Don’t Fall for the Billionaire Lover

Chloe had been chatting away in the meeting room for a solid hour. Who would've thought every shareholder had skeletons in their closets? And Connor? Well, he had them all by the short hairs with this dirt. Chloe was genuinely floored. All the shady, grimy sides of

human nature were laid bare.

By the end of it, something didn't sit right with Chloe. She blurted out, "How do you know all these deep, dark secrets they've kept under wraps all their lives?"

Connor paused, his eyes dropping. It was rare to see him hesitate.

"If you don't feel comfortable sharing, you don't have to," Chloe added gently. Connor sat down next to her, taking her hand. "Remember The Pure White?"

"That fancy club you took me to? I do, the almond pudding was to die for."

Connor nodded. "I told you it belonged to a friend, but actually, it's mine. Not many from The Eldridge Elites know I run the joint. It's my little intel hub."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Like those old-timey courtesan houses?"

She loved watching dramas, especially those with political intrigue. In those shows, princes and heirs always had their own intel spots-often these entertainment venues. A place where men, caught in the allure of beauty and wine, would let their guard down. Seeing the chill in Chloe's eyes, Connor quickly added, "Don't get the wrong idea. It's a legit place, none of that shady stuff you're imagining. I've never crossed any legal lines. I used to have a sharp assistant who was a whiz at hypnotism. That's how we got most of the secrets."

Chloe let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Sure, she'd seen her share of human ugliness and knew Connor needed strategy to climb the ladder, but she didn't want him lost to the dark side.

"Oh? Who was she?" Chloe asked.

"Her name was Amelia," Connor replied. "She was officially the owner of The Pure White. Just like her name, she was adaptable and favorite among The Eldridge Elites. She would get the guests tipsy and use hypnotism to draw out their deepest secrets in their sleep."

Chloe was quiet, trying to wrap her mind around it. She got it-life wasn't always clean-cut. If it's not forbidden, it's fair game.

Not wanting to linger on the topic, she switched gears. "What about Amelia? I didn't see her last time I was there."

Connor's face clouded over. "Amelia's been gone a long time. She died in a fire five years ago."

Chloe was stunned. After a moment, Connor continued, "My sister ordered the arson. The person responsible confessed and took the fall, leaving my sister scot-free."

"In the end, it was because of me. When my sister discovered Amelia was working for me, she didn't hesitate to eliminate her."

Chloe felt a shiver run through her.

Claire's cold bloodedness and disregard for life hit her hard. The earlier incident on Angel Island, that brutal confrontation, the blood on stage it all lingered in her mind, refusing to fade away.

Connor went on, "Plus, when she died, Amelia was pregnant-with Teddy's child, four months along."

Chloe's eyes went wide. "Teddy?"