Filed to story: The Billionaire’s Replacement Wife (River & Noah) Novel Online Free
She turned her gaze away, unable to meet his cold eyes.
Feeling guilty, are we?” Noah’s eyes turned even colder as he noticed the fear lingering deep within her eyes. “You brought a man home and flirted with him, didn’t you?!”
River couldn’t help but scoff at the recollection of Scott’s behavior outside Villa Rossa.
That was flirting?
What about what he did?
Anger surged within her, and she suddenly looked up, her voice rising. “Noah, is everyone, apart from Daniella, repulsive to you?!”
“What about you? You touched me after sleeping with her. What was that about?!
“I can stay, but that doesn’t mean I can tolerate the disgust of sharing a man with another woman!
“And why can’t I do what you did? Is it because you gave me money?”
Taking a deep breath, River held back the tears welling up in her eyes as she continued. “What about the three years of my youth that I wasted on you, Noah De Marco?! You’re the most selfish person I’ve ever met! I never asked for anything from you, but I hoped for the most basic fairness and respect!”
After screaming while struggling to hold back her emotions, she pushed the man standing in front of her and turned to run out of the room.
Noah stood frozen, disbelief etched onto his handsome face. He had never witnessed such an expression from her before.
Disgust, repulsion, and most of all, disappointment.
For someone who was usually strong and stubborn, her tears, now visible, struck a chord deep within his heart.
What was happening to him? She had merely been a backup plan all this time, so why was he feeling this way now?
River aimlessly wandered the streets after leaving Villa Rossa, watching as the sky gradually darkened. She soon realized she had nowhere to go. She couldn’t bear to return to Villa Rosa and face Noah’s mocking presence.
After careful consideration, she concluded that Paige was the only person she could turn to.
Feeling her pocket for her phone, she realized she hadn’t brought anything with her.
Helpless sighs escaped her lips as she continued walking, burying her face in her hands.
Suddenly, a car came to a halt in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing Neil’s face. “Ms.
Healy?”
Stunned, she managed to offer a smile in response. “Mr. Xander.”
He modestly smiled back. “What a coincidence to run into you on the streets again.”
She was left speechless. It felt too coincidental, as if she were being tracked.
“Where are you headed?”
River looked at him cautiously. “Just say what’s on your mind, Mr. Xander.”
Neil felt helpless. “I noticed it’s about to rain, and it’s unsafe to be in the suburbs at night.”
River hadn’t even noticed the approaching rain until he mentioned it. She looked up, realizing the area was secluded indeed. She wanted to refuse, but just as she contemplated, raindrops began to fall.
Neil opened the car door and stepped out. Smiling, he looked at her and said, “Shall we go?”
After a brief moment of hesitation, she got into the car.
He fastened his seatbelt and asked, “Where to?”
River pursed her lips, realizing she had no particular destination in mind. It would be pointless to go to Paige’s place if she wasn’t home.
Observing her silence, Neil refrained from asking further.
After driving for half an hour, they arrived at a villa
Neil parked the car and turned to River, explaining, “Don’t worry, this used to be my mother’s house.”
Doubt filled her eyes as she looked at him. “Why have you brought me here?”
He smiled gently and replied, “I couldn’t let you wander the streets
She was left speechless.
could I?”
He led her into the villa, which, while not luxurious, had a warm and well–maintained interior.
The old furniture exuded a sense of charm and one could tell at a glance that it was well maintained.
River’s eyes fixated on a photo frame on a shelf. Approaching it, she was stunned to find a family portrait of four. The woman in the photo bore a striking resemblance to herself, in both expression and eyes.
“This is my family portrait,” Neil said, his eyes filled with sadness
Quickly averting her gaze, River apologized, “I’m sorry, I thought your mother…”
Neil interrupted, asking, “She looks like you, doesn’t she?”
Her cheeks flushed as she replied, “Perhaps a little.”
He picked up the photo frame and looked down at it, his tone resolute. “Not just a little, you resemble her greatly.”
River found herself at a loss for words in that moment. The weight of Neil’s melancholy had permeated the air since they had stepped foot into the villa. The overwhelming sadness was suffocating for her.
