The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 294

"I think those people have no idea what they're talking about. Julian was brazen enough to flaunt his relationship with Felicity publicly. Do you really think he would have cared if I posted our marriage certificate online? Who would have been able to verify it through a screen? And even if they did, the Nicholson family has a thousand ways to make that information disappear in an instant. What would I have done then?"

"The only way to ensure the truth couldn't be buried was to live-stream the hearing under a judge's supervision, so the entire city could see for themselves. It was the only way to clear my name. And for that, I'm called ruthless."

"Do you really think I had any other choice, Mr. Prescott?"

Her words were spoken with humility and sincerity, but to Yves, they sounded like the fierce roar of an unyielding spirit fighting for survival. She was right. She was just a woman, responsible for a family, with no special advantages or powerful allies. She wasn't a superhero. But she had the right to live. And she had the right to choose whether to accept his advances or to simply make a deal with him—a deal that would give her control over her own destiny.

"I know my grandmother, my sister, and my son are all fond of you," she continued. "Especially my son. He's not mine by blood, but since I found him, he's been my responsibility. He's grown up without a father, so when you show him even the slightest bit of kindness and joy, he latches onto it. He adores you."

"Even if it's just for him, to give him that temporary happiness, I don't want to let him down."

"So..."

A mistress was a temporary arrangement, a transaction. It had an end date. Accepting his courtship meant accepting him. And she was unwilling to do that.

The realization hit Yves with a sense of failure even more profound than what Julian must have been feeling. He hated himself for being so cruel three months ago. Why had he insulted her so viciously when she was at her lowest? But the words were out, and they could never be taken back.

The car pulled up to her apartment complex. Yves stopped the car and gave a cold laugh. "Be my mistress? You think too highly of yourself. Women in Greenwood City are lining up for that role. Why would I be interested in a divorcée? From now on, our relationship is strictly business. As long as your project makes me money, that's all that matters. Get out."