Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 203

Chapter 168: A Game Of Patience

(Author’s POV)

Chloe went still. She sat with it for a second, then let out a short, flat laugh.

“Of course it was.”

She’d grown up watching Sienna work a room. That soft voice, those wounded eyes, the way she always managed to be the most fragile person in any situation. It was a performance, and it had always worked

on everyone except Chloe.

“She had her own score to settle with Aurora,” Chloe said. “And she needed someone else to take the fall.

So she used you.”

Tiffany stared at the ground.

“Think about it,” Chloe said. “Aurora walked away from a marriage to Jasper Everett. Do you understand what that means? Half the women in this city would have fought tooth and nail to stay in that position.

Why would a woman like that waste a single thought on Zachary?” She shook her head. “It never added up. And if Sienna was willing to use you this way, I’d bet everything she had a hand in how that marriage fell

apart too.”

Something shifted behind Tiffany’s eyes. A flicker of recognition, or maybe just pain.

Then she looked down. “It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s too late.”

Chloe didn’t follow her into that. She’d learned a long time ago that you couldn’t drag someone out of a

place they weren’t ready to leave.

“The video from this morning is already out there,” she said instead. “That’s evidence. It holds up. You

don’t have to fight for custody – I know you, and I know you won’t- but you are entitled to your share of the

marital assets. The properties. The investments. The settlement.” She kept her voice practical, because

that was what Tiffany needed right now. “You walk away with what’s yours, you never have to worry about

money again. You start over.”

Tiffany nodded. It was the kind of nod that meant nothing.

“I’ll think about it later. I don’t have the energy today.”

She picked up her bag and stood. She turned down Chloe’s offer to drive her home. Said she needed to

walk, needed to be alone.

Chloe watched her go.

She sat on the bench for a moment after Tiffany disappeared around the corner, then stood up and pulled out her phone.

On the other side of the city, Aurora was in a good mood.

upter 63 A Seme Of Patterce

Clarm

She was at her desk when Leo’s message came through – just a string of exclamation points and a

screenshot of the news coverage. She smiled, then typed back.

*Don’t get distracted. Pretend you didn’t see it. I can handle myself.*

A minute passed. Then Leo sent back a single thumbs–up.

She set her phone face–down and got back to work.

At school, Leo read the message and smiled. He set his phone in his bag and looked up at the front of the

classroom.

During the break between classes, Sam appeared at his elbow.

“Hey.” Sam’s voice was quiet. “I just wanted to say – I’m sorry. I only mentioned it to a couple of people. I

didn’t think it would blow up like that.”

Leo looked at him for a moment.

“It’s fine,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”

Sam nodded, relieved. But after the break ended, Leo moved to a different seat. He didn’t make a thing of

1. it. He just moved. Sam watched him go and didn’t say anything, because there was nothing to say. He

understood.

Leo settled into his new seat and let his gaze drift to the front row. The class president – thick–framed glasses, neat ponytail, always the first one to turn in her assignments. The teacher had mentioned, quietly, that she was the one who’d recorded the video that helped clear things up.

The bell rang. Leo turned back to his textbook.

He had one goal now. Get back to the top of the class. Push for early graduation. Get into college ahead of

schedule.

He wanted to be someone Aurora could actually lean on. Not just someone she looked after.

Jasper had been coming to the Everett estate regularly for the past few weeks.

He always timed it for when Phineas was away. His angle was chess.

William Everett had played the game his whole life – the old–fashioned way, with a proper board and a live opponent. He had no patience for online matches and no interest in playing against people who were just going through the motions. Arthur had never had any feel for the game. Phineas played well, but he played fast, and he’d never been willing to slow down to match his father’s pace. So William had been largely without a decent partner for years.

Jasper filled that gap with careful precision.

He sat across from William and played at his rhythm. He asked questions about the game’s history that he already knew the answers to. He lost just often enough to make the victories feel earned. William began to win in good spirits, and he began to think that this particular young man had considerably more sense

Chapter 16 Age Of Patience

than most of the people around him.

Clam

Jasper knew exactly what he was doing. His father had sent him to chess lessons as a boy, and he’d spent

every hour of it resenting the obligation.

He wasn’t resenting it now.

The sound of laughter drifted in from the courtyard – the old man’s voice, and another one Phineas

recognized the moment he stepped outside.

He stopped walking.

Comments

e

LUCK DRAW >

H

Vote