THE BILLIONAIRE STILL WANTS HER!
Chapter 44: What do you mean?

Chapter 44: What do you mean?

"What child are you talking about? Whose child are you speaking of?" Arthur asked, his voice a mix of confusion and something more unsettling.

The words barely left his lips before Sophia’s heart dropped, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Was he truly going to pretend he didn’t know? That he wasn’t the father?

Sophia’s mind raced.

She had known from the start that Angel was pregnant. She knew the lies Angel had spun, convincing Tryson that Arthur wasn’t the father.

But here, in this very moment, it was impossible for Sophia to ignore what Arthur was doing—he was pretending, hiding behind his innocence, as if he wasn’t responsible.

"Arthur, don’t play me. You know damn well Angel is pregnant," Sophia snapped, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt.

The silence that followed was thick with tension, and for a moment, it felt like the whole world had stopped.

Arthur stared at her, clearly stunned by her words, as if he couldn’t believe his ears.

He had known about Angel’s pregnancy, just like everyone else.

So why did it feel like Sophia had suddenly slipped into a wild delusion?

"What are you saying, Sophia? Everyone knows Angel’s pregnant," Arthur said, his voice faltering as if he were trying to convince himself more than her.

But deep down, he couldn’t shake the gut-wrenching feeling that Sophia was seeing something he was desperately trying to ignore.

"That’s exactly why I asked you those words, Arthur," Sophia’s voice trembled with a mix of fury and disbelief. "You’re making everyone believe you’re the father of the child Angel’s carrying. And do you know what’s worse? Even Tryson thinks you’re the one who put her in this position!" The words burned in the air, and for a moment, it felt like time had come to a screeching halt.

But just as the weight of her accusation sank in, the frown that had been etched on Arthur’s face morphed into something far more unsettling—a smile.

"Well, don’t you think this whole situation is... quite the spectacle?" Arthur replied, his tone unnervingly calm, almost playful.

Sophia stood frozen, her mind racing.

Was she really hearing this? Was she talking to the man she thought she knew, or was she speaking to someone who was completely out of touch with reality?

"You’re joking, right?" Her voice cracked, disbelief coloring her every word.

But Arthur only shook his head, dismissing her thoughts like they were nothing more than a passing concern.

Sophia felt the air leave her lungs.

It was as though the ground had slipped beneath her feet, and for the first time, she was unsure of everything.

Was Arthur really going to twist her words, take this fragile truth she had handed him, and use it to his advantage?

"You can’t do this, Arthur. I’m still alive, and I’m your wife," Sophia’s voice shook, the weight of her words sinking in as she looked into Arthur’s eyes, hoping—praying—that he’d come back to reality.

But instead, Arthur moved closer to her, his steps slow and deliberate.

As he reached her, his hand brushed softly against her cheek, and Sophia’s breath hitched in her throat.

His gaze locked onto hers, intense, wild—an expression she couldn’t decipher, a hunger she couldn’t ignore.

A small flicker of a smile tugged at the corner of Arthur’s lips.

The smile stretched into a grin, dark and almost... dangerous.

Then, before she could react, he lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers. Their eyes stayed wide open, locked in an unspoken exchange, both of them staring into the abyss of each other’s souls.

"I really wish I could make this easier, Sophia," Arthur’s voice was low, his words thick with something dark and unfamiliar. "But you know I love my business. Angel is an incredible asset to me, and I’m not going to let her go, not now, not ever."

Sophia felt like the world was spinning, her mind struggling to catch up with the madness unfolding before her.

"You’re going crazy, aren’t you, Arthur?" Her words spilled out, a mix of disbelief and heartbreak.

"I really wish I could tell you otherwise, but what can I do? I worked hard to get to this position," Arthur’s voice was almost detached, as if the words were rolling off his tongue with no weight at all.

"Is it crazy to want Angel in my company? You know how serious I am when it comes to the prize, Sophia. Angel is the ultimate prize. And Tryson? He knows it, too. But he’s just playing along, taking advantage of everything."

As the last words slipped from his lips, Arthur slowly pulled his forehead away from hers, his gaze never leaving her face.

His eyes were cold, calculating, a man far removed from the one Sophia had once known.

"You’re kidding me, Arthur," Sophia’s voice was a mix of anger and disbelief, her heart heavy with the realization of just how far he’d fallen. "You really think this is all some game?"

Arthur’s lips curled into a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

"You can continue being her friend, Sophia. But trust me, the more you push, the more determined I’ll be to keep her with me. She’s not going anywhere. And I’ll make sure of that."

He gently patted her cheek, the gesture oddly tender, but it sent a chill down her spine.

Then, with a soft exhale, Arthur stepped back, his posture relaxed as though nothing had happened at all. But to Sophia, everything had changed in that one moment.

Her heart raced as she stood there, utterly confused, the weight of his words sinking in like a slow-moving storm.

Was this the man she married? Or was he someone else entirely?

What was it that Arthur so desperately needed? What was it about Angel that seemed to hold the answer, something no one else could provide?

"Could you at least tell me what you’re trying to gain from her?" Sophia asked, her voice trembling with a mix of confusion and frustration.

She followed Arthur as he walked toward the desk, her mind racing to make sense of everything.

Arthur stood behind the desk, his movements almost methodical as he bent down slightly, fingers brushing the laptop’s keyboard.

His eyes scanned the screen, focused, determined—until, finally, he turned the laptop around.

The moment he saw what he was searching for, his face changed. There was something almost triumphant in his gaze.

"This is what I’m looking for," Arthur said, his voice low, almost pleased.

Sophia leaned in, lowering her gaze to the screen.

As the images on the laptop came into view, her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened in shock, and a frown creased her brow as the pieces began to fall into place, but the puzzle wasn’t complete.

"What does the president have to do with Angel?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, as if the answer itself might shatter everything she thought she knew.