Marriage Lies and a Dangerous Obsession novel Chapter 209

Chapter 209

Chapter 209

A few days later in the morning, inside the Hunter Corp. Executive Office.

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Mitchell reported to Ian, “Mr. Hamilton, Andrea confessed everything on her first night in prison and got sentenced to life. She’s been causing trouble–keeps demanding to see you, slammed her head against the wall, even bit a guard. She’s clearly in a bad mental state.”

Ian asked, “What about the others?”

Mitchell replied, “Leonard didn’t want to take care of Clint. After talking it over with the Sherman family, he gave Andrea’s family a ten million payout for child support and headed back to Tecnovia this morning.”

Mitchell added, “Andrea’s family took the ten million and they’re getting ready to move to Newcrest along with Clint.”

After Mitchell finished speaking, he saw Ian didn’t react at all, so he quietly slipped out of the office.

Ian sat there in silence, lost in thought, staring out across his office.

Everything was finally over.

He was determined–he’d do whatever it took to make things right with Chloe, to bring back what they’d lost.

He needed her to come home. Only then would everything feel normal again.

And he was going to ask her to marry him all over again.

He pulled out the crystal pendant Chloe had made for him.

That day, Chloe told him she’d dreamed about their baby. After sketching the little one herself, she used AI to touch up the drawing, turning it into a photo of their lost child.

She sealed the photo inside the crystal and gave it to him.

‘She could never let go of that child,‘ Ian thought. ‘She wanted this picture to haunt me, to remind me of what I’ve lost, to make me regret it all.’

Ian clenched the crystal pendant in his palm and pressed it to his chest before dialing Chloe’s number.

After work that evening, Chloe headed to the old Irvine family home, just like they’d agreed.

She got out of her car and walked through the familiar front gate, making her way into the living room.

In just a few steps, a flood of warm memories flashed through her mind.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw lan standing by the floor–to–ceiling windows, lost in thought.

He was dressed in black slacks and a crisp white shirt, and he’d clearly been there for a while.

12:48 Sat, Oct 4

Chapter 209

Hearing footsteps behind him, lan turned around.

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The spacious living room felt almost empty; Chloe stood at the center, lan by the window. They just looked at each other in silence.

Chloe stood rooted to the spot, quietly watching as lan walked toward her.

Ian stopped in front of her, looked at her for a long moment, then pressed a key gently into her palm.

Meeting her eyes, he said softly, “This is the house you grew up in. I got it back for you last month.”

Chloe looked down at the key in her hand, falling quiet for a moment as she gathered her thoughts.

Then she firmly slipped the key back into Ian’s pocket and said, “If I ever want it, I’ll buy it back on my own.”

‘Since everything began here, it should end here too, she told herself.

The only reason she agreed to meet lan at this place was to finally lay everything out and have a real, honest closure between them.

They locked eyes, and Ian’s brows knitted tightly.

His voice was quiet and strained, barely holding back emotion. “Chloe, I sent Andrea to prison myself. She won’t ever come between us again. Please… can you stop shutting me out?”

Ian stepped forward, reaching for her hand, but Chloe immediately stepped back out of his reach.

She looked right into Ian’s anguished eyes, her face cold, almost indifferent.

“Ian,” Chloe said calmly, “You still don’t understand. What’s broken between us has nothing to do with Andrea -or anyone else.”

Ian abruptly cut in, his voice strained. “If Andrea hadn’t meddled, we probably wouldn’t have fallen apart like this.”

A bitter, mocking thought flashed through Chloe’s mind.

If Andrea had never shown up, maybe none of this would’ve happened.

He’d still be that guy everyone thought had it all–a winner at work, a loving family man.

She’d keep clinging to some sweet illusion, orbiting around him, and he’d treat her like a prized possession- only caring when the bedroom lights were off.

Chloe paused for a moment, then said, “lan, nobody was holding a gun to your head for you to help Andrea and Clint. Everything you did for them–you did it because you wanted to. It was all your choice.”

She went on, “You lied to me for Andrea. You hurt me just to keep her safe. You shut me out for her sake. You chose to keep her around, threatened me, tried to control me–all of it was what you wanted for yourself. It was your decision, your wish–not anyone else’s fault.”

12:49 Sat, Oct 4

Chapter 209

Pain was written all over lan’s face.

When he spoke again, his voice was thick with emotion.

“I admit I was wrong,” he said, his voice low and heavy.

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“But Chloe, nothing ever happened between me and Andrea. I’ve never been with her, and I never wanted to give up on you for her.”

Ian stepped closer, locking eyes with her. “After more than twenty years of growing up together… can’t you give me another chance?”

Chloe stood silently, refusing to move.

She met lan’s eyes, speaking slowly and firmly, “Emotional betrayal is still betrayal. And because we’ve shared more than twenty years nobody else ever had, that’s exactly why I can’t forgive you–even more so.”

Heartache twisted through Ian’s chest.

His eyes brimmed with tears, and he took an unsteady step back.

He forced a smile, but couldn’t get a single word out.

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