The Billion-Dollar Divorce (Ian and Chloe) novel Chapter 209

Chapter 209

Chapter 209

A few days later in the morning, inside the Hunter Corp. Executive Office.

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Mitchell reported to Ian, “Mr. Hamilton, Andrea confessed everything on her first night in prison and got sentenced to life. She’s been causing trouble–keeps demanding to see you, slammed her head against the wall, even bit a guard. She’s clearly in a bad mental state.”

Ian asked, “What about the others?”

Mitchell replied, “Leonard didn’t want to take care of Clint. After talking it over with the Sherman family, he gave Andrea’s family a ten million payout for child support and headed back to Tecnovia this morning.”

Mitchell added, “Andrea’s family took the ten million and they’re getting ready to move to Newcrest along with Clint.”

After Mitchell finished speaking, he saw Ian didn’t react at all, so he quietly slipped out of the office.

Ian sat there in silence, lost in thought, staring out across his office.

Everything was finally over.

He was determined–he’d do whatever it took to make things right with Chloe, to bring back what they’d lost.

He needed her to come home. Only then would everything feel normal again.

And he was going to ask her to marry him all over again.

He pulled out the crystal pendant Chloe had made for him.

That day, Chloe told him she’d dreamed about their baby. After sketching the little one herself, she used AI to touch up the drawing, turning it into a photo of their lost child.

She sealed the photo inside the crystal and gave it to him.

‘She could never let go of that child,‘ Ian thought. ‘She wanted this picture to haunt me, to remind me of what I’ve lost, to make me regret it all.’

Ian clenched the crystal pendant in his palm and pressed it to his chest before dialing Chloe’s number.

After work that evening, Chloe headed to the old Irvine family home, just like they’d agreed.

She got out of her car and walked through the familiar front gate, making her way into the living room.

In just a few steps, a flood of warm memories flashed through her mind.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw lan standing by the floor–to–ceiling windows, lost in thought.

He was dressed in black slacks and a crisp white shirt, and he’d clearly been there for a while.

12:48 Sat, Oct 4

Chapter 209

Hearing footsteps behind him, lan turned around.

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The spacious living room felt almost empty; Chloe stood at the center, lan by the window. They just looked at each other in silence.

Chloe stood rooted to the spot, quietly watching as lan walked toward her.

Ian stopped in front of her, looked at her for a long moment, then pressed a key gently into her palm.

Meeting her eyes, he said softly, “This is the house you grew up in. I got it back for you last month.”

Chloe looked down at the key in her hand, falling quiet for a moment as she gathered her thoughts.

Then she firmly slipped the key back into Ian’s pocket and said, “If I ever want it, I’ll buy it back on my own.”

‘Since everything began here, it should end here too, she told herself.

The only reason she agreed to meet lan at this place was to finally lay everything out and have a real, honest closure between them.

They locked eyes, and Ian’s brows knitted tightly.

His voice was quiet and strained, barely holding back emotion. “Chloe, I sent Andrea to prison myself. She won’t ever come between us again. Please… can you stop shutting me out?”

Ian stepped forward, reaching for her hand, but Chloe immediately stepped back out of his reach.

She looked right into Ian’s anguished eyes, her face cold, almost indifferent.

“Ian,” Chloe said calmly, “You still don’t understand. What’s broken between us has nothing to do with Andrea -or anyone else.”

12:49 Sat, Oct 4

She didn’t wait for Ian to speak, just pressed on, “If you’d never uncovered Andrea’s crimes, would you honestly have forced her and Clint out of your life? Would you ever have sent them away?”

Chloe went on, “Ian, the only reason you’re apologizing now is because I wouldn’t give in. You couldn’t keep trying to play both sides, so you had no choice but to pick. Now you’re back because you want your reputation, your interests, your comfortable marriage–you weighed the pros and cons and decided it was time to come home.”

Before Chloe could even finish, Ian cut her off, blurting out, “Chloe, I swear, I really do love you!”

Chloe let out a short laugh, unable to hold it back.

Fixing lan with a dead serious look, she said, “Ian, maybe I’d believe you on everything else. But that one thing? You say you love me–I just don’t believe you.”

She watched lan stumble back, her gaze icy. “Ian, when I was one year old, I was standing right here–right in this very spot. At my first birthday, when everyone wanted to see who I’d pick, my tiny hand reached out for you!”

She paused for a heartbeat, then added, “And now, twenty–six years later, I’m still standing here–but this time, I’m telling you: Jan, it’s over.”

Their eyes locked for a heartbeat before Chloe spun around–quick, decisive, leaving no room for doubt.

12:49 Sat, Oct 4

Chapter 209

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That unforgiving turn sent a bolt of pain straight through lan, hitting every raw nerve.

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He snapped–unable to hold back any longer, he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse and shaking.

“Chloe,” he begged, “just tell me–you’re only angry with me, right? It’s just that you can’t forgive me yet. You still love me, don’t you?”

Chloe stopped struggling, her tone airy and detached. “Ian, have you really forgotten?”

She continued, her voice calm, “Didn’t you once say it yourself? Whether I loved you or hated you–it was all the same to you, none of it ever mattered.”

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