The Billionaire’s Fight For Redemption (Noah and Sierra) novel Chapter 156

Chapter 156

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“Mom…” My throat burns. “I don’t want anything happening to you. Why can’t you understand that?”

“And why can’t you understand,” she whispers, tears thickening her voice, “that I would gladly lay down my life if it meant keeping you safe?”

Something in me breaks then. My breath catches as tears slip down my cheeks before I can stop them.

I try to keep strong, but my voice betrays me. “I thought I was protecting you… I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Her smile wobbles, tender and full of ache. “You don’t have to protect me, Sierra. That’s my job. It always will be.”

For a moment, it feels like I’m ten years old again.

“It’s done… and I think it’s for the best for now,” I whisper.

“Fine, but if something like this ever happens, you come to me first and then we can figure out everything. Do you understand?”

“Yes, mom”

“And I’ll be having words with Lilly later,” she mumbles. “She should have told me.”

We talk for a few more minutes. About the baby, about my recovery, about little things she’s been baking lately. When we finally hang up, guilt sits heavy in my stomach, but I push it down. She doesn’t need to know the truth. Not yet.

A text from Lilly pops up almost immediately after:

[Bringing your clothes this afternoon. And Blackie’s coming too. Don’t cry.]

I smile faintly and type back:

[Thank you. You’re a lifesaver… and a heads up, Mom is pissed at you. You’ll be hearing from her soon]

She replies:

[I was afraid of that, but don’t worry. I’ll handle her]

I put my phone away and make my way downstairs. The house feels enormous and eerily quiet. I find the kitchen by following the faint hum of conversation. The moment I step in, it all stops.

Every eye turns toward me.

The housekeeper stands near the counter with two younger women. Maybe maids and a man polishing silverware. They all go still, staring at me like I’m some strange creature that wandered in uninvited.

“Oh, sorry,” I murmur. “I thought I’d just eat here.”

The housekeeper recovers first. “Of course, Miss Sierra. Please, have a seat.”

The others scatter into motion, but not before I catch the whispers under their breath. Their glances flick between each other, between me and the doorway. Curiosity is evident in their eyes, and something I can’t quite figure out.

I eat quietly, trying to ignore the prickle at the back of my neck. It’s hard to swallow with all their eyes on me. The coffee tastes bitter, the eggs bland. When I finally look up, they scatter. Literally moving away, pretending to be

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Chapter 156

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busy themselves. One even looks at me with something I can only describe as disgust.

The housekeeper approaches after a moment, her expression unreadable, but something flashes in those cold

eyes.

“Don’t mind them,” she says lightly, setting a napkin beside my plate. “It’s just that they’ve never seen another woman in this house before.”

The way she says it makes something cold coil in my gut. It slithers up my spine and wraps around me in a way that leaves me suffocated…. It’s like I’m the other woman. The one trying to take Chloe’s place. Like I’m trying to fill a space that was never mine to begin with.

I force a small nod. “I see,” I murmur, though the words taste sour in my mouth and burn inside.

Why does everyone think I’m here to take Chloe’s place? First Noah, then Brook, and now even his employees look at me like I’m some intruder wearing borrowed skin, and I’ve been here less than a day.

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