

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Patrick pointed at Andrea, collapsed in the rain. “I know you’re worried about her. Now that Chloe’s left, why don’t you go see if she’s okay?”

Ian took his time lighting up a cigarette. “Don’t get snarky with me. I have my own reasons for keeping Andrea around.”

Patrick sized Ian up, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Haven’t seen you for a bit, and already you’re thinking way differently than before.”

Ian balanced his cigarette between those sharp–knuckled fingers, eyes tracking Andrea’s every move as she tried to pull herself together in the rain.

He said, “I’m already separated from Chloe. No need to make things worse.”

Patrick asked, “If Andrea really loses it, would you actually have her locked up?”

Ian glanced back at Patrick.

He said, “Nobody’s above the law. Zero tolerance.”

Patrick couldn’t help but laugh coldly. “You could move heaven and earth, and it wouldn’t matter. The second Chloe went behind your back and took care of that child, she ripped you clean out of her heart, roots and all.”

Pain flashed through Ian’s eyes, dark and heavy.

He said, “Nobody gets it right all the time. We’re still young–I haven’t given up. I truly believe Chloe and I still have a chance.”

Patrick hesitated, the corner of his mouth twitching, but he kept quiet.

Across the street, Andrea was on the phone as she rushed into a taxi. Patrick nudged Ian and said, “What’s she up to at this hour?”

Ian stubbed out his half–smoked cigarette. “Let’s go after her and see what she’s up to.”

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