Married to the Billionaire Who Betrayed Me novel Chapter 64

Chapter 64 Dueling The Billionaire On Stage

The audience watched the exchange, captivated by the tension. They sensed the personal history bleeding into the corporate debate.

I met his gaze. I did not flinch.

*External pressure only works if the target lacks leverage,” I replied. I kept my voice icy and precise. “A massive conglomerate relies on hundreds of regional vendors to maintain its monopoly. If an independent brand secures exclusive contracts with the top-tier manufacturers in those regions, the conglomerate loses its supply. The monopoly fractures.

I leaned closer. The physical space between us vanished into a charged, electric field.

hundred “A conglomerate is a massive beast, Tristan,’ I said. I used his first name. I broke the formal protocol in front of two hundred investors. “It takes a long time to bleed out. An agile predator aims for the arteries.”

Tristan’s jaw tightened. The muscle ticked in his cheek. He recognized the strategy. He realized I spent the last twelve months securing the exact independent vendors his newly acquired shipping hub required to function. I anticipated his move. I built a

counter-offensive.

1

The moderator cleared his throat, attempting to regain control of the panel. A fascinating dynamic. Let us pivot to the topic of

brand loyalty…”

The debate continued for another forty minutes. I fielded questions from the audience. I defended my business model against Benedict’s desperate, escalating attacks. I countered Tristan’s subtle threats with cold logic and hard data.

I owned the stage. I proved to the capital elite that Aegis was not a temporary trend.

The panel concluded. The audience erupted into genuine applause.

I stood up. I did not shake hands with Benedict Holloway. I did not look at Tristan Johnston. I walked off the stage and headed toward the backstage exit.

Marcus and Leo waited near the heavy double doors.

“The main concourse is swamped, Marcus advised. “The press wants quotes. We secured a service elevator. We can bypass the crowd

and return to the suite.”

“Take me to the elevator, I instructed.

My head pounded. I needed the quiet of the hotel suite. I needed to call Lucia and hear Elias’s voice.

We reached a dead end. Two massive steel doors marked the service elevator.

Leo hit the call button. The numbers above the doors illuminated, counting down the floors.

O

1/3

Chapter 64 Dueling The Billionaire On Stage

A heavy footstep echoed behind us.

1 turned around.

Tristan Johnston stood at the end of the concrete corridor. He bypassed his own security. He tracked my movements through the

service tunnels. He cornered me.

Marcus and Leo reacted instantly. They stepped forward, blocking the narrow hallway. Their hands moved toward their weapons.

Tristan stopped ten feet away. He ignored the contractors. He locked his gaze on my face. The cold; corporate mask he wore on the

stage was gone. The raw, desperate hunger returned.

“Call them off, Minerva, Tristan demanded. His voice echoed off the concrete walls.

“You are trespassing in a secured area, Mr. Johnston, Marcus warned. His tone was lethal.

“I am not leaving, Tristan stated. He took a deliberate step toward the armed men. He possessed zero regard for his own safety. He operated purely on obsession. “Call them off, or I will walk through them.”

I looked at his face. I saw the absolute certainty in his eyes. He would initiate a physical altercation in a concrete hallway. He would risk a massive public scandal. He possessed nothing left to lose.

‘Stand down,” I ordered.

Marcus hesitated. “Miss Hayes, he is a hostile.”

“I said stand down, Marcus,” I repeated. “Wait by the elevator. Do not engage unless he attempts to touch me.”

Marcus and Leo stepped back. They maintained their defensive posture, but they opened a clear path.

I took a breath. I walked forward. I met Tristan in the center of the dim, hot corridor.

We stood three feet apart. The silence stretched tight. The air between us felt heavy with unsaid words and broken promises.

“You found your voice, Tristan said. The words tore from his throat.

‘I always possessed a voice,” I replied. “You just refused to listen to it. You preferred me quiet. You preferred me hidden.”

He flinched. The truth struck him.

“Why did you disappear?” Tristan demanded. The desperation bled into his tone. “I searched for you. I tore Port Sterling apart. You

vanished.”

I stared at him. The sheer audacity of the question ignited a cold, furious fire in my chest.

‘I vanished because you left me to be slaughtered on a ballroom floor,” I answered. My voice dropped to a harsh, ragged whisper. ‘I

9

2/3

G

|||

O

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify