The Billionaire's Secret Baby-Chapter 136: Get Closure

Chloe didn’t remember half of the drive home.

Her fingers were still trembling on the steering wheel, not from fear or anger or sadness, but from overflowing happiness; sharp, bright, unbelievable happiness that had taken root inside her chest and refused to sit still. Damian’s words kept replaying in her head on a loop:

"Chloe... I love you."

"You’re officially mine."

Each repetition sent another flutter through her stomach, another little burst of warmth that made her smile all over again. She didn’t even realize she was smiling until she caught her reflection in the rear-view mirror. A soft, glowing grin she hadn’t worn in days since the saga with Damian and Jake.

She parked, locked the car with a beep, and practically skipped to the front door. She didn’t skip often. Chloe didn’t do skipping. But tonight, she couldn’t help it. She was too happy that anyone who’d see her would know.

She opened the door, happily, hoping her happiness would be able to rub off on Bella at least.

"Bella!" she called immediately, already pulling off her jacket. "Bella, where are you?!"

Bella’s voice drifted from the living room. "I’m here."

Chloe rushed in, happily.

Bella was sitting on the couch with a bowl of rice in her lap, trying her best to look normal. But Chloe could feel something off. She could feel some heaviness in the air that didn’t match the excitement punching in her chest.

Still, she couldn’t stop herself. She really hoped Bella could warm up after hearing about her news.

"Oh my God, Bell. Bella!" Chloe dropped into the couch beside her, breathless. "You will not believe what happened!"

Bella blinked at her. "Tell me."

That was all the permission Chloe needed.

She grabbed Bella’s hands, nearly shaking them with her excitement. "Damian asked me to be his girlfriend! Can you believe it?"

Bella’s lips parted in shock, but it wasn’t the dramatic gasp Chloe expected. It wasn’t the squeal, the hug, the what?! Chloe had rehearsed in her mind during the drive home.

Instead, Bella just blinked fast and whispered, "Really? He did?" Bella asked, trying hard to be found happy for her best friend.

"Yes!" Chloe laughed, her happiness so full it practically spilled into the room. "He confessed, Bella. He actually confessed. I went to see him like I told you and he told me everything. About how he heard the rumors, about why he acted the way he did, why he resigned. He explained everything! And then he... he just said it. He loves me. He had actually loved me since he got transferred to my department while I was foolishly crushing on Raymond." She placed a hand on her chest, her smile softening. "I’m so glad he didn’t resign to avoid me but to actually find a way to confess his love."

Bella frowned when she heard Chloe. "He resigned? Since when? Aren’t you both working together for the show?" Bella asked in confusion.

An excited Chloe nodded before going ahead to explain everything to Bella.

A small smile tugged on Bella’s lips after she heard everything Chloe said. "I’m happy for you, Chloe. Really. You deserve that."

Chloe deserved to be happy and she was glad that at least, someone was finally happy. Bella thought, trying not to let her sadness dim Chloe’s happiness but it was too late.

Chloe looked at Bella and could see that Bella’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, her voice was too gentle and too flat and her excitement was missing.

This wasn’t Bella’s usual reaction. Normally Bella would have stood up, hugged her, screamed, danced, so, anything even though she was down about Jake.

Bella would’ve shared in her joy genuinely but now she just sat there, staring at the wall for half a second too long before turning back to Chloe with another faint smile.

A worried frown crept onto Chloe’s face. There has to be something wrong with Bella other than Jake.

"Okay," she said slowly. "You’re happy for me. But... what’s wrong? Something’s definitely wrong and I can tell it’s not just about Jake."

Bella looked down at her food, and Chloe’s heartbeat softened. "Bella..."

Bella didn’t answer. She just exhaled shakily, her shoulders sinking the way they only did when something was really heavy.

Chloe turned fully toward her. "Talk to me. What happened?"

There was a long pause, long enough for Chloe to feel her stomach tighten.

Bella sighed. She would’ve said everything was fine but she knew Chloe would continue to ask until she said something.

After some time, Bella whispered, "Rachel is in love with Henry."

The room went silent completely. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Chloe’s eyes widened. Her breath stopped.

"What?" Chloe half-choked, half-gasped. "Wait—what?!"

