Game of Love and Deception: The Billionaire's Ex Wife
Chapter 96: A token of apology

Chapter 96: A token of apology

Christian strolled into Jennifer’s room and found her and the nanny playing with colorful balls scattered across the pink space.

Leaning against the doorframe, he watched quietly. Her laughter and carefree squeals filled the air, bringing a smile to his face.

He never imagined he’d be so captivated by a child’s antics, but Jennifer had proven him wrong. Every little thing she did—no matter how small—brought him a strange sense of joy. The way she furrowed her tiny brows in concentration while throwing a ball, or how her eyes sparkled as she chased after a stray one, completely mesmerized him. It was like she thought she’d get in trouble if she didn’t catch it.

It was both endearing and amusing. He realized that fatherhood had brought out a side of him he never knew existed. Her presence in his life had awakened a deep well of love and patience he never knew existed.

His thoughts drifted to the "doggish cat" she’d become obsessed with after watching a Barbie cartoon—the one with a cat that barked like a dog. He’d found it hilarious, and even more ridiculous that he had actually tried to find such a pet, knowing full well they only existed in fairy tales.

Eventually, he’d settled for buying her a cat and a small breed dog, hoping she’d love them. He also hoped she liked their white fur. If not, he figured he’d be stuck trying to dye them pink or purple.

She had just turned two, and Christian had been debating whether to enroll her in school to meet other kids or homeschool her. The thought of anyone bullying her made his chest tighten. If she was going to attend a school, it had to be the best—and he’d make them sign an agreement that no harm would ever come to her. Even from her classmates.

Just then, Jennifer stepped on a rolling ball and landed hard on her bottom. Christian flinched, his eyes widening. Her little face crumpled, about to cry—until she saw him.

"Daddy!" she squealed, scrambling to her feet and throwing her arms around his legs, completely forgetting about her fall.

"Hello, sunshine," he cooed, lifting her up and smothering her cheeks and neck with kisses. She giggled, her tiny hands playfully batting at his head to escape.

"Did you buy me doggy cat?" she asked, her sapphire eyes sparkling with anticipation as he finally dropped her.

"I didn’t see a doggy cat..." he began, and her face instantly fell.

"But I got you something special. Want to see Daddy’s surprise?" he asked, ruffling her hair.

"Yay! I wantu see Daddy surprise!" she squealed, bouncing with excitement.

As they walked toward the pet room, she looked up and asked, "Daddy, where’s Mummy? I want Mummy to see my surprise too."

"Mummy’s out, but when she gets back, you can show her. She’ll love it," he reassured gently.

She nodded and said nothing more.

When they stepped into the room, Jennifer’s eyes lit up. "Daddy, see doggy cats!" she squealed, spotting the cat and dog.

Christian set her down, and she rushed to the cat, trying to lift it despite its size. The animal squirmed in her grip, eager to escape.

"Sunshine, it’s a cat and a dog," he gently corrected, chuckling.

She didn’t seem to hear him. She moved to the dog, which dodged her grasp and ran to a corner of the room. She frowned for a moment, then burst into giggles and chased after it around the open space. When the Maltese finally slowed down, she bent and wrapped her arms around it. Christian didn’t need to ask whether she liked them—her face said it all.

"Chris, babe," came Kayla’s voice from the hallway.

"We’re in here," he called out.

She stepped into the room and immediately spotted Jennifer doting on her new pets. Kayla’s smile faltered. Her gaze shifted to Christian, full of disapproval.

"What... are those?"

"Our daughter with a cat and a dog," he replied matter-of-factly.

Her disgusted expression deepened. "You know I hate those things. They’ll mess up the house."

Jennifer finally noticed her and ran forward, eyes gleaming. "Mummy! I have two doggy cat!"

But Kayla’s stern expression made the little girl pause mid-step.

"You need to wash your hands and take a bath. Come here," she said sharply, pulling her at arm’s length.

Jennifer’s face crumpled again, her eyes brimming with tears as Kayla tried to drag her away.

"Don’t make her cry again, Kayla. Come here, sunshine," Christian said, stepping in and rescuing Jennifer from her grip.

Kayla’s eyes flashed with annoyance before she turned and stormed out.

Christian crouched beside his daughter, gently wiping her tears.

"Why does Mummy not like playing with me, Daddy? Does Mummy not like me?" she asked, her voice trembling between hiccups.

It tore at Christian’s heart to see her like that.

"Mummy’s just upset about something, darling. She loves you. She’ll come around soon, okay?" he said softly, brushing a hand over her hair.

Jennifer nodded and wiped her eyes with her tiny hands.

