Game of Love and Deception: The Billionaire's Ex Wife
Chapter 41: His precious little sunshine

Chapter 41: His precious little sunshine

A low chuckle escaped Lorenzo’s throat, thick with irony, making the already tense atmosphere even more awkward.

"You wanted me to stay away from you," he said, his voice steady. "...And I did."

Ashley fumbled with her fingers, avoiding his gaze. Guilt weighed heavily on her—she still regretted the harsh words she’d thrown at him that day, words fueled by anger, pain and frustration. She had spoken without thinking, driven purely by emotion.

And now she was here, seeking the very help she had once rejected. It made her feel foolish. Desperation had driven her, but even now, she couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that she’d willingly walked into the devil’s lair.

"I’m sorry for how I spoke to you... I shouldn’t have said those things," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her heart raced as she waited for Lorenzo’s response. When he remained silent, she pressed on, "I was upset. I felt vulnerable."

It took everything in her to swallow her pride.

Lorenzo stilled. Of all the things he had expected from this meeting, an apology wasn’t one of them.

The truth was, he had never been angry at her—not really. If anything, he had been angry at himself. After prison, he should have searched for her, should have turned the world upside down to find her. But he hadn’t. He had been afraid. Afraid of what he might discover. Afraid that she had moved on.

He was tempted to tell her she had been right all along, especially about him being a selfish monster. But he held back.

Instead, he simply asked, "What brought you here?"

The bluntness of his question made Ashley’s heart drop. He had ignored her apology entirely. But she refused to dwell on it. The faster she stated her reason for coming, the faster she could leave.

"You mentioned that you wanted to help me find my daughter," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

Lorenzo’s heart ached as he watched her, the sadness in her eyes cutting deeper than he cared to admit. He couldn’t begin to imagine the fear and devastation she was feeling. More than anything, he wanted to take it all away.

"Yes, I did..." he said, though now, he wasn’t sure if he would help her without asking for something in return.

He moved to sit beside her, noticing the way her hands trembled. Instinctively, he reached out to hold them, but she shifted, putting more distance between them.

Ashley contemplated asking Lorenzo about his claim that he left to protect her—a thought that had plagued her mind since that encounter. She wanted to know what he thought he was protecting her from but decided against it, knowing that whatever he said would only hurt her more. The past was behind them now, and she had no interest in reopening old wounds, especially since she would never have anything to do with him again.

A sad smile tugged at Lorenzo’s lips. He wondered if things between them could ever truly change.

"...We can start once you give me the go-ahead," he finished.

Ashley’s eyes lit up, her voice booming with hope. "For real?" she asked, momentarily forgetting the tension between them.

Lorenzo gave a slow nod.

She had yet to fulfill her promise to the shareholders, no matter how hard she tried, but none of it compared to the turmoil of losing her daughter. The thought of her little girl consumed her every second, making it impossible to focus on anything else—not even the company.

And now, with Lorenzo agreeing to help, her hope flickered back to life.

But then he shattered it.

"...but it won’t come without a price," he said, his voice calm yet deliberate.

Ashley’s gaze snapped to him, her heart picking up speed. A cold unease settled in her chest as the air in the room thickened once again.

Lorenzo stood, his movements measured as he walked to his desk, rested his back, and crossed one leg over the other. An attempt to hide the evidence of the dirty images still being fired to his mind.

Ashley swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

She could hardly believe it. He had come to her first, offering his help—practically begging her to accept it. And now, when she was finally here, he was talking about a price.

Was she about to regret this?

Lorenzo turned back to her, his expression unreadable. He hesitated for a moment, knowing what he was about to say would upset her.

"I’ll help you find your daughter," he said finally. "And in exchange... you’ll be my girlfriend for eight months."

Ashley stared at him, flabbergasted.

Lorenzo knew he was being selfish, but this was his only chance, a chance to be close to Ashley and to get his mother off his back. After the stunt she pulled yesterday, he feared what she might do next. If something truly happened to her because of him, he would never forgive himself.

And the alternative? Offering this deal to Elara? That was out of the question. She would want more in the end, which he wouldn’t be able to give.

"You’re kidding, right?" Ashley asked, a low chuckle escaping her lips as she searched his face for any sign that this was just a cruel joke.

But Lorenzo didn’t flinch.

Her laughter died. "You’re actually serious," she whispered.

"After eight months, you’re free to leave," Lorenzo said. "And with your daughter."

Ashley took a step back, shaking her head. "No. I—I can’t do that. I won’t."

Not after how much he had hurt her.

Lorenzo shrugged, masking whatever he felt with a smirk. "I guess we don’t have a deal then."

Ashley’s hands clenched into fists as she stared at him. Was he really this heartless? He had come to her first, offering to help, only to turn it into a twisted bargain. Was his ego really so fragile that he would use her desperation against her? She wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d just refused to help her but asking for something like this was just too low.

She couldn’t believe she had once loved someone like him.

It seemed her younger self had a habit of falling for the monsters.

But she couldn’t take back her apology now, could she?

At the very least, she could give him a piece of her mind before walking away.

"You must think I’m really stupid if you believe I would ever have anything to do with you after what happened between us," she bit out, her voice tight with rage.

Lorenzo didn’t say a word. He couldn’t. Not after seeing how much his demand had hurt her.

Ashley snatched up her handbag and stormed toward him, fire in her eyes. Lorenzo braced himself, knowing he was in trouble.

"You can take your help and shove it up your greedy ass," she hissed, jabbing a finger into his chest before marching out of his office.

"Fuck." Lorenzo raked a frustrated hand through his hair, then slammed his palm against the desk.

Why was she so damn stubborn?

He debated chasing after her, but in the end, he chose to wait. She needed time to think over his offer.

Still, he wasn’t about to sit back and do nothing. Whether she agreed or not, he would have Carl start searching for the girl—just in case.

Ashley stormed toward the exit, her face red with anger.

"Ma’am...?" Amelia started, startled. But before she could finish, Ashley’s furious voice cut through the air.

"Open the damn door."

Amelia nodded quickly, her fingers flying over the keypad to type in the code. Her brow furrowed as she wondered why everyone was acting like caffeinated squirrels on a Monday morning today.

Moments after Ashley left, Lorenzo received a call from one of his men—the same person he had tasked with handling the Beverly Road construction deal. Now, the agency was pushing for a renegotiation with Grey Group since Christian’s company obviously couldn’t get the job done on time.

"What’s the update?" Lorenzo asked as he answered the call.

"Harrington Corp is among the companies looking to buy part of our shares this year, sir," the man reported.

A smirk spread across Lorenzo’s lips. His plans were unfolding exactly as he wanted—perhaps even better. He never expected Christian to consider partnering with Grey Group so soon. Greedy bastard.

"Inform the team that I want Harrington Corp selected among the ten companies for this year. It should appear like mere luck," he instructed.

"Yes, sir."

"Have the lawyer visit my office tomorrow. I want to personally draft the contract for Harrington Corp, but I need him present."

"Okay, sir."

Now, all he had to do was wait for Christian to buy the shares and, in doing so, willingly walk into his trap.

The call ended, but a smile still tugged at Lorenzo’s lips. He could already imagine Christian’s reaction the day he discovered who truly owned Grey Group.

Reaching for the bottle on his desk, Lorenzo poured himself a glass of whiskey. He savored the liquid without so much as a flinch at the burning sensation—just as he would savor Christian Harrington’s downfall.

Especially for hurting his precious little sunshine.

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