The Billionaire's Temptation: Love, Family and Revenge-Chapter 97: Sia’s Disappointment

Sia smiled, her lips curling with quiet satisfaction. It amazed her how just a few carefully chosen words could grab his full attention. That reaction alone felt like a victory to her. She settled more comfortably into her seat, as if she had just won a very important game. Her posture relaxed, but her eyes stayed sharp watching every detail about him. There was a certain pride in her gaze, the way her eyes sparkled, but underneath it all, she was alert and cautious.

She studied him closely every small twitch in his face, the slight movement of his hands, even the way he shifted in his seat. All of it told her something. And now, she believed one thing for sure Ford either truly had no idea what she was talking about, or he was pretending not to know, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

Either way, something wasn’t right. Something was off.

Ford turned to face her more directly. There was a pause, as if he was expecting her to say more. He waited, his face calm but his eyes curious. Deep inside, he was trying to understand what she was playing at. Then, almost suddenly, he chuckled—a soft, amused sound that made her raise an eyebrow.

He had figured it out, or at least he thought he had.

"Sia," Ford said slowly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a half-smile, "how come you’re suddenly so interested in anything that has to do with Elena? Last time I checked, you couldn’t stand her."

His voice was gentle, but there was a hint of disbelief in it. He tilted his head slightly, still smiling as he waited for her response. The way he shook his head with a small smile showed he didn’t fully trust her answer would be honest.

Sia wasn’t prepared for that question. For a second, she froze. But she recovered quickly, blinking as if brushing away the surprise. "Well... you can’t really blame me," she said with a short laugh, trying to sound casual. "I hate her so much, I think that’s exactly why I’m so curious about everything happening to her. And besides, she’s everywhere, on the internet, in the news. You can’t escape her."

She leaned forward a bit, her voice growing stronger. "And don’t forget, I have ears everywhere," she added with a smirk, trying to sound convincing.

She looked away for a moment, avoiding Ford’s intense gaze. His eyes were focused and deep, as if they could see into her very soul. That kind of stare made her feel exposed, and she didn’t like it.

Trying to shift the power back in her favor, she said, "Honestly, you should be the one begging me to tell you who’s behind her scandal. Not questioning me like this... unless, of course, you already know."

Her tone was daring now, slightly playful but with an edge of challenge. She didn’t want to admit how much his calm and controlled demeanor made her uneasy. But she wasn’t going to let him see that. Not yet.

Ford let out a deep chuckle, shaking his head slowly. "Begging you?" he repeated with amusement in his voice. Then he laughed more clearly. "I don’t see the need to beg when I already have the answers... right here," he said, flashing her a knowing smile as he tapped his fingers gently on his phone.

The moment she heard those words "I have the answers" Sia’s heart skipped a beat. A sudden wave of panic washed over her, but she tried not to show it. She turned to face him quickly, her tone rising in curiosity. "Here? What do you mean? Who do you mean? How do you know?" she asked all at once, unable to hide the urgency in her voice.

Ford leaned back slightly in his chair, clearly enjoying the moment. He raised his eyebrows at her, smiling with a mixture of amusement and wonder. "Wow," he said slowly, "seems like you’re really interested in Elena’s scandal."

His voice was teasing, playful, but there was an edge to it as if he was testing her.

Sia blinked, realizing she had let her guard down. Quickly, she looked away and forced a small laugh. "Sorry. Don’t mind me," she said, trying to sound casual. She had to stay calm. She couldn’t afford to act too desperate or let him know how much this meant to her.

Ford lifted his phone, held it up for a second, and then dropped it back onto the table. His eyes never left hers. "When I said ’here,’ I meant the information is on this phone," he said slowly, with purpose, watching her every reaction.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. His stare was too intense, too knowing. It was as if he could see through all her layers. He was enjoying this watching her squirm. And worst of all, he knew his words had unsettled her.

