Billionaire's Pregnant Ex-wife novel Chapter 75

My pulse jittered, and my heart began to beat like crazy as his gaze lingered on the window where I stood. Recovering from shock, I jumped away from the window and hastily closed the curtains with my trembling fingers.

My goodness! Did he see me? The question thundered inside my head, making me breathless. My palms turned cold as ice, and I brushed them against each other to create

some heat to ease their stiffness.

“Are you okay, Miss Lily?” Christina asked.

My eyes shifted to her. She had just finished placing the food on the table and was waiting for me to eat. However, eating was the last thing on my mind now. After seeing my ex- husband, I had lost my appetite.

“I’m fine,” I replied.

“Are you sure?” Christina asked politely, concern evident in her expression. “You look pale, as though you’ve seen a ghost,” she added, worry in her eyes.

‘It’s not a ghost I saw, but the devil himself,‘ I thought to myself before meeting her gaze. and forcing a smile to appear on my lips. “I’m okay,” I lied for the second time.

Though she wasn’t convinced, Christina didn’t press further and kept her thoughts to

herself.

I skittered to the office table to grab my handbag. Christina’s gaze lingered on my back, wondering what I was up to this time.

“I’ll be out for a while. I forgot an important document in my car,” I said, turning to her. It was the third lie I had told today.

“B–but your food, Miss Lily,” Christina politely reminded me.

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“I promise I’ll be back later to eat it,” I replied, throwing a brief glance at the food on the

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table before scurrying to the door with my bag in hand.

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Turning the knob, I pulled the door open in an attempt to escape the upcoming doom, but before I could take a step outside, I caught a glimpse of Grey walking across the hallway. The sight of him made my heart jump inside my ribcage.

“Shit!” I gasped and slammed the door in exasperation.

How could he reach the office that fast!? I mumbled under my breath in disbelief while locking the door to make sure he wouldn’t open it and come inside without me knowing.

Resisting the urge to pull my hair in frustration, I paced back and forth in a dilemma. Christina quietly looked at me. Her eyes were wide and questioning, but she did not try to ask what was happening.

Soon enough, a knock sounded on the door, making me jump to my feet.

Christina heard the sound and hurried to open it, but I grabbed her by the arm before she could take a step. “No, don’t! Please,” I whispered, my voice pleading.

Christina came to a stop. “I need to open the door,” she insisted, but my grip tightened on her arm. “Not yet. I have to hide first,” I told her.

Christina’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Mr. Grey Gabriel Bradford is at the door. I don’t want him to see me. Whatever happens, don’t tell him I’m still here. Please, I’m begging you, Tin…”

“But why, Miss Lily? Mr. Bradford would be glad to meet you as the new owner of La Paraiso Hotel,” she kindly explained.

“You don’t understand, Tin. I can’t explain everything to you right now. It’s a very long story. Just please, just do what I say.”

“Is anyone inside?” Grey’s voice thundered.

Both our gazes shifted to the door.

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“Please…. I’m asking you for a huge favor. Don’t tell him I’m here.” I pleaded one last time, and when the soft jingle of keys reached my ears, I wasted no time and ran to the restroom

to hide.

I was already hidden inside the restroom, but my racing heart refused to calm down. Pressing my ears to the door, I listened to the sounds coming from the office.

“Didn’t you hear me knock?” It was Grey asking as he strode inside.

Though I couldn’t see his face, I could tell by the tone of his voice how irritated he was.

I’m sorry to put you in this ordeal, Tin, I mumbled under my breath while biting my lower

lip.

Taking a deep breath, I continued to listen to the conversation.

Clearly intimidated, I heard Christina reply, “I–I apologize, Sir. I didn’t hear you knock because I was busy.”

Footfalls sounded on the floor. I imagined Grey surveying the room with his sharp eyes. After a moment of silence, he spoke. “The receptionist informed me that the new owner of

La Paraiso Hotel is here.”

“She already left, Sir,” Christina replied. I applauded her for not stuttering after telling a

lie.

“Did she?” he asked suspiciously. “Why did the receptionist tell me she’s here?”

I froze in my place, wondering what Christina would say next.

“Actually, Miss Phoenix just left the office a few minutes before you arrived. I bet the two of you met in the hallway without you noticing.”

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“Perhaps I didn’t notice her. What a waste; I didn’t meet her today,” Grey replied, shrugging his shoulders. “She must have been in the parking area by now,” he added.

I let out a deep sigh of relief in the restroom. The most critical part was over. Now, all

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Christina needed to do was make him leave the office.

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“So she left without eating lunch,” Grey mused, and I heard a slight creak of the couch as he sat down. “I haven’t eaten lunch yet. I’m starving.”

He started eating my lunch, and Christina could do nothing except watch him. I turned my fists into tight balls, ignoring the growling of my stomach while listening to him deeply enjoy my food.

I resisted the urge to march out of my hiding place and smack him in the face for stealing my lunch.

Finally, after almost waiting forever, he finished his lunch. But still, he showed no sign that he was leaving.

He remained seated on the couch for what felt like hours.

My legs started to ache from standing too long. However, I could do nothing except suffer

in silence while I waited for him to leave.

****

Grey Gabriel Bradford sat on the couch with a deep frown on his forehead. He knew he

should be leaving now, but his feet refused to move. He couldn’t explain the feeling, but it

was as if some kind of divine force was telling him to stay a little longer for a reason he

couldn’t understand.

He took a deep breath. As he did so, the sweet floral scent of a familiar perfume filled his lungs, triggering nostalgic memories to flash in his mind—particularly, memories of his

ex–wife.

The perfume smelled like Lily. He thought to himself. Just the sound of her name still made his heart tingle with pain and longing. It’s been a year since her death, and yet he still hasn’t moved on. Perhaps he never would.