My Rise and My Ex's Fall (Chloe and Arthur) novel Chapter 619

Eugene asked for the pink diamond, then handed it over without a second thought.

"Did he make you do anything in return?" she asked, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, get your mind out of the gutter. I'm into women—actually, let me be clear, I'm only into one woman, and that's Chloe." Eugene reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close. "Now that we're home... shouldn't we pick up where we left off?"

His voice dropped low near her ear, and Chloe knew exactly what he meant.

This guy... He really hadn't forgotten. He was holding a grudge, all right.

"I miss Robert. I want to see him," Chloe said, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

No such luck. The next moment, Eugene scooped her up and carried her toward the bedroom.

"I'll have Bruce bring him over later. But that's after we're done. An hour... then we can talk."

"Eugene!"

"Shhh... call me honey."

"Eugene, don't push it!"

"Don't push it? You walked out on me. That's pushing it. Fine—make it two hours, then we'll talk."

"Sweetheart... I'm sorry."

Afterward, Chloe felt completely worn out. Lesson learned: never mess with a man—especially not a stubborn one.

She made her way to the bathroom. As the warm water cascaded over her, she finally felt her body relax. That sense of being cherished, of being deeply cared for—it washed over her, strong and comforting.

By the time she had showered and changed, Robert was already in the living room.

When he spotted her, his eyebrows lifted with a knowing grin.

"Hey Mommy, good evening!"

Seeing him so well-behaved, Chloe was hit with a wave of guilt. She'd left him with Eugene without any explanation. She'd let her son down.

"Robert, I'm so sorry," she murmured, walking over to settle on the couch across from him.

"Don't be sorry, Mommy. I know you had important things to handle. You're back with us now." Robert's eyes flickered to the faint marks on Chloe's neck, and his smile turned a little mischievous. "Eugene's got game! He's in the kitchen right now cooking up all our favorites. Bruce ran out to grab a few things—he'll be back soon."

Hearing him say that, Chloe smiled and faced him fully. "Eugene."

"Yeah?"

He stepped closer, stopping in front of her, and took her hand.

Chloe looked down at their joined hands, then up into his eyes. A shadow of seriousness entered her gaze. "I'm sorry... there's still so much I haven't told you."

"I know. And you don't have to say anything until you're ready."

"I'm sorry," she repeated, squeezing his hand tighter. "My past... it's not pretty."

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. Your past doesn't define you for me. Whatever happened back then... it doesn't change how I see you now." Eugene held her hand firmly, his tone steady and sincere. "I couldn't be there for you then, but I'm here for every moment from now on. Chloe, just remember that."

"I will. No matter what comes... even if everything falls apart, I'm not letting go." Chloe met his eyes, rose on her toes, and pressed a quick, soft kiss to his lips.

That sudden, gentle peck wasn't what Eugene had expected.

Before she could pull away, he gently caught her hand, drawing her back in—ready to turn that brief kiss into something more.