Bella nodded miserably.

Chloe stared at her like Bella had just told her Rachel planned to move to Mars. "Rachel? Your Rachel? Innocent, quiet, never-looked-at-a-man-for-too-long Rachel?"

"Yes."

"And Henry? Camden Henry? The Camden Henry? My former boss?"

"Yes, Chloe."

"Oh my God." Chloe leaned back, hand dramatically pressed to her forehead. "Satan is a liar."

Bella almost laughed at the sheer intensity of her reaction, but then the heaviness returned just as fast.

Chloe leaned forward again, her voice lower. "How on earth do you know she’s in love with him? You’re not taking my words serious, are you?"

"She said it," Bella whispered. "Rachel said it herself. She told me she... she loves him. I didn’t even know how to react. Chloe, I’m still in shock."

Chloe’s mouth fell open again. "Rachel said it? She said she loves Henry?"

"Yes."

"Oh Lord." Chloe fell back against the couch, staring at the ceiling like she was trying to process the impossible. "This is... Bella, this is huge. This is... this is madness. Rachel? In love? With Henry Camden? The first time she falls in love and it has to be with him?"

Bella covered her face with both hands. "I know. I don’t know what to do."

Chloe’s mind raced, her protective instincts flaring for Bella, her confusion, her shock, her worry all clashing together until she exhaled slowly.

"Okay. Okay." She sat up straighter. "Let’s think. First of all, Rachel is your sister. And this is... her first love. That’s something fragile. No matter what you tell her, even if you forbid her from ever stepping foot near him again... she’s still going to feel it."

Bella nodded silently.

Chloe continued softly, "And she’s young. Very young. So, yes, she doesn’t fully understand the consequences. She doesn’t understand the complications. But feelings don’t disappear overnight. Even if it’s wrong, even if it’s complicated, love doesn’t just listen to instructions."

Bella whispered, "That’s what scares me, Chloe."

Chloe sighed. "I know. But Bella... listen to me. We need to think. Because as much as I want to tell you as your best friend to never let Rachel go anywhere near Henry or that mansion again... I also know Rachel won’t magically stop loving him just because you want her to."

Bella’s eyes filled with overwhelmed emotion. "I’ve been thinking about that too."

Chloe nodded. "You need time, Bella. Everything happening right now is too much. Jake. Henry. Rachel. It’s too much for one person. You shouldn’t rush this."

Bella rubbed her temples. "I’m torn, Chloe. Rachel is my only sister. I want the best for her. I don’t want her heart broken. I don’t want her hurt. And... even though I want to protect her, she’s also old enough to know her own heart. But how do I stop her from going close to Henry? Or thinking of him?"

Chloe didn’t answer immediately.

Bella continued. "Even if I want her to move on... I think the only way she will is if she gets closure. If she sees Henry. If someone tells her clearly there’s nothing between them and nothing can ever happen."

Chloe nodded slowly. "I also think that might be the best idea, Bella."

Bella let out a shaky breath. "So... I’m thinking I have to meet Henry tomorrow. I need to talk to him. Explain everything. And then... I need him to help give her proper closure."

Chloe placed a hand on Bella’s shoulder. "You’re doing the right thing."

Bella closed her eyes for a moment, gathering whatever strength she had left.

Chloe watched her quietly.

She wanted to ask.

She wanted to bring up Jake, to ask how Bella was really doing, how she was coping, if she had cried, if she had eaten, if she was hurting as deeply as Chloe suspected she was. It was there on the tip of Chloe’s tongue.

But she swallowed the question.

Not tonight.

Not when Bella was already drowning in too many emotions, shock, confusion, fear, guilt, heartbreak. Adding Jake’s name to that mix would break something in her.

So Chloe stayed quiet.

After a few seconds, she stood.

"Okay," she said gently. "You need to rest. You’ve had enough for one day. Let me go in and shower and prepare for the night."

Bella nodded weakly. "Goodnight, Chloe."

Chloe hesitated, just long enough to squeeze Bella’s shoulder again in reassurance, then walked toward her room.

And Bella sat there alone, her food cold, her thoughts louder than they’d been all day, staring at nothing as the weight of everything pressed on her chest.