Christian didn’t understand Kayla’s behavior. She had been the one who insisted they adopt a child—even when he wasn’t fully on board. But now that Jennifer was here, her attitude had grown cold and mean. Was it really so hard for her to fake a little joy—for the child’s sake, at least? Her behavior grated on him more with each passing day.

"Want to give your new friends names?" he asked, trying to lift the mood as he playfully pinched her chubby cheeks.

Jennifer’s face lit up, her sadness melting away.

"I wantu give doggy cats names!" she squealed, hurrying back to the pets and whispering something to them that he couldn’t quite catch.

Christian watched her with a wide smile.

*******

Evening rolled by, and Christian remained stuck in his study, flipping through documents and listening to business news. But his mind was far from profit margins or market trends.

He still hadn’t gotten any reaction from Lorenzo, despite everything. The silence was becoming unsettling. He walked to the bookshelf, then back to his seat again.

Was Lorenzo simply too afraid to confront him, or was he cooking up a better revenge plan? Christian’s gut told him it was the latter. He’d exposed the man’s dirty secrets—there was no way Lorenzo would let that slide. His ego would never allow it.

Money wasn’t the only thing the idiot had in excess—pride too. He’d never admit that this was all his fault.

Christian wouldn’t have exposed him or gone after his darling sister if he hadn’t messed with his wife and wrecked his marriage. The bastard pushed him to the wall.

He emptied a glass of vodka.

Gabriel had dug into Lorenzo’s past and, surprisingly, found his record spotless. No skeletons in the cupboard, no whispers of scandal—nothing dirty. With all those clubs and the way he’d mysteriously risen to become one of the city’s wealthiest bachelors? Nothing? Christian couldn’t believe it. It was nearly impossible to amass such wealth that fast without getting your hands dirty at some point. Lorenzo was either squeaky clean or just too good at covering his tracks.

Either way, he couldn’t just give up.

The interview. The attack on his precious little sister. All of it was to push Lorenzo—force him to retaliate by trying to take his life or send someone else to do it. That way, the agents he’s working with could swoop in and charge him for attempted murder. Straight. Back. To prison. Again. And this time, he would make sure someone finished the job behind bars.

But now... Christian clicked his tongue, yanking a hand through his hair. It was starting to look like none of that would happen.

He closed the business app and opened Instagram. The first post that popped up was from Genevieve Grey. He’d recently started following the damsel with a fake account.

She’d grown into such a hot, sexy woman—exactly his type. Her wavy blue hair, which he suspected was a wig, framed a slender face, and her model figure and skimpy wears left little to the imagination.

He continued scrolling, admiring her perfect curves and silently cursing himself for not thinking about it sooner.

Instead of sending people to attack her, he could’ve simply had them bring her to him. The thought of how furious Lorenzo would’ve been—paired with the idea of tasting her for himself—only reminded him how much his slow thinking had cost him.

With a loud thud, he slammed his palm on the table in frustration. The bastard had yet another thing he wanted.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Christian quickly turned off his phone screen but kept his gaze on the desk. He didn’t need to look up—he knew it was Kayla.

She’d been apologizing all afternoon for scaring Jennifer, but he hadn’t said a word to her. Still, she wouldn’t quit.

She walked over and slid her arms around his neck, her fingers gently massaging him. Her touch was light, almost ticklish—soothing. Christian fought the urge to close his eyes. The sweet scent of vanilla wrapped around him—she knew he loved that smell, and always wore it when she wanted to seduce him.

"I’m sorry, baby," Kayla whispered, her voice coy and soft. "Our daughter’s already forgiven me—why are you still upset?"

Christian froze when she stepped in front of him and slowly opened her robe. Beneath the black-colored material was the sexiest purple lace lingerie set he’d ever seen. It clung to her curves, barely covering her cleavage and feminine folds. She bit her lip and eyed him like a trained vixen.

He swallowed hard. His resolve crumbled. He immediately took back everything he’d said earlier.

Kayla smiled, knowing she had him.

With agonizing slowness, she traced a finger beneath the lace thong and touched herself—then licked it clean. His body tensed. Without realizing it, he pulled her onto his lap.

"What are you doing?" he asked, voice low and husky.

Kayla leaned in until her cleavage was brushing his lips.

"I prepared a gift for you," she murmured into his ear. "A token of my apology. You’ll love it." She nibbled his earlobe, making his eyes shut in an instant.

Then she stood, tied her robe back up, and slipped out the door.

Hypnotized, Christian jumped to his feet and followed. Whatever she had planned, it was going to be unforgettable. The last time she apologized like this, she’d surprised him with a petite, sweet blonde. He never asked where she came from—he didn’t care.

He trailed her to their secret playroom, a hidden space that had existed since his marriage to Ashley. Only Kayla knew about it, and it held many unspoken secrets and sins.

A crooked smirk curled on his lips as he approached, anticipation rising.