Game of Love and Deception: The Billionaire's Ex Wife
Chapter 50: Be mine

Chapter 50: Be mine

Few weeks had passed since Christian’s encounter with Ashley—and that infuriating Lorenzo. He still hadn’t devised the perfect strategy to win her back, but it was only a matter of time. Ashley had always been his, and the thought of her belonging to someone else now was unbearable. He admitted he had wronged her in the past, but it wasn’t anything that couldn’t be forgiven. After all, he was only human, prone to mistakes. And it wasn’t like she was innocent either... she cheated too, and even tried to pin the result of that affair on him.

Christian left the living room and headed to little Jennifer’s room. He had decided to take the day off to spend it with her. Her angelic laughter and soft coos always melted his heart. Adopting her had been more than a blessing.

As he entered her vibrantly pink room, a small smile tugged at his lips. Sunlight filtered through her curtains, casting a warm glow on her chubby cheeks. Her giggles filled the air, infectious and sweet, as Veronica made silly sounds to amuse her.

"Good morning, sunshine," Christian cooed, lifting her from the crib just as her toy slipped from her tiny grip.

"Good morning, Mister Harrington," Veronica greeted with a slight bow before excusing herself.

Jennifer’s bright eyes sparkled as she wrapped her small fingers around one of his, trying to get it into her mouth. Her eyes reminded him of someone—the same striking sapphire color, the long, full lashes... just like Ashley’s.

He showered Jennifer with playful kisses, her laughter echoing through the room like music. A deep sense of pride and satisfaction filled him, knowing the little cutie was his—just like Ashley and her bastard child would be, soon enough.

He set Jennifer down gently and watched with amusement as she staggered toward a horse toy on the floor. Her unsteady steps were adorable, and her tiny, chubby legs were a joy to watch.

As they played, with Christian pretending to chase her from one corner of the room to another, his thoughts drifted to Ashley from time to time.

Some of his restaurant chains were still struggling, especially the ones she used to manage—now under Kayla’s control. He needed a better plan.

He didn’t mind getting rid of Lorenzo and reclaiming what was rightfully his, but he had to be more careful now. Especially since Lorenzo might be expecting him to make a move after their last confrontation.

But he would make Ashley his again, no matter what—or how long it took.

"Christian?" Kayla’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I’m in here," he called, resuming his game with Jennifer, who was now inside her toy car and urging him to drive her.

Kayla entered, her gaze lingering on Jennifer. "You’re spending a lot of time with her lately."

"She’s our daughter," he said, his tone carrying a hint of annoyance as he ruffled Jennifer’s soft red hair.

"I know that, Christian," Kayla responded with an eye roll. "Come along. There’s something you really need to see."

There was urgency in her voice that made Christian follow without question. He picked Jennifer up and handed her to Veronica in the hallway before following Kayla to the living room.

She pointed to the television. A celebrity gossip channel was on, and when Christian’s eyes met the screen, he froze.

Lorenzo and Ashley were being interviewed by Imelda Rose at a fancy restaurant.

Ashley was beaming with joy.

His anger simmered as he watched them together in public. But what truly infuriated him were the live comments streaming across the screen.

Suddenly, a short clip began to play, showing Ashley opening a plate that, instead of food, revealed a white card with bold letters: "BE MINE."

Ashley’s blush deepened, which disgusted him even more. Lorenzo took her hand, kissing her knuckles affectionately.

God, he wanted to claw his eyes out.

The comments continued to pour in:

"They’re so cute!"

"You know, right? He’s so romantic."

"Isn’t that the Flynn’s new heiress?"

Christian couldn’t bear to read more.

"Shameless," he muttered, his fury boiling. "She’s so shameless."

"Of course," Kayla said bitterly. "You shouldn’t expect less. She’s always been a whore."

"A conniving whore," Christian muttered under his breath, "who got pregnant for another man and tried to pin it on me."

He watched in silence, trembling with rage as Ashley accepted Lorenzo’s proposal on live television. Was she out of her mind? He never imagined they’d one day flaunt their madness for the whole world to see.

How could Ashley sit there, smiling proudly with the same man she’d cheated on their marriage with?

The flood of positive comments only made it worse. He’d even thought they were secretly dating with the way Lorenzo always lurked around her like a fly following a dead body.

