The Billion-Dollar Divorce (Ian and Chloe) novel Chapter 294

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Chloe deliberately shook off his hand. “Oh, right, I almost forgot you’re a spoiled rich kid who’s never been to a place like this. Why don’t you wait in the car? I’ll handle it myself.”

lan didn’t bother explaining. He just said, “I’ll keep you company

Watching Chloe head over to a stall, Ian took out his phone and shot off a text.

Before Chloe even got to the stall, Melody called out to her with a warm, friendly grin. Chloe just strolled right up, acting like she belonged there.

She crouched down and pointed at the snow crabs in the basket, asking the price with practiced ease.

Before Melody could reply, Chloe caught her looking past her, and sure enough, there was Ian standing nearby, just like she expected.

Ian walked over to Chloe and bent down to help her up. “Careful the floor’s wet.”

Chloe got up, playing it cool, but she didn’t miss the shock on Melody and Xander’s faces.

Just as she’d expected, they recognized Ian right away.

Chloe couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement.

‘Now that they’ve recognized Ian, this is going to be so much easier, Chloe thought.

Chloe pointed at the snow crabs in the basket. “Ian, Mom loves snow crabs. Let’s grab a bunch.”

Ian pointed at the basket in front of Chloe. “All of them.”

Chloe pointed to the other side. “And those shrimp, too.”

Ian said, “All of them, please.”

Chloe shook her head. “That’s way too much. We’ll never finish i

Ian said, “If we can’t finish it, we can always share some with the new neighbors or send some to family.”

Chloe nodded, then pointed to another spot. “That king crab over there looks nice, too.”

Ian frowned. “That one’s too small. We saw a bigger one when we first came in. Let’s go back and get it.”

Chloe said casually, “How come they don’t have any coral trout a this stall?”

Ian pulled out a tissue and gently wiped the water off Chloe’s hand. “No worries, I’ll take you to another stall.”

Melody watched Jan, dressed like royalty and tossing cash aroun, treating Chloe gently. She was so jealous that she could barely keep it together, stomping her feet in envy.

She claimed she didn’t know the prices and had her parents handle the seafood packing, then pulled Xander aside to the

back.

Xander was so shaken that his voice was shaking. “That’s the Hamilton family’s heir right there!”

Melody’s jealousy flared up, her eyes practically turning green.

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Chapter 293

She spat out, voice low and sharp. “I’m not blind!”

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She nudged Xander, her voice dripping with annoyance. “Andreas hopeless! I told her not to mess up a golden opportunity over something so trivial.

“She should’ve just secretly registered the marriage with lan first but no, she had to be stubborn. Now look, she totally ruined her chance!”

That’s it. I’m calling Andrea right now,” Melody blurted out. She couldn’t sit still for another second and stormed off into the back room.

Outside, Chloe noticed that Melody and Xander still hadn’t come back out. She curved her lips in satisfaction, feeling pretty pleased with herself.

Once they got back in the car, lan glanced over at Chloe and couldn’t help asking. “So, are you really going to spend my birthday with me this year or not?”

They locked eyes for a moment.

Chloe nodded decisively, her tone gentle but firm. “Relax. We’ll celebrate your birthday together this year.”

Anyone could see the smile slowly spreading across Ian’s face, while Chloe calmly fastened her seatbelt, completely at ease.

She’d come back again soon and stoke the flames a little higher.

No later than Ian’s birthday party, that surprise was guaranteed to arrive.

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Chapter 294

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When they got home, Chloe plugged her phone in to charge. Then she immediately transferred the money for the seafood to lan

Ian stared at the transfer notification on his phone, his eyes darkening. He looked up at Chloe. “Do you really have to draw such a clear line between us?”

Chloe stood her ground. “Even family should keep things fair. You paid for me because my phone was dead. I have to pay you back, of course.”

lan lowered his gaze, masking his feelings. His heart raced, restless and uneasy. ‘Whenever she wanted something from me, she always asked with confidence, never bothered with splitting things up.’ Ian’s thoughts were suddenly in a jumble, and his face paled.

Chloe ignored Ian’s grim expression and said, “You helped my parents haggle when they bought their house, and that saved us a ton of money.

“But yesterday, Edward and Shane said things that really hurt my family and me. Out of respect for you, I won’t sue them for slander. Let that saved money be for the suffering they caused my parents.”

Ian stood in front of Chloe, wanting to get closer but afraid she’d be uncomfortable. He tried to keep his voice gentle. “We were getting along just fine back at the market. Why did you suddenly get upset with me?”

Chloe couldn’t say what was really on her mind. She softened her tone. “Ian, I’m not mad at you. It’s just that we’re really different. Maybe we should give each other some space.”

Ian stared at Chloe, then suddenly reached out and grabbed her hands. His face was completely serious. “Chloe, if I gave up being the Hamilton Heir and just became a regular guy like you would you take me back?”

They locked eyes, just inches apart. Chloe struggled to yank her hands free, but Ian only held on tighter.

Panicking, Chloe blurted out, “You know exactly what Edward and Shane are like. If you gave up everything just for me, do you really think those two would ever let me off the hook?

“Even with all the power you have now, you still can’t shake off those two old men. If you became just a regular guy, it wouldn’t just be you in trouble. I’d get dragged into the mess too

Jan’s intense gaze stayed fixed on Chloe, and his grip on her hands slowly loosened. With Chloe, all he could do was keep his distance. Getting closer was out of the question.

He didn’t want to back away, but he was even more afraid to take a risk. So, he forced himself to choke back the confession of his feelings.

But Chloe’s words really hit home for him. Even after taking over Hamilton Group, he still couldn’t break free from Edward and Shane’s control.

If he gave up his inheritance and became just an ordinary person, what could he possibly do to protect the people he cared about?

A flicker of emotion flashed in Jan’s deep eyes. He said to Chloe. I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll head out now.”

Chloe watched as fan walked away. ‘lan must be crazy,’ she thought. A businessman who puts profit above everything else actually said he’d give up his inheritance just to be a regular guy Has he lost his mind?’

Taking a deep breath, Chloe turned and headed back to her room. She walked on, lost in thought.

‘Right now, Andrea’s going through hell in Tecnovia. She’s already given birth to someone else’s kid, but she hasn’t gotten around to doing anything really messed up yet.

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Andrea was only after lan’s money, but Ian’s feelings for her were the real deal. Once Andrea was back, there was no doubt their lives would collide again, Chloe thought.

Parked by the curb outside the apartment complex, lan sat behind the wheel, cigarette in hand.

Late October brought a chill to the air. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his toned forearms

He held the cigarette, and the other hand draped loosely over the steering wheel. The cold wind streamed in. Lost in his own world, his gaze was unfocused, a trace of panic flickering in his eyes.

The sudden ring of his phone pulled him out of his thoughts. Checking the caller ID, Ian fired up the engine and pulled

away.

Over an hour later, Ian arrived at Hamilton Manor.

As soon as Ian walked in, Shane’s voice boomed through the living room. “Why weren’t you home with your grandpa this weekend? What were you doing over at the Irvines again?”

lan’s eyes narrowed. “Dad, were you following me?”

Shane ignored lan’s question. “The Irvines have been bankrupt for so long, just look at them, all washed-up and pathetic.”

“Dad, that’s enough!” Ian cut him off. “The Irvines never wronged you!”

The tension between father and son was thick enough to cut with a knife, and Edward sat on the couch, silent. Miranda, looking worried, walked over to Ian.

Shane jabbed a finger at Ian, veins bulging in his neck with rage. Am I wrong? You saw it yourself last night. The get-up of that family of three combined wasn’t worth the price of the single dish I ordered.

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