Too Late for Sorry, Mr. Billionaire (Chasing my Wife Back) novel Chapter 23

SATURDAY came quietly, wrapped in the pale hush of dawn, in the wee hours of the morning.

Amelia was still deep in sleep when her phone began to ring, the vibration buzzing insistently against the bedside table. She groaned softly, turning on her side and blindly reaching out. Her fingers brushed the phone, and with a sleepy frown, she brought it closer, squinting at the screen.

She intended to silence it.

Instead, her thumb slid the wrong way.

“Hey, baby.”

The voice slipped into her ear like a whisper she had imagined too many times over the past three days.

Amelia froze.

Her eyes flew open, sleep vanishing instantly as her heart slammed hard against her ribs. She pushed herself upright, the duvet falling loosely around her waist as she stared at the glowing screen in disbelief.

Charles.

Her fiancé.

Her boyfriend of three years.

Her fiancé of less than two weeks.

“Hey baby,” the voice came again, warmer now. “Are you there?”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

“Ch… Charles?” she whispered, her gaze fixed on his contact name, still decorated with the love emojis she hadn’t had the heart to remove.

“Yes. Yes, it’s me,” he said lightly. “Come on, why do you sound shocked? You surprised?”

Her brows knitted together sharply. She adjusted the phone properly against her ear, anger bubbling up faster than she could suppress it.

“Seriously?” she asked quietly. “Is that really what you are going with? That I’m surprised?”

There was a pause. A sigh drifted through the line.

“I—”

“I’m not just surprised,” Amelia cut in, lowering her voice instinctively. “I’m angry. I am so angry at you, Charles. What the hell? You abandoned my son at school.”

“I didn’t abandon him, babe,” he said quickly. “I didn’t.”

She let out a bitter breath.

“Then what did you do? Because last I checked, he was left there for over there hours.”

“Come on, baby,” he chuckled softly, as if trying to smooth things over. “It is not that deep—”

Her hand clenched into a fist. She raised her left index finger, biting her lower lip to keep her voice down.

“Can you stop that?” she snapped in a harsh whisper. “Can you just cut that crap off? That’s what you always say. ‘It’s not that deep.’ You mess up, and instead of owning it, you dismiss it. Is that fair, Charles? Is it?”

Silence stretched between them.

Then he sighed again, longer this time.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “Okay, I admit it. I was wrong. I should have called. I should have told you I couldn’t make it. I messed up… again.”

“Yes,” Amelia said firmly. “You did. Again.” She dragged a hand through her hair. “But how could you? I called you. I told you I was stuck in a meeting, that I couldn’t leave. I pleaded with you. I made you promise me. And what did you do in the end? You ignored me. You abandoned my child.”

“I’m really sorry, baby.”

“These are children you are trying to step into their lives,” she continued, her voice trembling despite her efforts. “Kids who will eventually see you as a father figure whether you like it or not. Do you know what they must think now? Especially Gabriel?”

“Oh my,” Charles said quickly. “My boys will be fine. I can handle them. I know how to. My main concern is you, babe. You. Please forgive me.”

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