Chased By My Billionaire Ex-husband
Chapter 72: "I Have Stopped Being Your Pawn.”

Chapter 72: "I Have Stopped Being Your Pawn.”

Claire had just finished her audition, but her mind was still clouded by Evander’s words and actions. No matter how much she tried to push the thoughts aside, they lingered, refusing to leave her in peace.

"What the hell am I thinking?" she muttered under her breath, shaking her head in frustration. She tried to distract herself, focusing on anything but him, but then the memory of the night she was kidnapped surfaced in her mind like an unwanted ghost.

Her heart tightened as the images played out. Evander hadn’t kidnapped her directly, but he had been the reason behind it. His actions had set everything into motion, and on top of that, he had crossed a line she would never forgive. He had tried to harass her, cornering her and almost forcing himself on her.

Claire clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as a surge of anger burned through her veins. "That bastard," she hissed, her voice trembling with fury. "I would never think of him the way he wants me to. Never."

She tried to steady her breathing, but her thoughts wouldn’t calm down. How could someone like him think he had the right to invade her life so completely? The memory of his smug expression and so called attitude made her blood boil.

"No," she whispered to herself, her resolve hardening. "I won’t let him control me."

"Who you wouldn’t let control you!?" Claire was lost in her thoughts when Sissy arrived, her presence pulling Claire back from the overwhelming thoughts of Evander. "Don’t tell me you are still thinking about Evander."

Claire didn’t answer; her silence was louder than her words.

"So, I was right, huh!?" Sissy said playfully, sensing Claire’s silence. Before Claire could reply, Sissy continued, "Why don’t you just call him? Ask him if you got selected for the audition! Maybe you will be working on this project soon!"

"Stop talking!" Claire glaring at her teasing. She opened her mouth to say something, but before the words could leave, her phone rang.

"Damn it! Don’t tell me it’s from the production!" Sissy’s eyes widened, excitement creeping into her voice. She leaned toward the phone, eager to see the screen, but Claire hid her cell phone. With a frustrated glare, she walked away from Sissy as she held her phone close and smiled at Sissy for getting back at her.

"Don’t even think about it," Claire muttered under her breath as she walked away, still frustrated by Sissy’s teasing. She was trying to shake off the lingering thoughts of Evander, but her mind was a tangled mess.

"Hello!" Claire answered the phone, thinking the same as Sissy.

"You are still breathing? How lucky you are!" The cold, mocking tone from the other side of the call sent a chill through Claire as her entire body tensed

Claire’s breath caught in her throat, and her heart raced. "Why wouldn’t I be breathing, Mrs. Kensington?" She managed to say, trying to keep her voice steady, though the tension in her body betrayed her.

It was Gloria Kensington. Claire recognized that voice all too well. It seemed like Susan’s advice had hit home, and Gloria had wasted no time in calling her the moment she got back home.

"Hah!" Gloria scoffed, the sound sharp and biting. "You really are daring, aren’t you?" She said, her tone deceptively calm, but Claire knew better. Gloria’s calmness only made the fear creep further into her chest. That was when Claire realized how much power Gloria had over her and despite everything, she still couldn’t escape.

Claire’s hands shook slightly as she gripped the phone; the threat in Gloria’s voice and it’s affect were still on her. But Claire was no longer the scared daughter-in-law she used to be. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the anger burn through her fear, and took a deep breath.

After a long pause, Claire pressed the phone back to her ear, her voice firm. "Forgive me, Mrs. Kensington, but I am no longer your daughter-in-law. I have no obligation to be afraid of you or to respect you. So kindly, do not waste your time trying to intimidate me with your shallow threats."

She could feel her heart pounding as she waited for Gloria’s reply. Claire’s mind raced, trying to make sense of this sudden call. Gloria had kidnapped her the moment she stepped foot into the country, trapping her in that hellish situation, and now... now she was making threatening calls?

"Well... well... well..." Gloria’s voice was dripping with amusement, as if she found Claire’s discomfort amusing. "You weren’t really intimidated back then too!?"

Claire’s grip on the phone tightened. Her chest was tight, but she wasn’t going to back down. "Yes, I wasn’t," Claire replied, her voice laced with sarcasm. "And that was why you used Susan and every trick in the book, hoping I would leave Evander, right?"

There was a pause on the other end. There was a shift in Gloria’s tone. "Woah," she said, clearly taken aback. "Seems like you not only grew a tongue but some guts too." Her voice was tinged with disdain as she narrowed her brows.

Claire could almost picture her expression—furious, eyes narrowed, teeth gritted. Gloria didn’t like this version of Claire. She didn’t like how Claire was standing up for herself, speaking her mind. It wasn’t the submissive, quiet Claire that Gloria had once controlled so easily.

Gloria’s frustration grew as she processed the words. She had always loved how easily Claire bowed her head and how she stayed quiet, taking whatever was thrown her way. It made her feel powerful and in control. But now, with every word Claire spoke, Gloria felt that power slipping away, like she was losing control over someone she shouldn’t have.

"You think you have won that you were able to espace, don’t you?" Gloria’s voice was colder now, a warning lurking beneath the calm. But Claire wasn’t afraid, or she was but she didn’t let it come to the surface.

"No, Mrs. Kensington. I didn’t win," Claire said, her voice unwavering. "But I have stopped being your pawn."

====

Guys I used Third POV in this Chapter because I needed to show both sides at the same time! Hope you’ll understand.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.