The Billion-Dollar Divorce (Ian and Chloe) novel Chapter 96

Chapter 96

It was nearly midnight when Chloe came home, arms wrapped around a bunch of plush toys. The first thing she saw was lan sitting on the couch.

Her eyes flickered to the black lockbox on the coffee table, and she casually walked over, her face betraying nothing.

Ian couldn’t help but frown when he saw all those cartoon plushies clutched in Chloe’s arms.

For a split second, their gazes collided.

Chloe dropped the plushies and reached for the lockbox, but lan put his hand firmly on top, blocking her

Their eyes met once more. Withdrawing her hand, Chloe got up and headed for the bedroom.

Behind her, Ian spoke with deliberate calm. “Chloe, I know you’ve got things on your mind. Can we just sit down and talk for a bit?”

Chloe paused in the hallway, not bothering to turn. “No need. Even if I am upset, I just have to deal with it

With Ian, whether it was a talk or an argument, things never went well between them.

Ian slowly opened the lockbox in front of him.

He said, “If we can reach an understanding, I’ll return this jewelry set to the Irvine family right away

When Ian said he’d give the jewelry back to the Irvine family, Chloe finally turned around.

Chloe turned around.

After a moment’s hesitation, she walked over to Ian. “So, what is it you want to talk about?” she asked.

Ian reached out, gently took Chloe’s hand, and guided her to sit right next to him.

He locked eyes with her and said, “We need to talk about you coming home late these last couple nights”

Chloe looked over at Ian, then at the black lockbox on the coffee table.

That was all it took for her to figure out what lan was up to.

He was using her mother’s jewelry as a bargaining chip, trying to make her fall in line and do exactly what he

said.

A faint, knowing smile tugged at Chloe’s lips.

‘Fake nice? I could do that in my sleep, Chloe thought, her mind working a mile a minute.

Chloe took a moment to compose herself.

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Chapter 96

She spoke, careful to mask any trace of indifference from lan.

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She promised, “If there’s nothing urgent, I’ll try to come home earlier so you don’t have to worry,

Ian took both her hands, his expression impossible to read. “I’m telling you to stay away from him–trust me, it’s for your sake.”

Chloe nodded like she was being agrecable, but kept her voice firm. “The Hamiltons promised me you wouldn’t mess with my job.”

Ian replied, “It’s fine if you need to see him for work–but I don’t want you hanging out with him after hours.

Chloe looked up, locking eyes with Ian–his gaze was intense, full of things she couldn’t quite read.

She hesitated for a second, then gave in–though not without a hint of pride. “Don’t worry, Ian. I know I’m Mrs. Hamilton, and I’ll keep myself in check. Promise.”

Ian’s frown finally eased.

He asked again, his voice going softer and all gentle, “Will you ever hang up on me again?”

Chloe leaned in, hand raised in mock–seriousness. “Promise, I won’t ever do it again.”

She gave him a silly, puppy–eyed look, mixing in a bit of playful sweetness.

Their eyes locked for a moment, and the spark in Ian’s gaze grew almost scorching.

Chloe caught that look–he wasn’t even trying to hide what was on his mind.

Not showing any sign of nerves, she slipped her hand free and, with a smooth move, perched herself right onto Ian’s lap.

If this was really a negotiation, then both of them needed to bring something to the table.

Ian had all the power and money in the world–her only leverage was herself.

Chloe looped her arms around Ian’s neck, snuggled up against his chest, and spoke in a soft, almost coquettish voice, “Hubby, can you give me that jewelry set?”

Chloe purposely left out the word “back.”

What she called him-“hubby“-made all of Ian’s defenses crumble instantly.

Ian wrapped his arms tight around Chloe’s waist, pulling her flush against him.

His

eyes caught hers, voice husky, “Kiss me.”

Chloe was unusually obedient–she draped her arms around lan’s neck and pressed her lips to his, taking the initiative. Her tongue slipped between his lips, slowly coaxing him deeper into the kiss, seduction written in

every move.

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Chapter 96

One arm clung to Ian’s neck while her other hand grabbed the nearby pillow, fingers curled tight as she just let him have his way with her.

Ian, utterly satisfied, absentmindedly stroked Chloe–she was snuggled up in his arms like a sleepy kitten, and a gentle, content smile played at his lips, so subtle he didn’t even realize it.

Chloe chose a scarlet dress set for her outfit, layering it with a beige trench coat on top.

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Chloe was in the closet, slipping into her outfit when lan came in fresh from his shower.

He moved in behind her and, totally at ease, pulled her right into his arms.

He rested his chin lightly on her shoulder, and they locked eyes in the mirror–sparks written all over their

gazes.

lan said, his voice dripping with lazy teasing, “With how wild things got last night, surprised you didn’t want to stay in bed longer.”

Chloe let Ian’s breath, all playful and suggestive, linger against her neck–she didn’t shy away one bit.

She playfully held up two lipsticks for Ian to see and flashed a teasing smile. “So, which shade looks better on me today?” she asked, voice dipped with a hint of flirt.

Ian set the two lipsticks aside and picked out one in royal red instead.

Chloe was about to object, but Ian gently pulled her to face him.

She looked up, her tone soft but protesting. “This one’s too bright–really doesn’t suit me.”

Their eyes met, and Ian just couldn’t help himself–he dipped his head and stole a kiss.

The kiss had lost all the wild, burning heat of the night before; now it was slow, lazy, and laced with gentle affection.

Ian’s breath went unsteady as his lips brushed against Chloe’s ear, his voice rough and low, full of teasing warmth. “This shade–trust me, you’ll always look stunning in it.”

Chloe obediently swiped on the lipstick, right there in front of Ian, shooting him a sly little smile as she did.

“It’s New Year’s Eve–I’m heading back to the Irvine family today,” Chloe announced, her tone easy and playful.

Then, standing on her tiptoes, she planted a soft kiss right on Ian’s Adam’s apple.

Chloe knew she couldn’t fully trust Ian; she had to make sure that jewelry set got safely to her parents as soon as possible.

Even after Chloe had been gone for a while, Ian was still frozen in front of the mirror, just savoring the memory of that kiss, totally swept away.

No matter how much she changes, deep down, she’s still herself.

Who she is at her core isn’t something that’ll ever change.

He could tell her boldness and warmth, it’s real. It comes from deep inside.

She’s loved him for over twenty years; feelings like that don’t just go away.

She needed him.

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Chapter 96

Emotionally and physically, she needed him.