Chapter 4The Ultimate Checkmate: Marrying My Ex's Billionaire Rival

The sound of something heavy smashing against the drywall echoed from next door.

Then, dead silence returned.

I belatedly realized what I had just done. I scrambled backward, desperately putting distance between us.

"I'm sleepy. I'm going to bed..."

I rolled over to the far edge of the mattress, leaving plenty of space for him.

The highly charged, intimate atmosphere evaporated instantly.

Sebastian stared at the spot on the bed that was still warm from my body, his thoughts unreadable.

The room fell silent, save for the steady rhythm of the rain against the windowpane.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart still racing like crazy.

Suddenly, the memory of the very first time I saw Sebastian flashed in my mind.

Back then, I was still desperately chasing Tristan.

At the university's arts gala, I went on stage and performed a breathtaking classical dance.

Sebastian had been dragged there by Tristan. He sat in the very front row.

But his eyes never once looked at me from start to finish.

He was a man completely devoid of warmth. Ice cold to the core.

After that, trailing behind Tristan, I saw him a few more times, but the number of words we exchanged could be counted on one hand.

I never in a million years imagined that one day, we would be lying in the same bed.

I let out a soft sigh.

"Can't sleep?" Sebastian asked.

My thoughts snapped back. I opened my eyes.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, bathed in the dim glow of the nightlight. His profile was sharp and cold.

Exactly like the very first time I saw him.

I clutched the blanket tightly. "Mr. Sterling, why did you choose me?"

"Why couldn't I choose you?"

He lowered his eyes, looking at me with those pale, fathomless irises. "To me, anyone is the same. But an acquaintance is more convenient."

"Oh..." I scratched my head. "It just feels... life is really unpredictable."

Sebastian's lips quirked up slightly. "You didn't predict we'd get married?"

"Yeah."

He stared at me for a long moment. "Clara, I never do anything unexpected."

I froze. Before I could even process what that meant, Sebastian's phone rang.

It was his executive secretary.

"Mr. Sterling, the CEO of Vanguard Corp just flew in. Should we move the video conference to right now?"

Sebastian checked the time. It was exactly 1:00 AM.

"Fine. Come pick me up. And..."

He glanced over at me. "Bring an electric heating pad."

My heart skipped a beat.

How did he know my knee ached when it rained?

"Mr. Sterling, you don't have to do that for me..."

"It's no trouble."

Sebastian pulled the blanket up to my shoulders. "I'll have my driver pick you up tomorrow. Try to avoid running into Tristan."

"You really don't have to..." I quickly declined. "I can get an Uber. I don't want to hold up your work."

The secretary's car arrived quickly. It was clear his business was urgent.

Sebastian hesitated for a second, then didn't argue. "If you feel unsafe, call me."

"Okay."

He left. A hotel robot delivered the heating pad shortly after.

The rain pattered against the window until dawn.

I didn't sleep well and was up before 6:00 AM.

It was overcast today.

I gritted my teeth, stretched my dull, aching knee, got dressed, and headed out for my scheduled hospital checkup.

Who knew that while waiting for the elevator, a shadow would suddenly appear behind me.

The distinct smell of tobacco mixed with mint leaves.

Even with my eyes closed, I knew exactly who it was.

We stood in a tense standoff, neither of us speaking.

"Slept with him?"

Tristan's sudden, mocking question dripped with venom.

I crossed my arms, staring straight ahead at the glowing numbers above the elevator doors, and said softly, "Yeah. His stamina is way better than yours."

"Do you know who owns this hotel?"

Tristan suddenly grabbed my arm, violently forcing me to look at him. "Sebastian Sterling."

"You think it's hard for me to have him look into someone's background?"

"Within three days, I'll have 'Bastian Sterling' stripped down to his bones with nothing left."

"Clara, if I destroy your precious fiancé, are you going to cry about it?"

I glared at him.

"You're the one who played with my feelings. Was I wrong to leave?"

Tristan offered a sneering, contemptuous smile.

"Clara, do you really think you have the moral high ground here? You took my family's money. Why don't you mention that?"

I froze. "What money?"

"Twenty thousand dollars. Wired directly into your bank account. Do I really have to throw the bank statements in your face to make you admit it?"

Twenty thousand dollars?

In my memory, the only time I ever received exactly $20,000 was my graduation scholarship.

I said seriously, "That twenty thousand was the Outstanding Graduate Scholarship Lindsey helped me apply for."

Tristan looked at me with pure disgust. "Clara, do you know why I can't stand you?"

He let go of my arm and stepped into the open elevator. "You're a pathological liar, and you never feel an ounce of remorse."

The elevator doors slid shut.

Leaving me standing there in an absolute daze.

Right before graduation, Lindsey had run up to me excitedly: "Clara, I submitted your name for the Outstanding Graduate Scholarship! The school is totally going to give it to you!"

We shared a dorm for four years. Our personal information was frequently on the same spreadsheets.

Submitting paperwork for each other was completely normal.

Half a month later, Lindsey told me: "The scholarship money was wired directly into your bank account!"

It was exactly twenty thousand dollars.

Later, I had the accident and never even thought to check the official recipient list on the school's website.

With trembling hands, I sent a text to Lindsey.

"The scholarship you applied for me back then... was it really from the university?"

Lindsey replied almost instantly.

"Clara, what are you talking about? When did I ever apply for a scholarship for you?"

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