The Billionaire's Temptation: Love, Family and Revenge-Chapter 54: Jane deception

Jane’s fingers trembled as she gripped the phone tighter. A cold wave of fear washed over her, making her mouth suddenly dry. For a brief moment, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. The only sound she could hear was the frantic pounding of her heart, so loud it echoed in her ears.

Her whole body stiffened, frozen in place, as panic crawled up her chest, squeezing tightly like an iron grip. Her breaths came in short, shallow gasps, each one more difficult than the last.

With shaking hands, she ended the call and quickly turned off her phone, as if that simple act could erase what had just happened. But it couldn’t. The words from the other end of the line lingered in her mind like an eerie whisper in the dark.

Who was that? And How much did he know?

Her stomach twisted painfully at the thought, and tears stung her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to push them back, trying to keep herself together. She couldn’t afford to lose control.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stay calm. "Jane, calm down. It’s nothing. It can be solved with money," she whispered to herself, her voice barely steady.

Just as she tried to steady her nerves, a sharp knock on the door made her jump. Her heart seized, thumping wildly in her chest. For a split second, sheer terror gripped her. But then she remembered—this was her home.

Swallowing hard, she quickly turned to the mirror, her eyes scanning her face. Her skin looked pale, her eyes slightly red, and a thin sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead. She took another deep breath, wiped her face with her hands, and forced her expression into one of calm indifference. No one could know what was going on.

She moved to the door and opened it.

Her mother stood there, arms crossed, a frown pulling at her lips.

"I’ve been knocking for a while," her mother said, stepping into the room without waiting for an invitation. "What kept you from answering so long? And since when did you start locking your door?"

Jane hesitated, scrambling for an excuse. "Uh... I was bathing. I didn’t hear you knocking until I came out."

Her mother’s sharp gaze swept over her, her frown deepening. "Hmm. I find that hard to believe, considering your door was locked," she said, her tone laced with suspicion. "And why are you sweating like someone who just ran a race?"

Jane’s pulse quickened again. She forced a small, awkward laugh, shifting uncomfortably under her mother’s stare. "It’s nothing, Mom. It’s just... the water was hot."

Her mother didn’t look convinced. She stepped closer, narrowing her eyes. "Are you sure? You’re acting strange."

Jane forced a smile, nodding quickly. "Yes, Mom. I’m fine."

But deep down, she knew she wasn’t. And she had no idea how much longer she could keep pretending.

Jane lifted a hand to her forehead, realizing just how damp it was with sweat. She swallowed hard, forcing a nervous smile. "Oh, looks like the air conditioner isn’t working properly," she said, hoping to cover up how uneasy she felt.

Her mother didn’t seem to notice—or at least, she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she let out a small exclamation. "You won’t believe what I just heard from your dad!"

Jane’s stomach twisted into a tight knot.

Her fingers twitched at her sides, and she had to fight the urge to fidget. The way her mother had said those words made her heart pound in her chest. Was it about Elena?

She forced herself to keep smiling, though she could feel it slipping. "Jane you need to Stay calm. Act normal" she whispered to herself.

"So, what did your husband say?" she asked, trying to sound casual, but her voice came out a little too eager, a little too rushed.

Her mother’s brows furrowed slightly as she crossed her arms. "My husband? Isn’t he your dad too?" she asked, her tone shifting slightly, irritation creeping into it.

Jane let out a small scoff, her expression turning cold. "He isn’t actually my real father," she said flatly. "He’s my stepdad, and that’s all he’ll ever be. Please don’t try to force it." She exhaled sharply. "Just tell me what he said."

Her mother’s face hardened, the warmth in her eyes replaced by something sharper—disappointment, frustration, maybe even anger. "I don’t understand why you refuse to accept him," she said, shaking her head. "After everything he’s done to take care of us, to keep us safe, to make sure we have a good life—you’re still this ungrateful?"

Jane clenched her jaw, the muscles in her face tightening.

Ungrateful. That word always left a bitter taste in her mouth. She had heard it too many times before.

She let out a slow breath, then looked her mother in the eye. "Is that why you came here? To remind me of all the reasons I should be grateful?" she asked, her voice laced with coldness. "Because if that’s all you have to say, I’d really appreciate it if you let me sleep. I’m exhausted."

Her words hung in the air, sharp and heavy.

Her mother’s expression darkened. There was silence for a moment, thick and suffocating.

Jane didn’t care how rude she sounded. She was too drained, too overwhelmed to argue or pretend to feel something she didn’t.

If her mother had more to say, she could say it—but Jane wasn’t going to listen.

Jane walked over to her wardrobe, her movements slow and deliberate. She pulled out a pair of nightwear, holding it up before turning to her mother. A smirk played on her lips as she spoke, her voice laced with sarcasm. "I want to change, or do you want to stand there and watch me do it?"

Her mother’s face darkened instantly, her lips pressing into a thin, angry line. She crossed her arms, her gaze sharp and unyielding. "I won’t argue with you," she snapped. "It’s a waste of my time."

Jane turned away, pretending not to care, but inside, her nerves were stretched thin. She wished her mother would stop dragging things out and just say what was on her mind. She needed to know what her stepfather had found out. The anxiety clawing at her chest was suffocating.

Was it about Elena? 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

She forced herself to appear calm, to act as if none of this mattered. But every second of waiting felt like torture.

Finally, her mother spoke, her voice carrying a strange excitement. "Well, your dad told me that Elena was attacked—brutally dealt with—at the hospital."

Jane felt her entire body go cold.

Her breath hitched, and her fingers clenched involuntarily around the fabric of her nightwear.

Her mother continued, completely unaware of the turmoil raging inside her. "We missed it on the news, but it’s online. Let me check it out properly—I really need to read the full story myself," she added, laughing as if the whole thing was some kind of joke.

Jane stood frozen, her mind spiraling into chaos.

Attacked. Brutally dealt with.

Her mother’s words echoed in her head, each syllable hitting her like a hammer. She trembled, but not out of guilt—no, she had no regrets for what she had done.

What terrified her was the possibility of being found out.

The phone call earlier had already shaken her to the core, and now this? It was too much. She struggled to steady her breathing, to keep her face neutral, but her body betrayed her. Her hands shook slightly, her legs felt weak.

Her mother’s laughter rang in her ears, making her feel even more on edge.

"Jane!"

The sharp call of her name jolted her back to reality. She barely had time to react before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Her mother tapped her again, this time with more force.

Jane swallowed hard, forcing herself to turn and meet her mother’s gaze.

She had to stay in control.

She had to make sure no one—especially not her mother—suspected a thing.

Jane snapped out of her thoughts, her body still trembling slightly. "Yes, sorry. What were you saying?" she asked, trying to sound normal.

Her mother’s eyes narrowed with concern. "Are you alright? You’ve been acting weird since you came back. What’s the problem?"

Jane met her mother’s gaze and hesitated. A part of her wanted to confess everything, to let the weight of her fear and guilt spill out. But she couldn’t. She was too scared of how her mother would react. She had never done anything without her mother’s permission before—this was different, dangerous.

"I’m alright. It’s nothing," she said quickly, forcing a small, weak smile. "I just want to be left alone."

Before her mother could push further, Jane turned away, walking toward her bed. Her heart pounded as she spotted her dirty clothes from earlier. Then, it hit her—the bloodstains.

Her breath caught in her throat.

She rushed forward, gathering the clothes in a hurry, her hands moving too fast, too frantic. She had to get rid of them. Now.

As she turned to throw them into the laundry basket, her mother’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Jane, wait."

Jane froze.

"Is that... blood? Or have I suddenly developed an eye defect?" her mother asked, her voice laced with shock.