“My parents have passed away. I’m left with only my younger sister, but she’s currently missing.” Neil confessed, his voice heavy with grief.
As he finished speaking, he reached for a photo album on the shelf and handed it to River. “I believe these pictures will help you understand and perhaps alleviate the hostility between us.”
River accepted the album and began flipping through its pages. She saw numerous photos of a woman and a little girl. As she continued, a sense of guilt washed over her.
her was It seemed that Neil had not been lying before. The resemblance between her and his striking, and even more so with the little girl. The only difference was that River had a mother, and it wasn’t the woman in the photos.
River returned the album, realizing her misunderstanding. “I misunderstood you last time. I’m sorry, and I genuinely hope you find your sister soon.”
Neil stared blankly at her for a moment before nodding. “If you don’t have a place to go, you can stay here.”
Staying in a stranger’s home was something River couldn’t easily adjust to. “Could I borrow your phone, Mr. Xander?” she asked Neil.
He handed her his phone. “Don’t call me ‘Mr. Xander. Please, just call me by my name.”
River smiled lightly and dialed Paige’s number.
After a brief conversation, she returned the phone to Neil. “My friend will pick me up. Thank you.”
In just over ten minutes, Paige arrived at Neil’s house. River bid Neil farewell and got into
Paige’s car.
“River, who was that handsome man?” Paige’s eyes lit up with curiosity.
“He’s Neil Xander, the eldest son of the Xander family,” River replied.
Paige stopped questioning after learning he was from one of the three most prestigious families.
As Paige started the car engine, she asked, “What happened? Where’s your phone?”
River’s mood turned melancholic. “I stormed out after a fight with Noah and forgot my phone.”
Paige was taken aback. “River, are you already suffering from ‘pregnant brain“?” River glared at her, irritated. “Paige, can you help me find a house in the suburbs?”
“You’ve made up your mind?” Paige was surprised. “Are you really not going to pursue the boss?”
River forced a smile. “If you were in my position, would you steal a man who’s had sex with someone else?”
Paige’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me that the pretentious woman has slept with the boss?”
“That’s what she claimed. Considering they’re about to get engaged soon, it’s time for us to completely separate.”
Paige suddenly stopped the car and looked at River seriously. “As your good friend, I feel obligated to remind you of something. The child doesn’t belong to you alone. No matter what, you need to find out how he feels about it. If he doesn’t want it, I’ll help you find a house. If he does, I can’t interfere.”
River looked down, knowing Paige was right, but she couldn’t bring herself to face it. She was afraid of hearing terrible things, and even more afraid that Noah would become suspicious and force her into an abortion.“What are you hesitating about, River?” Paige persisted.
River’s expression grew sorrowful. “I can’t bear to lose my child, and I won’t use the child to gain something that doesn’t rightfully belong to me.”
The child was her only family in the world now, and she wouldn’t let anyone harm it.
“Test him, but don’t tell him,” Paige suggested.
“…let’s see.”
The next morning, Paige and River headed to the office together. River had spent the entire night contemplating her decision, and as soon as she arrived, she began typing out her resignation letter on the computer.
Leaving Noah once and for all seemed like the best way to sever ties with him.
Half an hour later, she finally printed the letter she had composed.
Just as River was about to place the letter on Noah’s desk, Daniella’s voice echoed outside the door.
“Noah, what would you do if Ms. Healy is pregnant with your child?”
River froze upon hearing the question, her face turning pale.
Noah’s response cut through her heart like a knife. “I won’t allow a mistress to bear my child.” Sadness washed over her, accepting that a dishonorable mistress had no right to carry his child. Suddenly, the office door swung open, revealing Noah and Daniella standing there.
There was a hint of mockery in Daniella’s eyes as she smiled. “You’re early, Ms. Healy.”
Suppressing her emotions, River retorted, “How else would I know that Ms. Love is so interested in my personal life?”
Daniella put on a pitiful look and turned to Noah. “I’ll take my leave now, Noah.”
He nodded coldly.
After the door closed, River approached him and handed him her resignation letter. “Noah, after everything we’ve been through in the past three years, I’m begging you one last time to let me go.”
Noah looked down, his face darkening as he noticed the word “resignation” on the envelope.
“You disappeared all night and now you give me this without any explanation?”