The Billion-Dollar Divorce (Ian and Chloe) novel Chapter 286

Chapter 286

Chapter 286

Down in the lobby, Ian stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for Chloe.

“Why didn’t you text me before you came? I could’ve come to get you,” he said.

Chloe just shrugged. “Are you done with work?”

Ian nodded, his eyes landing on Chloe’s untied shoelace.

Without a second thought, he crouched down and started tying her shoelace.

The employees passing by in the lobby gave them jealous looks.

Some even snapped pictures on their phones and shared them in private group chats.

Chloe stood there, watching Ian from above as he carefully tied her shoelace.

Slowly, another scene from her memory overlapped with the present.

In her previous life, Ian had crouched in front of Andrea, tenderly helping her with her shoes.

Just thinking about it made Chloe’s stomach twist, and she jerked her foot back.

Ian looked up at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t let you do something like this, Mr. Hamilton. I got it,” Chibe said.

She crouched down and tied her shoelace herself.

Ian slowly stood up, his gaze locked on Chloe, his gentle look growing more guarded.

They left the office together and headed to the spot Chloe had reserved ahead of time.

Chloe picked out a quiet corner for them.

She handed Ian the menu. “It’s my treat tonight. Order whatever you want.”

Ian told Chloe he had a membership card here, so she didn’t need to worry about the bill.

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When the restaurant first opened, the owner had pulled some strings and sent him a VIP card loaded with a few hundred thousand bucks.

lan ordered two servings of steaks and a pancake just for Chloe.

After the waiter served their food and left, lan thoughtfully cut Chloe’s steak for her and slid the plate over to her.

Seeing Chloe stay quiet for a while, Ian couldn’t help but ask, “Why the sudden dinner invite?”

His tone was cautious, and his eyes watched her carefully, as if testing the waters.

Chloe picked up her fork and knife. “I’m hungry. Let me cat something first, then we’ll talk.”

Watching Chloe chow down on her steak, lan couldn’t help but give her a soft, doting smile.

Chloe looked up and caught Ian’s smile; her chewing came to a sudden halt.

In her memory, lan was always reserved and a bit intimidating; he hardly ever spoke, and smiles were even rarer.

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Chapter 286

After so long, she was finally lucky enough to witness this strange smile on his face.

Halfway through their meal, the waiter brought out a pancake.

Chloe’s eyes landed on the pancake, and her appetite vanished in an instant.

lan slid the pancake over to her. “I ordered this just for you. Tryi

Chloe lowered her eyes and, without anyone noticing, set down her fork and knife.

She said, “I’m watching my sugar because I’m trying to lose weight, so no dessert for me.”

As long as those memories lingered, there was no way she could ever eat a pancake again.

lan watched as Chloe’s face froze, the light in her eyes fading away.

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In her previous life, after Chloe learned he’d personally baked a blueberry cake for Andrea, she couldn’t bring herself to eat a pancake ever again.

He could still remember her eyes, swollen and red from crying, when she called it disgusting.

His heart twisted sharply, and Ian quickly lowered his head, trying to cover up how he felt.

That’s impossible,’ Ian thought to himself.

He had already tried probing her.

There was no way she time-traveled.

Her turning down the pancake was probably just a coincidence.

With a forced calm, Ian pushed the pancake to the edge of the table, trying to hide the anxiety twisting in his chest.

He said, “There’s a brand new dessert place downtown. Next time, let me take you out to try their latest treats.”

Before Ian could finish, Chloe calmly handed him a bank card, her expression unwavering.

Ian fixed his intense gaze on Chloe, his piercing eyes searching hers for any hint of hesitation.

Chloe took a deep breath, her face growing serious as she said, “Tan?”

Ian’s face darkened. “What did you just call me?” he demanded.

Before Chloe could finish, Ian cut her off, his expression cold.

Chloe took another deep breath.

She changed her tone. “Ian, this is my mom’s card. I never spent any of the money your finance team sent every month.

“I’ve scraped together everything, including the debt you paid on for the Irvine family, plus interest. It’s all on this card, and I’m paying you back in full.”

Chloe thought speaking like this was just a little too close for comfort, but she managed it.

They’d grown up together, just like she had with Patrick, so sticking with Ian as a big bro felt way more fitting.

Ian quickly caught on to the way Chloe had started calling him differently.

But there was something even more important on his mind right now.

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Chapter 286

With a serious look, lan asked Chloe, “Did you sell that emerald jewelry set?”

Chloe didn’t deny it.

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Ian’s voice was tight, barely holding back his emotions. “That’s your mom’s family heirloom from the Smith family. How could you just sell it off so easily?”

That terrifying thought flashed through Ian’s mind again.

His eyes held a hint of disbelief as he looked at Chloe.

But Chloe stayed calm, unfazed by Ian’s intense reaction.

She said. “Jewelry and money are just stuff. They’re not that important. That set was always meant to be backup for me and my brother, something our parents left us in case we ever needed it.”

Chloe added, “Life’s way easier without debt. Instead of always owing someone, I thought it made more sense to sell the jewelry and pay everything off.”

lan cut her off again, his voice sharp. “Chloe, I’m not just anyone

They locked eyes across the table.

Chloe scoffed inwardly.

If she hadn’t experienced it, she never would’ve believed Ian could be even colder to her than a total stranger.

Keeping her cool, Chloe gathered her thoughts and said, “This was a decision we made as a family. We’ve already packed up and left your place.”

Before Chloe could finish, Ian shot to his feet.

His sudden movement dragged the chair behind him, making a harp, scraping sound.

Ian grabbed the bank card from the table, walked over to Chloe, bent down to pick up her bag, stuffed the card inside, then gripped her wrist and marched her right out of the restaurant.

On the sidewalk, Chloe broke free from Ian’s grasp.

Jan struggled to keep his emotions under control.

He told Chloe, “Whatever you want to say, say it in the car.”

Chloe glanced at the luxury car parked nearby, then grabbed her phone and bag.

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