Too Late for Sorry, Mr. Billionaire (Chasing my Wife Back) novel Chapter 84

MORNING arrived in its usual chaos of alarms, half-folded uniforms, and the smell of toast drifting from downstairs.

The twins were already awake— an unusual occurrence that did not go unnoticed by Wendy.

She stepped out of her room tying her hair into a neat ponytail, her school blouse tucked in perfectly, skirt pressed, socks crisp white. Being a year older than the twins meant she carried herself with just a little more composure, more control, more awareness.

Or at least she tried to.

She nearly collided with both boys standing suspiciously outside her door.

“Why are you two here?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Gabriel cleared his throat.

“We were… passing.”

“Passing?” Wendy folded her arms. “Outside my door?”

Gaddiel quickly jumped in.

“We wanted to make sure you were awake.”

She raised a brow.

“I have an alarm clock.”

“Alarms fail,” Gabriel said confidently. “We don’t.”

She stared at them for a second before shaking her head with a small smile.

“You two are unbelievable.”

They grinned in perfect sync.

Both were already in uniform, their ties slightly crooked in identical fashion. Gabriel subtly nudged Gaddiel out of the way and held out a hand.

“Your bag,” he offered. “I can carry it.”

Before Wendy could respond, Gaddiel intercepted.

“No, I will carry it. He dropped his own bag yesterday.”

“That was strategic,” Gabriel protested. “I was testing the zipper.”

Wendy laughed despite herself.

“You both need help.”

“From you?” Gaddiel asked quickly.

Gabriel shot him a glare.

“Ignore him. He is immature.”

“I’m immature?” Gaddiel gasped. “You practiced saying good morning in the mirror!”

“That was posture practice!”

Wendy blinked.

“You what?”

“Nothing,” Gabriel muttered quickly, shooting daggers at his brother.

They began walking down the hallway together.

“By the way,” Gaddiel said casually, trying too hard to sound casual, “you braided your hair differently today.”

Wendy touched it instinctively.

“It’s just a ponytail.”

“It’s… a sophisticated ponytail,” Gabriel corrected smoothly.

She stopped mid-step and stared at both of them.

“You two are acting strange.”

“We are not,” they said in unison.

She squinted. “You are.”

They resumed walking.

“So,” Gabriel began, adjusting his tie unnecessarily, “do seniors have any special activities today?”

“It is just a literature presentation,” Wendy replied.

Gaddiel's eyes widened.

“You like literature, right? I like literature too.”

“You said books are boring,” Gabriel exposed immediately.

“That was before I matured.”

“Overnight?”

“People grow.”

Wendy burst into laughter again.

“You two are ridiculous.”

“But impressive,” Gabriel added.

“Charming,” Gaddiel corrected.

She rolled her eyes affectionately.

As they reached the staircase, Gabriel quickened his pace to walk beside her while Gaddiel strategically positioned himself on her other side, effectively sandwiching her between them.

“So,” Gaddiel said, lowering his voice slightly, “hypothetically speaking… would you ever consider going to prom with someone a year younger?”

Wendy nearly missed a step.

“Hypothetically?” she repeated.

Gabriel shot Gaddiel a warning look.

“He means academically younger. Not emotionally.”

“I’m emotionally advanced,” Gaddiel argued.

Wendy shook her head, smiling despite herself.

“You are both impossible. And prom is still very far for us.”

“We plan ahead,” Gabriel said firmly.

Gaddiel nodded.

“Strategic thinking.”

She looked from one to the other, amused and slightly overwhelmed.

“You do realize I’m older than both of you?”

“Age is a number,” Gaddiel declared confidently.

“Grades are temporary,” Gabriel added.

“Reality is permanent,” Wendy replied dryly.

They reached the bottom of the stairs just as the smell of eggs and pancakes drifted toward them.

“Breakfast!” Gaddiel announced dramatically.

“After you,” Gabriel said, stepping aside for Wendy.

Gaddiel quickly nudged him out of the way and gestured grandly instead.

“Ladies first.”

Wendy sighed.

“If I go first, will you two stop competing?”

They looked at each other.

“No,” they answered honestly.

She laughed and walked ahead toward the dining area.

The morning sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a warm glow over the dining table already set with plates and glasses of juice.

George wasn't in sight and neither was Adrian.

So Gabriel pulled out a chair for her.

Gaddiel immediately adjusted it slightly.

“It wasn’t aligned properly.”

“It was fine,” Gabriel hissed.

“It was crooked.”

“It was artistic.”

Wendy sat down, shaking her head as she reached for a glass of juice.

“You two realize this is school morning, not a talent competition?”

Gabriel leaned forward slightly.

“We are just being… attentive.”

“Supportive,” Gaddiel added.

She sipped her juice, hiding a smile behind the glass.

“Well,” she said after a moment, glancing at both of them, “if you are going to be this attentive, you can start by passing the pancakes.”

Both boys reached for the plate at the same time, hands colliding.

They froze.

Then slowly looked at each other.

Wendy watched, amused.

Breakfast had begun.

***

Afternoon in The Bahamas felt deceptively calm.

Sunlight spilled across Amelia’s suite in soft gold layers, the ocean glinting lazily beyond her balcony doors. But inside, the atmosphere was anything but leisurely.

Her laptop sat open on the desk. Documents. Emails. Timelines. Notes she had been compiling for weeks.

She adjusted her glasses slightly and leaned closer to the screen, reviewing a report one more time. A name circled. A connection mapped. A quiet strategy forming. Every step she was taking here required precision. One wrong move, one premature decision, and months of planning would collapse.

Her phone buzzed.

She glanced at it briefly, it was an unknown international number. She declined it without hesitation and returned to her work.

Focus.

She typed out a final email, attached the necessary files, and exhaled slowly as she hit send.

By the time she shut her laptop, the afternoon had softened into early evening. The sky outside was transitioning from pale blue to streaks of coral and lavender.

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