The Billion-Dollar Divorce (Ian and Chloe) novel Chapter 257

Chapter 257

Chapter 257

lan stared at his phone screen, lost in thought,

He felt his body and soul slowly drifting apart, as if he were slipping into a daze.

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It wasn’t until Miranda called his name several times, her voice anxious, that he finally snapped back to reality.

Ian followed Miranda’s gaze to Edward, then asked, “Grandpa, what did you just say?”

Edward’s expression grew dark. He said, “lan, the business world is a battlefield. As CEO, you have to weigh every decision twice over. Cutting ties with the Quinn family does us no good–it’s all downside for Hamilton Group. After all these years running this company, how could you slip up with such a basic mistake?”

lan stood up, unhurried, and smoothed out his suit jacket.

He said, “Grandpa, the decision’s already made and the order’s been carried out. If you have an issue with it, let the board vote me out.”

Edward was left speechless, his face darkening with fury.

Shane jabbed a finger at lan, his anger boiling over. “One day, the whole Hamilton family will be yours! Everything we’ve done–every sacrifice–it’s all for you!”

Ian looked at his father, his expression unreadable. “Dad, have you ever once thought about what kind of life! actually want?” he asked, voice flat, as if all his energy had been drained away.

Their eyes clashed in a fierce standoff, neither willing to back down. After several seconds, Ian, utterly exhausted, turned away. His steps heavy with disappointment, and left the room.

Miranda caught up to lan at the doorway, worry clouding her features. “lan, I’m free tomorrow morning. Let me take you to the hospital for a check–up, her voice tinged with concern.

Ian tried to sound as gentle as he could. “Mom, I’m really okay. Don’t worry about me,” he replied.

Miranda watched her son’s lonely, defeated figure, her heart aching with helplessness.

She stormed back into the living room and, right in front of Edward, challenged Shane. The Hamilton family is already Kingsford’s number one elite. Our wealth tops the charts in all of Avalonia. Why do you keep forcing lan to chase after more?”

Shane shot back with a snarl, “What would you know? You’re just a woman. The business world is a battlefield -right now, the Hamilton name sits at the peak, and everyone bows their heads to us. But the moment we slip, everyone out there will be eager to stomp us into the ground.”

Shane spat, “Soft hearts don’t win wars, and sentimental fools get eaten alive in business. If lan keeps letting his feelings blur his judgment, he’ll crash and burn just like Frank Irvine did years ago. Mark my words, he’ll be the reason the Hamilton family goes under someday!”

Edward was adamant. “Business isn’t a charity, and we’re in it to win. If we let him keep following his whims

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Chapter 257

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letting his emotions lead, he’ll never make it really big. He’ll end up missing out on everything he could’ve accomplished.”

The living room had turned into a war zone–nobody was backing down, and the argument was chaos.

Back in his car, lan’s hand instinctively went for his painkillers.

He unscrewed the bottle, only to realize it was already empty.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, lan started the engine.

Over an hour later, lan stepped out of a downtown pharmacy and spotted Chloe’s parents in the distance.

The two of them walked out of the supermarket together, their arms full of groceries.

They probably couldn’t carry them any farther, so they set the bags down and paused to catch their breath by the side of the road.

Just as lan was about to step forward to help, he saw Arthur jog across the street, grab a few of the bags, and walk with Chloe’s parents as they crossed.

Ian stood frozen, unable to move for a long moment.

He knew Chloe’s parents didn’t want to see him, but he still wanted to help, to do something for them.

But Arthur beat him to it, doing what he’d hoped to do–instantly making lan feel like a spare part.

Moments like this–when he realized he was just an extra, completely unnecessary–kept happening over and

over again.

These little ‘extra‘ moments were everywhere, always making him feel useless and powerless.

This constant sense of helplessness, like he couldn’t do anything that mattered, was almost enough to break

him.

lan had no idea how he even made it home.

He stood under the cold shower, forcing himself to endure the freezing water, hoping it would snap him out

of his haze.

But the clearer his mind became, the more unbearable the pain grew.

At around eight that evening, Patrick showed up at Ian’s place.

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pur the thermos down on the coffee table and said, “Chloe made this porridge herself. I was thick–skinned enough to ask her if I could bring some for my grandma, and she actually packed some up for me herself.”

Patrick didn’t stick around. He just dropped off the porridge and left.

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Chapter 257

lan sat on the couch, wearing a dark bathrobe.

He quietly planted himself there, just gazing at the thermos on the table. After what felt like forever, he finally reached over and opened the lid.

The familiar scent wafted up, bringing back memories and heartache.

It had been way too long since he’d had anything Chloe cooked.

Pretty sure it was after Andrea came back… That was when Chloe stopped making anything for me completely, he thought, bitterness and longing mixing quietly beneath the surface.

A sharp pang gripped Ian’s heart, and his hand shook as he picked up the spoon for a taste.

After they got married, she insisted on learning how to cook, just because his stomach was always giving him trouble–she wanted to look after him herself.

He took a bite, complained the taste was nothing special, and said it was just a waste of her time. He told her not to bother making it again.

Now, here he was, eating the porridge she’d cooked, but it was only here because someone else had to bend the truth just so he could taste it again.

His stomach hurt, his chest ached–he couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. He just lay there, painfully awake through it all, until morning finally came.

“Godmother, I think someone’s following us,” Simon said out of the blue, his voice a little uneasy. Is he just getting paranoid? Chloe wondered.

Chloe glanced around, then shrugged it off. “Are you just trying to spook me again?” she joked, not the least

bit worried.

But Simon grabbed Chloe’s hand and suddenly started running.

They jogged across the street, and Simon puffed, “Godmother, how can you be so not alert? You really need to

watch out!”

After that, 5

Simon used his smartwatch to call his bodyguard, but he just couldn’t get through no matter what.

Chloe looked at Simon, feeling a sudden jolt of anxiety.

I remember lan mentioning once that Philip took on a really nasty court case, Chloe thought, the details. suddenly flashing through her mind.

After Philip won the lawsuit, the defendant lost big time.

To get back at him, the opposing side kidnapped his wife and son.

In the end, his kid made it out alive, but his wife… she never woke up again.

“Wait, could someone be after Philip again–this time going after his kid?‘ Chloe shivered, the thought making her throat go dry. ‘Shit, this could turn ugly fast.

Her fingers hovered over Philip’s number, but she didn’t hit dial. ‘He’s all the way in Yarland right now…. if I call, he won’t make it back in time. Chloe gripped her phone tighter, fighting down the anxiety.

Even

‘Real threat or not, no way I’m taking chances, Chloe told herself, instantly switching into high–alert mode.

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Chapter 257

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“Simon, stick close to me. We’re going straight to the hospital,” Chloe said, keeping her voice calm and protective.

She grabbed Simon’s hand and hurried toward her car.

The hospital was the nearest safe spot, and with Eric Jordan there, Chloe trusted he’d know exactly how to deal with whatever came up.

Chloe opened the back door, ready to usher Simon inside first.

But in the very next instant, a hand lunged out from inside the car and forcefully dragged him in.

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