Billionaire’s Regret After Losing Her (Aurelia) novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Drop the Case

Chloe shoved her phone right up to Dominic’s face.

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“Look. Look hard. See what your perfect Lauren is really saying to Aurelia behind closed doors.”

Dominic grabbed the phone and glanced at the message.

One look, and he turned to Chloe. “What’s wrong with this?”

Chloe’s blood boiled.

“What? You’re asking ME what’s wrong? Hello? Dominic, did you flunk English or something?”

“That’s blatant provocation, and you’re asking me what’s wrong?”

Chloe was furious and snatched the phone back.

“Fine. Let me spell it out for you.”

Unbelievable.

Was he dense or what? Lauren had just thrown shade at Aurelia like that, and he dared to ask what was wrong?

She frantically looked at her phone. “Listen up: Aurelia, it’s alls

foul+2!!!

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Wait!

That wasn’t what it said two seconds ago.

Chloe squinted at the screen and realized Lauren had deleted her previous message. A new one popped up in its place.

[Aurelia, it’s all my fault. Blame me for everything. I just can’t handle Adrian’s death. Please don’t fight with Dominic anymore. He really loves you.]

Seeing Lauren’s new message, Chloe was so pissed she practically blue–screened.

She tossed the phone to Aurelia. “See for yourself.”

Aurelia caught it and glanced down.

When she saw that Lauren had recalled her message and sent this fake sweet one instead, a cold smile curved her lips.

Of course. Lauren, queen of manipulation.

Married to Adrian for years, and nobody ever caught on she was two–faced as hell.

Dominic’s eyes locked onto Aurelia, dead serious, before shifting to Chloe.

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“Could you give us a minute?”

Chloe shot him a withering, glare before turning to Sunda

“I’ll go grab you something good to eat.”

Aurelia’s appetite was still okay, and Chloe wanted to help her get her strength back.

When only Aurelia and Dominic were left, he pulled up a dair and sat by her bedside. His hands folded together, eyes cold as steel as he stared her down.

“You’re really going through with the lawsuit?”

Aurelia met his gaze. Said nothing

“That project, including bonuses, netted around four million.”

“I’ll give you a hundred million. Drop the case.”

His tone was flat, like he was talking about the weather.

Or maybe right now, Aurelia was just another business deal to him.

Aurelia laughed. “Four million, huh.”

Lauren was a Drake family heiress–would she even blink at

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four million?

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Honestly, she just wanted to snatch what belonged to Aurelia.

And now Dominic was here to throw cash at the problem. For

Lauren.

Aurelia’s gaze turned mocking. “We’re not even divorced yet. So what is this–you buying off your wife to protect your precious Lauren? Or…”

Aurelia paused.

The next moment, her smile turned razor–sharp.

“Or are you using OUR money to solve Lauren’s problems right

in front of me?”

Dominic froze.

He’d just wanted to get Aurelia to back off.

But hearing it from Aurelia’s mouth, this whole thing sounded

pretty gross.

His jaw tightened, irritation flashing across his face.

“Look, we’re family. I don’t want things blowing up like this. Besides, Lauren’s got nothing to do with it–I’m the one who screwed up, I-”

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“Oh, YOU screwed up? Then maybe I should add you to the lawsuit, too?”

“You-”

Aurelia’s words hit like ice water. His expression went stone–cold.

“And one more thing–Lauren and I are NOT family. Don’t try playing that card to guilt–trip me. It’s disgusting.”

“You-”

The word ‘disgusting‘ hit him like a physical blow. His breath went heavy.

Before he could say more, his phone rang. Eleanor calling

again.

He answered. “Mom.”

“Dominic, Lauren’s in bad shape after what happened today. She woke up right after you left–you need to come back. Now.” Eleanor’s voice cracked with exhaustion.

She couldn’t take this anymore. Why was God putting her through this hell?

Dominic frowned and glanced at Aurelia. 5/10

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Eleanor kept going. “I know Aurelia will throw a fit, but Adrian’s dead and there’s nothing I can do. Lauren’s suffering too.”

At this point, Eleanor started crying.

Dominic took a deep breath and hung up while standing up.

Watching him instinctively rise to leave, Aurelia’s mocking smile got even deeper. Look at that—how many times had he ditched her for Lauren today?

Every single time he was with her, Lauren would call—and he’d drop everything.

Every. Damn. Time.

Aurelia looked up, her eyes glacial with contempt.

“You know what Lauren’s deleted message actually said?”

Dominic paused mid–step and turned around, saying nothing but staring at her.

“She said you’d come to my room and leave within five minutes. And now…”

Aurelia paused, then laughed–sharp and bitter.

54.18

It’s been exactly three minutes.”

Been

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See? That’s how little their marriage meant to Lauren. How

little SHE meant.

He’d abandon his wife for Lauren, over and over again.

Even the timing was calculated perfectly.

Dominic’s heart sank. “Aurelia—”

“Don’t believe me, do you?”

He’d barely opened his mouth before she cut him off.

When had he ever believed a word she said these past six

months?

Whenever Lauren was involved, every word out of her mouth was considered crazy talk.

Aurelia shoved her phone in his face, screen lit up. “This message was deleted. See it?”

Dominic still said nothing.

“If there was nothing wrong with that message, why would she delete it?” Aurelia pressed.

Honestly? What kind of trash Lauren was didn’t matter to

Aurelia anymore.

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But she was going to plant every seed of doubt about Lauren deep in his mind, one by one.

Whether Dominic believed it or not…

Their eyes stayed locked. His gaze was deep and unreadable.

Aurelia looked away first. “Still not going? Aren’t you worried she might actually hurt herself?”

“It’s not what you think between us. You know that. After Adrian died, I just—”

“I don’t care why you’re taking care of her. By noon tomorrow, you’ll have the divorce papers.”

Aurelia’s voice was ice–cold as she cut him off.

Hearing her bring up divorce again, Dominic’s expression got even darker.

“Divorce? Aurelia, don’t push it!”

“Oh, I can push a lot harder than this.”

This was pushing it?

He could run to Lauren over and over again, but her asking for

a divorce was too much?

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Lauren had made her lose two babies and stolen her

Maplecrest project.

And he thought THIS was pushing it? She was just getting started…

Dominic read her like a book. “Drop the lawsuit. I mean it.”

His tone went cold, hard–laced with warning.

Aurelia caught it immediately. She crossed her arms. “Threatening me?”

“What you’re doing is pointless.”

Aurelia: “…”

Pointless?

Because Lauren had the entire Hawthorne family backing her? Because she had a billionaire mother?

Aurelia’s eyes snapped back up to meet his. “Then watch

closely. With all of you protecting her, let’s see if I can touch. her or not.”

Every word rang out like steel against his warning.

“You-” 9/10

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She kept saying it-“you people.” “You Hawthornes.”

Like she’d drawn a hard line down the middle of her world. The Hawthorne family on one side. Her on the other.

And him? He was lumped in with them now too.

Dominic’s chest heaved, rage barely contained–especially staring into those cold, distant eyes…..