Heaven or Hell: Loving My Twisted Billionaire novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

My ears perked up involuntarily at this unexpected turn.

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“When I was five,” she continued, her voice taking on a dreamlike quality, “I was playing in the woods behind my family’s summer home and fell into a deep pit. I was scraped up pretty badly and couldn’t climb out by myself. I sat there crying for what felt like hours until this little boy with the most striking green eyes appeared at the edge. He worked so hard to pull me out, his little face all serious and determined.”

She laughed softly. “I think I fell in love with him right then. I never knew his name, but when I saw Finn’s eyes in that hospital bed… I just knew it was him. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t walk away.”

I nearly laughed out loud at the absurdity. A convenient childhood memory, miraculously remembered at just the right moment?

As if I’d spent my childhood rescuing little girls instead of fighting for scraps of food. Her fabricated fairy tale only confirmed what I already suspected–she would say anything, invent any connection, to secure her position in the Sterling household.

Amy gathered something from the bed–clothes, it sounded like–and moved toward the door. “I’ll finish these tomorrow. You should rest.”

When she stepped into the hallway and saw me, she gasped softly, her eyes widening in fear. I enjoyed the effect my presence had on the staff. It confirmed what I’d suspected–the man I supposedly was before losing my memory wasn’t someone people took lightly.

“Leave us,” I commanded, not bothering to soften my tone.

Amy scurried away without a word. I pushed the door open wider and stepped inside. Hannah stood in the middle of the room, her hands instinctively moving to her stomach–to the child she claimed was mine. I had to admit, the gesture seemed natural, untheatrical. But I’d seen plenty of skilled liars in my time.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and held it up, showing her the photo of our marriage certificate I’d had Jack obtain. “This is what you were after, isn’t it? Your carefully laid trap?”

“It wasn’t like that, Finn.” Her voice remained steady, her eyes never leaving mine.

“Then what was it like?” I moved closer, studying her reactions, looking for the tell–tale signs of deception I’d learned to identity in the fighting pits. “Tell me, Hannah. What was your endgame when you agreed to carry my child? When you signed this certificate?”

“I needed money for a friend’s medical treatment,” she said softly, meeting my gaze directly. “That was my initial reason. But I stayed because I saw something in you worth staying for.”

“How poetic,” I sneered, though I found myself searching her face for signs of dishonesty and finding none. Either she believed what she was saying, or she was extraordinarily good at lying.

“I’m not asking you to believe me,” she continued. “I know you don’t remember me. But I’m not trying to trap you. If you want me gone after the baby is born, I’ll go.”

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11:36 Fri, May 1

Chapter 45

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That caught me off guard. The Hannah was supposed to be calculating, strategic–a woman who had maneuvered her way into the Sterling family. This offer to leave contradicted that narrative.

A new theory formed in my mind. Perhaps the trap was more subtle than I’d imagined. Perhaps she was playing a longer game.

I moved with deliberate speed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her against me. Our faces were inches apart, and I could feel her breath quicken.

“Do you really like me that much?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous.

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