Reborn at Eighteen The Billionaire's Second Chance novel Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Elara

He lifted me, carrying me toward the bedroom. I watched as he set me down on the bed, then began unbuttoning his shirt with deliberate slowness, each movement controlled but barely containing the fury

beneath.

“You want to know how I’m going to punish you? I’m going to make

you admit what you’ve been denying.”

“And what’s that?”

I challenged, even as my pulse raced.

“That you’re mine.”

He pulled his shirt off. His hands moved to his belt, and I heard the leather slide through the loops, watched as he unzipped his pants and pushed them down along with his boxers. His cock was already hard, and I felt my face flush at the sight of it, at the way it jutted out from his body with clear intent.

“That no matter how many times you try to run, no matter who else

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Chapter 158

Contact details. All the bureaucratic boxes that would transform me

from “Julian Vane’s dirty secret” into “Praxis Award nominee.” As if

those were two different people. As if I could be both and still

recognize myself in the mirror.

I hit send before I could second–guess it, then immediately texted

Raven: “Got the nomination. It’s official.”

Her response came back in seconds: “HOLY SHIT!!! I KNEW IT! I knew

you’d get it! This is HUGE, Elara!”

Then, because Raven was Raven and could read between lines I hadn’t

even written: “You okay? Where are you?”

“Home soon,” I typed back, which wasn’t exactly a lie. I’d be home

soon. I just wasn’t there yet.

“We still doing the flea market thing today? Because I’m ready to

make BANK and celebrate your genius.”

I’d forgotten about that. Completely forgotten that we’d planned to spend Sunday at the Brooklyn Flea, that I’d promised to bring my paintings and actually try to make some money instead of just surviving on the scraps Julian threw my way. The irony wasn’t lost on me–here I was, fresh from his bed, about to go sell art on the street because I still needed cash that desperately.

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Chapter 157

“Your body knows the truth even if you won’t admit it.”

He was right, and I hated him for it. Hated how easily he could reduce

me to this–to desperate need and aching want. Hated how my hips

were already moving against his hand, seeking more friction, more

pressure. He pulled his fingers out abruptly, leaving me empty and

wanting, and then I felt the head of his cock pressing against my

entrance.

“Please.”

I whispered, not even sure what I was asking for anymore.

“Please what?”

His hand stilled, and I felt him looking at me, waiting.

I met his eyes, saw the intensity there, the desperate need that

matched my own.

“Please. Just–make me forget. Make me forget everything but this.”

Something flickered in his expression–triumph, maybe, or relief, or something that looked almost like pain. Then he was pushing inside me, and I gasped at the stretch, at the way he filled me completely. He didn’t give me time to adjust, didn’t wait for me to catch my

Chapter 156

“You–what?”

“I was going to tell you tomorrow. I was going to give you exactly

what you asked for.”

His voice took on an edge that made my skin prickle. He moved

closer, his hand coming up to brace against the window beside my

head, caging me in.

“But then I saw you with him. Saw you playing his girlfriend, letting

him touch you, call you his.” His eyes were dark, intense. “So tell me,

lara. You were willing to do all that for Marcus Hartley. What do you

ink you owe me?”

The words hit me like a slap, and I felt my face burn with shame and

fury.

“I wasn’t–it wasn’t like that. I was just-”

“Just what?” His other hand came up to grip my chin, forcing me to

meet his eyes. “Just willing to do whatever it took to get what you

wanted?”

“You refused me!” The words came out as a shout, all my pain and frustration finally breaking free. “I asked you for help and you threw it back in my face. What was I supposed to do?”

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Chapter 156

“You were supposed to come back to me.”

His voice dropped to something rough and raw. He stopped, his jaw

working.

“You agreed to be mine, Elara. You said you’d be my person. So tell me -why the fuck were you offering yourself to someone else?”

“Because being yours hasn’t exactly worked out well for me!” I tried to push against his chest, but he didn’t budge. “Being yours means being your secret. Being yours means watching you choose Sloane over and over again while I’m supposed to just–what? Be grateful for whatever scraps of attention you throw my way?”

“Is that what you think this is?” His grip on my chin tightened, not quite painful but firm enough to make his point. “Scraps?”

“What else would you call it?” My voice cracked. “You won’t claim me. You won’t choose me. You won’t even acknowledge what we are to anyone who matters. So yes, Julian, it feels like scraps. It feels like I’m

until you need-* your dirty little secret that you keep tucked away

He kissed me, cutting off my words with a force that stole my breath. It wasn’t gentle. It was punishment and desperation and something that tasted like rage. His hands moved to my waist, lifting me against the window hard enough to make me gasp, and I felt the cold glass

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Chapter 157

“Why? Why give it to me now? Because I agreed to sleep with you?

Because I agree to be a third party between you and Sloane? Because that’s the kind of person I am?”

“Stop. Elara, stop.” He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my

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