Sia stood up with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her heels clicked softly against the floor as she walked over to him. "You’re making me really curious," she said softly, her voice low and almost sweet. "Why don’t I take a quick look at who’s behind Elena’s scandal? Maybe... just maybe... it’ll turn out to be the same person behind mine."

As she spoke, she reached out and gently rubbed his shoulder, her fingers lightly brushing his shirt as she made a subtle move toward his phone.

But Ford was faster. He picked up his phone and held it firmly, his smile disappearing. "Oh no," he said flatly. "I don’t think that’s necessary. I don’t need you or your information. As you can see, I’m very busy."

His tone had changed calm but firm, with a finality that left no room for argument. He turned back to his work, dismissing her without another glance.

Sia stood still for a moment, her confidence shaken. Then, without saying another word, she turned and picked up her bag. Her silence spoke volumes.

She walked out of the room, each step echoing in her ears. Once outside the door, she paused, her face hardening. She squeezed her hand into a tight fist, anger boiling inside her. She had come hoping to gain something some clue, some edge but she had achieved nothing.

Nothing at all.

At one moment, Ford made her feel like he knew everything. Like he had figured out she was the one behind all the chaos surrounding Elena. The way he looked at her, the way he spoke it was as if he had connected the dots. But in the very next moment, he acted clueless, like nothing had happened and he was completely unaware. This back-and-forth confused Sia and made her restless. Her mind spun with thoughts. Was he playing a game with her? Was he pretending not to know just to trap her later?

Before she could make sense of it, her phone suddenly started ringing. The sharp sound pierced the tense air. She quickly checked the screen, hoping it was someone important. But instead, it showed "Unknown Number." Her heart sank. Frustration tightened her chest. Without thinking twice, she ended the call and switched off her phone in anger. Her jaw clenched as she stormed off, her footsteps heavy and fast.

Meanwhile, Fredrick was heading upstairs in a hurry. He had forgotten some important documents in his room. His long strides showed how urgent he was, his brows slightly furrowed as he mentally listed all he needed to pick up. Just as he reached the stairs, a voice stopped him.

"I know your intention," his mother’s voice rang out from behind him. "You’re trying to avoid me. But sometimes, it’s better to just hear me out."

Fredrick sighed heavily and turned around, clearly annoyed. His eyes met his mother’s, and his expression showed he wasn’t in the mood for conversation. "What do you want from me this morning?" he asked, his voice sharp with irritation. "I hope you haven’t come to nag in my ears again, because the last time I checked you have a husband now."

His words were blunt and cold. He wanted to remind her that she had moved on, started a new life, and should stop trying to interfere in his.

Vivian, his mother, gave a small chuckle. She wasn’t in the mood to argue either, especially not early in the morning. She smiled gently, brushing his harsh tone aside. "Anyway... guess what?" she asked, her eyes bright with excitement, clearly eager to share something.

Fredrick, still frowning, shook his head. "I’m not in the mood to guess anything, Mom. And if you didn’t notice, I’m in a hurry," he said as he tried to move past her.

"Hold on," she said quickly, reaching out to touch his arm. "Can’t you just have some patience? Okay, I’m sorry just calm down." Her voice softened as she rubbed his back in a soothing motion, trying to ease his anger.

Fredrick paused and looked at her, his shoulders dropping slightly. Her calm tone was hard to resist. "Alright," he said at last, his voice more controlled. "What do you want to tell me?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Vivian smiled, happy that he had finally stopped to listen. There was something important on her mind, something she felt he needed to know.

Vivian smiled slyly and let out a small laugh, her eyes glinting with amusement and a touch of mischief. "You won’t believe this," she said, leaning slightly closer to her son. "Mr. Johnson’s daughter—you know, the one who can’t keep her hands off Ford, always flaunting herself like she’s some trophy, acting spoiled and cheap... she’s the one behind Elena’s wounds."

Fredrick, who had been quietly listening, sat up straight, his eyes wide with shock. "What? How? What do you mean? How did you even find that out?" he asked in disbelief, each question spilling out quickly as his mind tried to keep up.