Filed to story: Dumped at the Altar Married a Billionaire (Laura & Shaun) Book PDF Free
Fine.
If Laura showed up at Black Ace tonight to apologize, he would let this slide.
He picked up his phone, opened their WhatsApp chat, and typed a message.
The moment he hit send, a big red exclamation mark popped up.
She had blocked him.
Jake let out a low, humorless chuckle.
Laura, you’ve got some nerve.
His grip on his phone tightened, knuckles turning white. Then, without a word, he tossed it onto the table and downed another drink.
Bobby sprawled back on the couch, sipping his own drink leisurely.
“Jake, you’re making this too complicated. Women need discipline. Just let her cool off. You ignore her long enough, and she always comes crawling back in the end.”
Caleb smacked the back of Bobby’s head. “You idiot. What if this time she doesn’t?”
Bobby scoffed.
“Please. Laura’s been obsessed with Jake for five years. She’s not going anywhere. Jasper won’t let her, either. And let’s be real – Jake could have any woman he wants. Laura should just be grateful and stop causing trouble.”
Jake’s eyes burned red from the alcohol.
Yeah.
Laura wouldn’t actually leave him.
It wasn’t like he couldn’t live without her.
But the idea of looking back and not seeing her there –
That pissed him off even more.
Especially when he thought of how coldly she had looked at him tonight.
It left a suffocating, nagging feeling in his chest.
Caleb sighed, rubbing his temples. “Should I just call her?”
Jake didn’t respond, but his silence was enough of an answer.
Caleb had always preferred Laura over Vivian. Over the years, he had seen firsthand how much she had done for Jake – how much she had loved him. But every time Vivian played the weak, helpless card, Jake never pushed her away. Maybe it was because Laura’s unconditional love had spoiled him.
Caleb believed Jake actually loved Laura more than he even realized. He had just grown too used to her.
Caleb pulled out his phone, opened WhatsApp, and called Laura.
The dial tone rang.
Laura lay in bed, absentmindedly rubbing the crystal bracelet in her fingers.
She had expected to be kept up all night, haunted by the image of Jake carrying
Vivian away. Or maybe she thought she’d be replaying Jasper and Julia’s impatient, disdainful expressions. Or even the whispers and mocking looks from the socialites who loved nothing more than to gossip.
But instead, her mind kept drifting back to the rush of wind, the neon blur of the city flashing past her, the breathtaking skyline, and Shaun’s deep, teasing gaze.
Suddenly, her phone rang. A voice call from Caleb.
She hesitated for a moment before picking up. “Hello?”
On the other end of the line, Jake’s hand holding his drink froze midair. His gaze flicked toward Caleb’s phone.
Bobby had been about to speak, but after one sharp glare from Jake, he shut his mouth immediately.
Caleb cleared his throat. “Laura, uh… Jake drank a little too much. Do you want to come pick him up?”
Then, after a long pause, her voice came through, indifferent. “I’m busy. Call his assistant Andrew. Or better yet, call Vivian. I’m sure she’d be thrilled to pick him up.”
Jake’s expression instantly darkened.
The temperature around them seemed to plummet. Even Caleb and Bobby felt the chill in the air.
Caleb awkwardly pressed on. “He’s got a migraine. It’s really bad. You know how to help with it. You should – “
A cold laugh interrupted him.
“Am I his maid? He gets sick, and you throw him at me. But when he’s fine, he runs straight to Vivian. What do I look like to you?”
Then, she added flatly, “I’m guessing Jake is right there listening. Tell him this – we’re done. Even if he drops dead, the most I’ll do is call 911.”
The line went dead.
Caleb slowly looked up, meeting Jake’s stormy gaze.
Jake’s expression was ice cold, his eyes brewing with something dark and unreadable.
“F*ck!” Bobby snapped. “Does that woman even hear herself? Talking about breaking up like it’s nothing? Jake was doing her a favor by even being with her! Does she even know her worth? I say, let her cool off. If she doesn’t come begging for forgiveness, then you should just leave her. See how fast she regrets it!”
“Shut up,” Jake said icily.
Bobby tensed but tried again. “Jake, I’m just saying – “
Jake stood abruptly, his movements slightly unsteady from the alcohol. He clenched his jaw. “If you really want to help me, Bobby, then shut the hell up.”
Caleb hesitated, then stayed silent.
But deep down, he had a bad feeling.
Laura wasn’t bluffing this time.
And Jake was going to regret this.
Laura woke up feeling refreshed.
She did her makeup carefully, then picked a nude silk blouse and a sleek gray pencil skirt. The outfit was sophisticated yet elegant, making her look effortlessly polished.
She headed to Depp Group for work.
When she had been brought back to the Depp family, her grandmother had insisted she be given a place in the company. At the time, Laura had agreed, hoping to rebuild a relationship with her family.
Three years ago, she had joined under an anonymous identity and worked her way up to brand manager purely on her own merit.
As she arrived at the office, her assistant, Quinn, greeted her at the door.
“Ms. Depp, the chairman wants to see you.”
Laura nodded and made her way up to the top floor of the 27-story building, where Jasper’s office was.
She knocked.
“Come in,” came his deep, authoritative voice.
She pushed open the door.
Jasper sat behind his large marble desk, his presence as imposing as ever.
Without looking up, he tossed a file onto the desk. “Depp Group’s global expansion project got a bank loan of only 250 million dollars. We still need 500 million. Go talk to Jake. Get him to help.”
Laura picked up the file and skimmed it.
The project was Jasper’s passion, something he had poured years of effort into. Even Harvey had been sent to Ardonia for a year just to work on it.
Laura herself had done plenty of research on it. Everything was set – except the funding.
She set the file down. “Mr. Depp, I’ve broken up with Jake. I won’t ask him for anything. And even if I did, he wouldn’t necessarily help.”
Jasper’s expression darkened. He stood, exuding a strong sense of authority.
“That’s just what you’re saying. The Larson family hasn’t announced any engagement withdrawal.” He continued, his tone coaxing, “Laura, I know you’re upset about Vivian. But if you get Jake to invest, I’ll give you 10% of Depp Group’s shares. Even your brother Harvey only has 5%. Margaret has none.”
Laura laughed coldly.
Jasper really was willing to go all in.
It was a tempting offer. But she wasn’t about to grovel to Jake just for it.
She met Jasper’s gaze, her voice steady. “Mr. Depp, breaking off an engagement doesn’t require both parties to agree. I – “
