I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis
Chapter 223 - 224 Battery-operated Boyfriend

Chapter 223: Chapter 224 Battery-operated Boyfriend

‘I trust him.’ I took Ashton’s hand in mine. ‘He’s my husband.’

Daniel looked like he wanted to argue, but I didn’t give him the opportunity. ‘Doesn’t matter what you meant to do. Doesn’t matter if you’ve already done it. I’m not interested in hearing the rest. You lied. Repeatedly. That’s enough. You’re not staying. You’re not my friend. That part’s over.’

I turned without waiting for a reaction.

‘Priya!’ I called out. ‘Get his termination sorted. Now.’

‘So that’s it?’ Daniel stood where he was. ‘I tried explaining everything, but you never believed me in the first place. You called me your friend, but you never meant it!’

He stepped forward, only two feet, but too close.

Ashton shoved him back. ‘Whatever you were after, stay the hell away from her. Don’t come near either of us again.’

Then he turned, still holding on to me. ‘Let’s go home.’

I nodded.

Behind us, Daniel shouted, ‘Mirabelle, just because I lied a little, you’re throwing me out? I didn’t do anything wrong!’

I didn’t look back.

***

I showed up at the studio around eleven, dragging myself up the stairs with one hand pressed against my lower back.

My legs felt like rubber, and I was still sore in places I wasn’t going to name.

Last night, I’d told Ashton I was heading to Yvaine’s for the evening, said she needed help with something and it couldn’t wait.

Of course, Ashton didn’t buy a word of it.

The man made me call her on speaker.

Yvaine tried to play along but made a mess of it.

Ashton listened to about three sentences before he hung up the call.

He turned off the lights, stripped, climbed into bed, and used his fingers and tongue until I was pushed to the edge.

Right at the moment when I was about to climax, the bastard rolled off me, told me I looked exhausted, so he’d let me rest.

Then he pretended to close his eyes and sleep.

Two seconds later, I was straddling him and begging.

And he still said no with a straight face, like some smug, infuriating monk.

In the heat of the moment, I said some things which I now regretted deeply, such as revisiting my battery-operated boyfriend.

That set him off, and he pushed me until I screamed into the mattress and cursed him every way I knew.

That only made him go harder.

And longer.

I passed out around four.

I hadn’t planned to come in today, but with Daniel gone, I figured Priya couldn’t handle everything solo.

As soon as Ashton left the house, I hauled myself into a cab and came straight here.

Priya popped out from behind the counter.

She dropped her voice. ‘Dan came in early.’

I stopped. ‘What?’

Dan, as in Daniel, as in the guy I fired yesterday?

Priya said, ‘Earlier than me. He said something about the site needing a back-end patch only he can do.’ She looked conflicted. ‘Then he pulled the contract and told me we can’t terminate without cause.’

My face fell.

After everything that had happened, he still had the nerve to show up here and act like it was business as usual?

Footsteps pounded down the stairs.

Daniel appeared with an amnesiac grin.

‘Morning!’ he chirped.

I didn’t smile. ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’

He walked right up to me. ‘I’m not quitting. You’re swamped. It’ll take you ages to find a replacement. Why not keep the guy who already knows how everything works?’

I crossed my arms. ‘That’s not your problem.’

He gave me this pathetic, kicked-puppy look, mouth turned down, eyes all wide.

‘Come on, Mira. We were friends. You really want to pretend none of that meant anything?’

I sighed. ‘I did consider you a friend. Until you lied. I don’t want you here anymore.’

‘I didn’t lie,’ he insisted. ‘You just never asked about my family, and it never came up. I explained everything last night. I didn’t do anything to hurt you.’

‘You’re Rhys Granger’s brother. That’s enough. Just seeing your face makes my skin crawl.’

‘I’m not exactly on his side. I’d love to see him buried in debt and living under a bridge. Enemy of your enemy and all that. Shouldn’t that make me your favourite person?’

I stared at him.

He kept going. ‘I could strip his whole empire, drag his reputation through the dirt. Wouldn’t that cheer you up?’

I raised my hand. ‘Stop. He means nothing to me. You want to screw him over, do it on your own time. I don’t care.’

‘Fine. Truth is, I’m starting at Granger Development next week. You won’t have to fire me, I’ll leave on my own. Just let me help until then. The studio’s a mess, I’ve got nothing better to do, and you don’t even have to pay me.’

I wanted to scream, or throw something.

Logic and emotion warred within me.

Logic said he hadn’t done anything technically wrong, and being Rhys Granger’s brother wasn’t his fault.

Emotion said, to hell with logic, I don’t like his face!

Still... I glanced at Priya, and the heavy bags under her eyes.

I rubbed my temple. ‘Fine. Stay. It’s only for a few days anyway. But until you start at Granger Development, I’m not coming in.’

If I couldn’t kick him out, I’d vanish.

There were no urgent sketches due anyway, and no need to see his face.

As I turned to leave, Daniel’s voice jumped up behind me. ‘So it’s me or you? Seriously?’

I didn’t break stride. ‘My husband’s the jealous type.’

I shut the door behind me.

I had no idea where I was going.

I thought about swinging by Yvaine’s cake shop; she’d opened a new one downtown.

Before I could decide, Ashton rang. ‘Why aren’t you in bed?’