THE BILLIONAIRE STILL WANTS HER! Chapter 18: What makes you think

Just when Tryson finished speaking, he was startled by Angel’s soft chuckle, an unexpected sound that cut through the tension.

Before he could react, she turned her body on the bed, her face to him, curling onto her side. Her eyes locked onto his, an unspoken challenge hidden behind her calm gaze.

"And what makes you think that I would want your offer, Mr. Tryson?" Angel’s voice was quiet, but her words held an edge. "Should I remind you that I have a boyfriend?" Her words, though delivered with softness, were like a sharp slap, designed to wound.

The atmosphere thickened with the weight of her dismissal, making Tryson realize just how wrong he had been to assu anything.

He blinked, taken aback, his mind scrambling for a response. "You really don’t want to get engaged to ?" he stuttered, his voice betraying his surprise.

He couldn’t hide the shock in his expression.

Angel raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a brief, bitter smile. "And why should I, Tryson? So the internet can point even more fingers at , calling a gold-digger or soone who’s only interested in your money?" Her words were composed, but the disappointnt in her tone was palpable.

It stung more than anything he could have expected.

"Why don’t you let prove to you how much I could fix things?" Tryson’s voice softened, as if he was pleading, desperate for her to give him a chance to explain.

"No, Tryson. Let’s not even go down that road. We both know it would be impossible," Angel replied, her voice low but firm, the decision already made in her heart.

She paused, the weight of her words settling in the air between them. "We don’t belong in the sa world. You and I—let’s not make it harder than it already is."

A deep, painful silence followed, and for a mont, Angel’s heart wavered as she felt the weight of her decision. She was terrified of what might happen if she gave in, even just for a mont.

She couldn’t deny the history between them, the pull that still existed—but the reality of their situation was undeniable.

Tryson had already been publicly engaged to Riley, and the idea of becoming his fiancée again was more than she could handle. The truth was, nothing between them would ever be simple again.

"What about Arthur?" Tryson’s voice broke the silence, his words like a spark that ignited a deeper tension. "You have his child, and that ans you must have been dating him, doesn’t it?" He watched her carefully, hoping to get a response, hoping she would confirm his suspicions.

Angel’s body went rigid, and for a long mont, she said nothing. S

he turned her head and body to face the wall, which was on the other side of the bed. Her back towards him as if trying to shut him out, and then, with a heavy sigh, she spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"Tryson, could you please leave? Riley must be waiting for you, and you staying here will only make things worse."

"You don’t need to worry about her," Tryson tried to reason, stepping closer, but Angel’s coldness was like a wall between them.

"I’m not trying to take sothing that isn’t mine, Tryson," Angel said, her voice full of quiet resolve. "You’ve always wanted soone who would be loyal, soone who would never embarrass you or make you feel like the world is pointing fingers at you. But I’m not that woman. Let’s just leave things as they are. No more complications." Her voice trembled slightly at the end, but she held her ground.

She closed her eyes tightly, as if trying to keep the tears at bay, knowing that breaking down in front of him would only make it harder.

She needed to be strong—for her baby, the only thing that was truly hers, the only thing that represented the love she once felt for Tryson.

Tryson watched her, his heart aching as he saw the depth of her pain. He couldn’t deny it—he had hurt her, and now it seed like it was too late to make ands.

He wanted to prove her wrong, to show her that he wasn’t just a greedy, selfish man.

If only things had been different in the past.

If only he had been brave enough to express how he truly felt, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out like this.

He reached out, his hand trembling as he almost touched her, but then stopped.

He curled his fist, understanding that she needed space—sothing he should have given her from the start. He nodded, resigned to the fact that so things were beyond his control.

With a heavy heart, he stood up and left the room without another word. As the door closed behind him, Angel allowed herself to turn away and let the tears flow freely, no longer able to hold them in. They streaked down her cheeks, silent testimony to everything she had endured.

*

anwhile, at Lamar’s company, the start of the day was unfolding with its usual routine. Lamar sat at his desk, waiting anxiously for any sign from Angel, hoping that she might acknowledge the bouquet of flowers he had sent to her.

But as the minutes ticked by, his phone remained silent. He frowned, frustration building in his chest. Sothing was off.

Why hadn’t she responded?

Suddenly, the door to his office creaked open, and Sophia entered, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. She walked toward him, a look of disappointnt on her face.

"Really, Lamar? You got her flowers?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she stared at him, clearly unimpressed.

Arthur looked up, startled by her presence, and froze when he saw the bouquet she was holding. His face morphed into confusion as he registered the implication.

"Sophia," he said cautiously, as if sensing sothing was wrong. "What are you doing here?" He said as he stood up from his seat and then approached her.

Arthur imdiately recognized the flowers that she held in her hand and then he asked.

"What are you doing with those flowers? I gave those to Angel," he said sharply, his eyes flashing with annoyance.

At that mont, Sophia looked visibly stunned.

"Why? What’s going on? Why are you bringing them here?" he asked, his voice growing more tense by the second.

Sophia crossed her arms, her frustration bubbling to the surface.

"What’s going on is that Angel is going to find out eventually. And when she does, what do you expect to do? Watch my best friend get closer to the man that I want? You’re playing a dangerous ga, Arthur. You’re not fooling anyone."

Lamar’s heart raced as he tried to process her words.