Billionaire's Match (by Tangy Candy) novel Chapter 1176

"Trey could never fool Khloe. If he could, Olympus wouldn't be on its last legs so soon," Nick spoke calmly, his voice steady and unhurried, carrying an undeniable confidence.

It didn't sound like Nick was putting up a front. Lenny paused, taken aback, still trying to process what he'd just heard.

"Sir, what exactly are you saying...?"

"The reason she left me," Nick said, his tone growing heavier, "is precisely because her feelings for me run too deep."

A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his mouth—half amused, half pained. But it only made him look more bitter.

Lenny froze for a second, letting out a low grunt from his throat. "Sir..."

If the atmosphere hadn't been so tense, he would've sworn Nick was making a dark joke.

"Sir, forgive my dullness, but I don't quite follow."

Lenny frowned. He genuinely didn't get it.

"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Deep love does not last'?" Nick asked, his tone leisurely.

Lenny nodded. "I have."

Nick continued, "Loving someone too much can sometimes make you lose your principles."

He knew that all too well.

Because he loved deeply, his expectations ran high.

Khloe loved him—so much so that she was willing to sacrifice their relationship for his sake.

But he was the same way. He would rather die than let her push him away like that.

The conversation ended there.

Though Nick hadn't spelled everything out, Lenny had grasped the gist of it—Khloe indeed had her reasons, and Nick had long since figured them out.

But the situation between them now, as Barney had put it, left no room for compromise.

After seeing Nick off, Lenny went to pick up Michelle for dinner.

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.

But now, looking back, maybe that was exactly it—two people cut from the same cloth, neither willing to settle or bow their heads, were bound to love each other to the bone.

Someone like Khloe—bold enough to love and hate without reservation—was the only one who could shatter Nick's rigid principles, forcing him to swallow his pride along with his blood.

And the only one who could make Khloe sacrifice everything for love again was Nick—the man who would stop at nothing to hold onto her and cling to his own stubborn convictions.

Two heads that would never bow—and yet, they were meant to love.

It was just... inevitable that they'd hurt each other too.

...

Late into the night, Khloe had gone to bed early, but she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

She reached for her phone on the nightstand, unlocked it, and stared at the screen—not sure what she was even looking for.