MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE

(SOFIA'S POV)

I stood frozen, my heart hammering in my chest as the sting of Dwayne's slap lingered on my cheek. The pain itself was nothing compared to the fear that followed crawled up my spine, seizing my chest with an icy grip. It wasn't the slap that unsettled me. It was the calm that followed. The quiet, dangerous calm in his voice, the chilling intensity in his eyes.

I stared at him, unable to look away.

His gaze... those eyes... green, like emeralds, sharp and piercing, as if he could see straight through me. There was something about them that felt so hauntingly familiar. A memory buried so deep in my mind that it started clawing its way out, unwilling to be ignored. The more I looked at him, the more something in the back of my mind screamed, This is wrong. This is all wrong.

His voice, low and steady, carried a weight to it: calm, but with a thread of something far more dangerous. My breath caught in my throat as my mind raced, sifting through memories, but each time I tried to latch onto one, it slipped through my fingers like smoke. And then, it happened.

He shifted just slightly, imperceptibly like a dancer moving across a stage. His hand, so fluid and deliberate, reached up to adjust the cuff of his sleeve, a small, almost graceful gesture. It was as if he were smoothing away something invisible, but the fluidity of the motion, the precision of it, was all too familiar.

I had seen it before.

I had seen that exact movement years ago. In a different place. Under different circumstances.

The sudden recognition hit me like a jolt of electricity, my skin prickling with a cold sweat. That movement, that fluid grace... I had seen it before. In him.

The air around me suddenly seemed insufficient and suffocating, making it hard to breathe. I knew I had to get out of here before I embarrassed myself any further. With a surge of adrenaline, I turned and fled, my chest pounding as I sought for the safety of my room. I didn't stop until I was away from the Harrison's yacht, and back to the Langley's. I got into my room, grateful I didn't bump into Tiana's parents or my mother. Slamming the door shut, I jammed the locks, too to evade anyone coming in. I leaned against the door, my chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath.

After regaining a little composure, I slowly walked to the mirror; my eyes fixated on my reflection. I cringed, refusing to believe that the reflection staring back at me was me. My face was red and puffy, with large finger imprints engraved in it.

A sob tore from my lips and my hands flew to my mouth.

The image of Dwayne's eyes still lingered in my mind. I stumbled toward the closet, yanking open the door and tossing clothes inside without thinking, my hands trembling violently. I have to leave. I have to leave before it's too late!

That small, elegant movement... the way his fingers had brushed over his cuff with such an effortless precision-I had seen it before. And in that moment, everything I had worked so hard to forget rushed back like a tidal wave.

I could hardly breathe, my chest tight and suffocating. I fought to push the panic down, but it was no use. My pulse was hammering in my ears, my mind reeling. The pieces were falling into place, one after another, each one more horrifying than the last. He had helped me. He had helped me do it.

Dwayne. The name echoed in my mind, jagged and sharp. It was HIM.

I grabbed my bag and stuffed it with whatever I could find. The fear inside me was a gnawing beast, telling me that if I stayed even one second longer, it would consume me entirely. I had to get out. I had to.

But even as I packed, I couldn't stop thinking about those eyes. And the memory-the memory I had tried so hard to forget-was coming for me. And no matter how far I ran, I knew I wouldn't be able to outrun it.

If I'm fast enough, I should be out of here before everyone returns. I just hope that Tiana keeps her mouth shut since her parents and my mom didn't witness the incident. Who was I kidding? They're just likely going to get wind about it, but I had to be out of here before they did.

(DWAYNE'S POV)

Turning my attention to Arielle, I saw that she seemed dazed. She was rigid, flustered, her eyes distant, as if she was looking at something but seeing nothing at all.

My expression softened without thinking. I knew Arielle too well. She was tough-tougher than anyone gave her credit for-but she wasn't the type to want anyone hurt. Not even someone like Sofia. That was her weakness.

But me? I wasn't like her. I didn't care about being gentle, about holding back.

I'd never struck a woman before, true-but I didn't regret what I'd done. In fact, maybe I was surprised at how easily I crossed that line. But when it came to Arielle... everything else faded. The need to protect her consumed me. And if that meant hurting people like Sofia, then so be it.

I moved closer, my voice gentler now, my eyes on her. "Hey, are you okay?"

She didn't answer, her gaze still locked on something I couldn't see. I frowned. Arielle always had her guard up, but this... this was different. Something had shaken her, maybe the scene with Sofia, or maybe it was something deeper. I reached up, ruffling her hair before I gently rubbed her ears. It was a small gesture, but I knew she liked it, even when she wasn't showing it.

But then Jared's voice broke the moment, sharp and angry. "Hey, keep your distance."

I glanced at him, barely suppressing a roll of my eyes. His eyes were practically burning with rage. No surprise there. He was still pissed at Sofia, still trying to come to grips with what had happened. But frankly, that wasn't my concern. He should've done more to keep Sofia in check, but now he was dealing

with the fallout. Too bad.

I turned back to Arielle, ignoring Jared completely. He could fume all he wanted. Sofia was no longer a threat, and neither was Jared.

Ashley, on the other hand, seemed thrilled as she clapped her hands. "I've wanted to slap Sofia for ages," she said, grinning broadly. "I just never had the chance.

I didn't laugh. It wasn't a joke. Sofia needed to be put in her place, and I'd done it. But Arielle's silence... It unsettled me more than anything Sofia had said or done.

I stepped closer, my tone gentler now. "Ostrich," I said, reaching out to brush her hair back from her face. "Talk to me. Are you okay?"

This time she flinched slightly at my touch, though I didn't pull back. Her skin was hot to the touch. Damn it. She was burning up.

"Arielle," I said again and frowned. "You're too hot. Are you sick?"

She finally spoke up, her voice low. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. But Sofia? She wouldn't give up. We're just from different worlds." Jared's eyes darkened, his eyes flashing with rage. But he didn't move, didn't say a word. He just stood there, like he wanted to say something but didn't know how to. Arielle exhaled, drawing my attention back to her. "I just want to be alone, I have had enough drama for today," she murmured, turning around to walk back into the room. Ashley immediately followed suit and when Jared made to do the same, she turned sharply, her eyes flashing with warning. "Goodbye," she said, shutting the door.

The crew, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, dispersed quickly. Tiana, who had been silent through the whole thing, gave me a subtle nod before stepping away, and Jared was left standing there like a waiting to break. He had a

stor

look in his eyes-something

between fury and embarrassment.

He looked at me, his eyes narrowing, jaw tightening. "Thank you," he said, his voice so tight it was almost strangled. The words were clearly hard for him to get out. I almost smirked.

"For protecting Arielle..." He added.noveldrama

I didn't respond immediately. There was no need to. I didn't give a shit about Jared's gratitude. If anything, the fact that he'd stood by while Sofia tormented Arielle was just one more reason I couldn't stand him. But that didn't matter either.

What mattered now was Arielle. And whatever it took to make sure she was safe, that she was happy-that was all I cared about. The rest? It was irrelevant.