He didn’t even realize he’d gotten up to turn off the television until Kayla’s voice cut through.

"Why are you so bothered about them? They’re not going to enjoy themselves for long," she said, hands on her hips.

Christian felt irritation flare at her calm tone. He was watching his woman being paraded as someone else’s, and he wasn’t supposed to care?

"We just need a proper plan," she continued. "And besides, Lorenzo only gets the things you discard. He’ll always be beneath you, Chris."

He turned to her, finally managing a small smile. She was right. Lorenzo would always be beneath him.

But Ashley? She was his. And he wasn’t done with her—not yet. She shouldn’t be messing around so shamelessly, forgetting she was once somebody’s wife. His wife.

And to think... she had protected that bastard over him in her office when they weren’t even in an official relationship. The memory stung his pride.

God, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on the abomination they produced while she was still married to him. He would make them both pay.

After some careful thought, it’d occurred to him that the child would either be with Ashley at the Flynn residence or with Lorenzo. But then, he would need to find out the dump Lorenzo lived. At the same time, he’d have to also figure out a way to infiltrate the Flynn residence and kidnap the child... if it was there.

It wouldn’t be easy, considering their high-level security, but he always found a way.

His dark thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of Jennifer’s cry. Without hesitation, Christian bolted back to her room to find out what was wrong.

*******

Christian woke up late the next morning, feeling disoriented. When he checked his phone, he was shocked to see it was almost 10:00 AM. He had slept for so long despite not having gone to work the day before. He figured it was because he hadn’t gone to bed early the previous night.

Kayla had stumbled upon his infertility test result–something he thought he had hidden well beneath a pile of books in his drawer.

They had argued about him keeping it a secret. He’d been scared she would judge him—or worse, leave. But she had surprised him by promising to stand by him until the problem passed. They made up with hot rounds of sex that kept them both awake until midnight.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he remembered all the positions he’d put her in. Now that she knew his secret, he had to be more careful with his games, making sure she believed she was everything to him.

The room curtains were slightly open, letting sunlight stream in. Kayla was no longer in bed, which didn’t surprise him. She always woke up before him, even after nights like the one they’d just had. He figured she was probably in the living room watching her sitcoms or somewhere else in the house scrolling through TikTok.

But as he stepped out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, he heard her voice—low and muffled. The tone was sultry, almost intimate.

Curious, he hurried to see who she was talking to.

When he pushed the bathroom door open, Kayla turned to him with a sweet smile and ended the call with a cheerful, "Say hello to Micah for me."

Relief swept through him. Maybe he had misjudged what he’d heard. Probably her mom or one of her siblings, he told himself.

Still, he gave her a skeptical look.

"Hey, babe. You’re finally up," Kayla said, flushing the toilet and walking toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly. "Good morning, babes."

He nodded, his gaze narrowing a little before he asked, "Who was on the call?"

Her eyes flickered to the side, lashes lowering briefly before she met his gaze again. "That was um... mom. I didn’t want to disturb your sleep, so I took the call in here," she explained. "I figured you’d be very tired after last night," she added with a wink.

Christian nodded, still watching her closely. Why the hesitation? Was she hiding something? He pushed the thought aside for now, focusing on her words. Maybe there was something in what she would say that could give him a clue.

"I hope she’s okay?"

Kayla sighed. "She was complaining again about her waist and said she needs money to visit the hospital. But I told her I couldn’t give her any right now."

Christian nodded and walked past her to use the toilet. "How much is she asking for?"

"A hundred thousand dollars. She said she needs to do some scans, get medication, and have massages. But I think it’s too expensive. Don’t you?"

That explained the frequent calls she’d been getting lately. Her mom could be quite persistent, christian thought quietly, relieved.

"It’s expensive, but we’re talking about someone’s life here. Tell her I’ll give it to her."

Kayla’s face lit up as she rushed to hug him from behind. "OMG, baby! Are you serious?" she squealed, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, baby." She kissed his lips playfully as he turned to face her.

"You’re welcome," Christian said, lifting her up so she wrapped her legs around his waist as they made their way back to the bed, still kissing.

It was the least he could do for her knowing his predicament and yet, she still chose to stay.