Billionaire

Chapter 260

Leah broke the silence, “You have your reasons for wanting to keep it under wraps.”

After a moment, she continued, “And over the years, I’ve done too much to hurt you while trying to protect Lisa. I won’t do that anymore.”

If Lisa ever found out that Miss Y was actually Chloe and that Chloe was the one who blew the whistle on her for plagiarism… There’d be hell to pay.

And to top it off, Jacob would pin the crisis at Belle Époque on Chloe. No way she’d get those shares.

Chloe let out a bitter laugh. “You think that’s enough for me to forgive you?”

Her voice was icy, but inside, her heart was breaking. She felt a profound sadness.

She was suddenly lost in a sea of confusion. She had gotten what she thought she wanted–Leah’s regret, her guilt. But it didn’t seem to be what she truly desired.

She didn’t know what she wanted anymore.

–

She wanted… to go back to the way things used to be, a life without barriers – a mother–daughter bond where she could be carefree and spoiled.

But that was impossible now. Chloe knew it could never be.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t forgive me, Chloe. I hope you’re happy, and that’s all I care about,” Leah’s eyes were welling up. She fought back the tears, refusing to let them fall.

“So, you regret it now because I’m more useful to Belle Époque? Is that it? Another calculated choice after weighing the pros and cons?” Chloe looked at Leah.

Leah quickly responded, “Of course not. I never gave you up because of some cost–benefit analysis.”

“I just couldn’t accept that my daughter, whom I raised with my own hands, was the child of someone I’ve hated for so many years.” Leah went on, “Your biological mother and I were like a cruel joke played by fate. We went from being best friends to bitter enemies, constantly retaliating against each other, harboring resentment our whole lives, and neither of us coming out as the winner.”

“I’ve let go now. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. I don’t want the tragedies of our time replaying in your generation.

“Chloe, you’re far better than Lisa. Your futures aren’t even in the same league. She can’t compete with you. If the day comes when she truly falls, please don’t be too harsh. Spare her, will you?”

For some reason, Leah had been having dreams like this lately – Chloe and Lisa were locked in a deadly fight. Chloe’s moves were swift, precise, and ruthless, leaving Lisa in a terrible state.

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09-23

Chapter 260

Even though Leah didn’t think much of Lisa, she was still her daughter. Leah had a part in how Lisa turned out.

In the end, she couldn’t bear the thought of Lisa suffering a miserable fate for crossing

Chloe.

Now Mr. Connor of the Eldridge Elites was behind Chloe. If you crossed him, he would crush you like he was stepping on an ant.

“Don’t worry, as long as she stays in her lane, I won’t bother her,” Chloe said.

Then, Chloe didn’t say anything more. She got into her car and drove away.

As the car sped away from the hospital, racing down the city’s elevated roads, Chloe was overcome with emotion and burst into tears.

After crying, she felt a bit lighter, as though a weight had been lifted. She finally understood that what was lost could never be regained.

Time couldn’t be turned back.

All these years, she had felt like an abandoned child, clinging to the pain of being deserted by the ones she loved most.

She was stuck in the memory of being thrown out into a storm and couldn’t accept that her mother was abandoning her.

However, at that moment, she felt a bit of release.

Human nature is incredibly complex.

Leah wasn’t a saint. She, too, had endured a fractured life. Her breakdown and hatred upon discovering Chloe was the enemy’s daughter were real. Maybe her guilt and regret now were real, too.

Chloe wiped away her tears.

Just like the time she had been wronged, it was time to make peace with herself.