Stand Me Up? I'll Marry His Billionaire Uncle novel Chapter 123

"Mom, what do I do? They definitely got my face on camera!"

Chloe was frantic, her voice trembling with panic and frustration. "I—I might as well just throw myself in the river!"

Grace Quinn pressed her fingers to her temples, feeling a headache build as she looked at her daughter—her one and only, infuriating child.

But what could she do? Chloe was all she had. If only her body hadn't betrayed her all those years ago, maybe Sean wouldn't treat her this way. If she'd had a son, Sean's company would be theirs by now. But she'd had a daughter. Just her luck.

"Stop making a scene. I told you to keep calm," Grace snapped. "Tell me, how did Sebastian King end up with your hotel room key?"

The plan had been simple: Grace had arranged for a server to spike Stellan's drink, then let Chloe watch as the server brought him to the room. Simple. Foolproof. So why had Chloe ended up waiting alone in the dark, only for the wrong man—a married one, at that—to come through the door with her key?

Chloe bit her lip, unable to explain. She couldn't admit how Stellan had looked at her earlier, full of disgust. Not even to her mother did she want to confess she'd lost to Sunny.

"Mom, I was worried he'd get suspicious, so I went in first to wait for him."

"But then Sebastian just barged in, pinned me to the bed, and the room was dark. I thought it was him…" Chloe's voice trailed off, but she was telling the truth. For a moment, she'd thought even the most cold, controlled men turned into animals under the influence. She had even wondered what kind of face Sunny would make if she ever found out—just the thought had sent a thrill through her.

But when the lights flicked on and reality crashed down, Chloe's fantasy shattered into pieces.

Grace's irritation only grew as she listened to her daughter's explanation.

"Fine. Did you take anything?" Grace's eyes sharpened. "Don't tell me you haven't taken the morning-after pill yet!"

Chloe's eyes widened, caught off guard. "I-I…"

Grace groaned. "I'll have someone pick it up. Take it the moment it gets here!"

Chloe might have lost her reputation, but Grace would be damned if she let her lose her future as well. A scandal was bad enough—an unplanned pregnancy would ruin everything.

"Okay," Chloe replied, voice thick with tears. "Mom, what about the paparazzi?"

"I'll handle it. You don't need to worry about any of that. Just keep your mouth shut—take this secret to the grave, understand? Deny everything, no matter what!"

As for Sebastian, as long as Chloe kept quiet, he'd have no reason to stir up trouble either. Still, something about this whole mess felt off—like her daughter had been set up.

—

"Mr. Lawson, the paparazzi you hired last night are asking if you want the photos sent directly to you," Quentin Chase, his assistant, asked.

Vicky was her usual bubbly self: [No worries! Once I wrap filming, let's get dinner together!]

Sunny smiled at her phone. [Deal.]

It felt strange and exciting to suddenly have a celebrity as a friend.

—

At lunchtime, Sunny spotted a familiar figure from afar, her expression instantly darkening.

"Sunny, I've heard this new Mediterranean place is amazing—they're offering half off for their grand opening," Lily Williams said, barely finishing her sentence before Sunny cut her off.

"Lily, why don't you go grab us a table? I'll pick up drinks. What do you want?" Sunny shooed them ahead, watching as Lily and the others headed inside, then turned to face the man approaching her.

"Tristan, will you ever give it a rest?"

Tristan's lips pressed into a straight line as he held out a shopping bag. "Here. The dress you liked the other day."

Sunny glimpsed a slash of purple inside and frowned. "So Luna didn't want it, and now you're giving it to me?"