The Billionaire's Secret Bump-Chapter 31: Mothers fury

Elara’s thumb kept brushing the same tear track on Fiona’s cheek, slow and rhythmic, like she could wipe away the pain itself if she just kept going. Her eyes were locked on the red handprint blooming across Fiona’s face five distinct fingers, already darkening at the edges. The sight made something primal twist .

"I will call Marcus," she said, already reaching for her phone on the coffee table. "How dare his girlfriend beat up my girl like that."

Fiona’s hand shot out fast, desperate catching Elara’s wrist.

"No, Mom. No."

Elara froze, phone halfway to her ear.

"Fiona—"

"No need to give him that attention," Fiona said, voice cracking but firm. "He doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t deserve to know anything about my life anymore. Let them have each other. Let them choke on it."

Elara stared at her daughter for a long second searching, weighing, hurting.

"But Fiona—"

"Please." Fiona’s voice broke on the word. "I can’t... I can’t have him in my head again. Not tonight. Not after everything."

Elara’s shoulders sagged. She set the phone back down slow, reluctant. Her hand covered Fiona’s on her wrist.

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay, baby. No call. Not tonight."

Fiona exhaled shaky, relieved.

They sat in silence for a moment, rain tapping the window like impatient fingers.

Then Elara spoke again, softer.

"But if she ever comes near you again—" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"She won’t," Fiona said. "Not after Martin—"

She stopped herself.

Elara’s brows lifted.

"Martin?"

Fiona looked down at her lap.

Elara’s expression changed—surprise, then something sharper, more curious.

"The CEO."

Fiona nodded.

Elara studied her daughter’s face—the red mark, the tear tracks, the exhaustion.

"And what did he do ’’

Fiona swallowed.

"He asked just stepped in to help as my boss’’

She swallowed hard as she said this.

Elara saw the way her daughter spoke she just nodded but deep inside her she could feel her daughter is hidding something.

’’Well its a good thing your boss stepped in otherwise i really wanted to go and look for this Clara"

Meawhile Clara burst out of the mall’s east exit like she was being chased by fire.

She fumbled for her phone inside her coat pocket fingers numb, shaking dialed Marcus before she even reached the covered walkway.

He answered on the second ring.

"Clara? ’’

"You won’t believe what just happened," she spat, voice high and trembling with rage. "Your so-called innocent ex is fucking her boss. That’s the only explanation for what I just saw."

Silence on the line. Thick. Heavy.

Marcus’s voice came back low, tight, already edged with something dangerous.

"Slow down. Tell me everything."

"I was at the mall. Saw her in one of those overpriced boutiques trying on this emerald dress like she actually belonged there. I told her straight she can’t afford it. She got in my face. Said I’d taken enough from her already. I... I slapped her. Hard."

Marcus exhaled sharply through his nose.

"You slapped her?"

"Yes!" Clara’s voice cracked. "She deserved it. Standing there like she’s still relevant. Like she still has any claim. And then then *he* appeared. Martin Mole. Out of nowhere. Stepped between us like she was his to protect. Told me he could have my whole family imprisoned. Assault. Cameras. News outlets. He looked at her like... like she was *his*. Touched her cheek. Asked if she was okay. Threatened me like I’d touched something sacred."

Marcus’s breathing changed became slower, deeper, controlled in that way that always meant he was furious.

"He touched her?"

"Her cheek," Clara said. "Right where I hit her. Thumb brushing the mark like he was trying to erase it. He didn’t even look at me like I was human. Just kept staring at her like she was the only person in the room."

Another long pause.

Marcus’s voice dropped lower almost a growl.

" She was shopping for an $1,800 dress. For someone who doesn’t earn that much she is definitely fucking him’’

Marcus didn’t laugh.

He didn’t speak for several seconds.

Clara waited, breath held, expecting agreement, outrage, something.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost stunned, like the words tasted wrong in his mouth.

"She wouldn’t."

Clara blinked.

"What?"

"Fiona," Marcus said slowly, each syllable weighted, "wouldn’t sleep with another man. Not barely months after I ended it. Not even with him."

Clara’s laugh was bitter.

"You’re joking. ’’

"No." Marcus cut her off, voice hardening. "You don’t know her. She’s not like that. She was loyal. Too loyal. Even when I gave her every reason not to be. She wouldn’t just... move on. Not like this."

Clara’s triumph faltered.

"So what? You think he’s protecting her for nothing?"

Marcus exhaled—long, ragged.

"I broke her heart. I walked away. And now she’s... different.’’

"You’re jealous."

Marcus didn’t deny it.

"I’m saying she’s not the kind of woman who plays games. If she’s with him... it’s real. And that means I lost something I never should have let go."

Clara’s voice rose—jealous and shrill.

"So you’re defending her now? After everything?"

Marcus’s tone turned cold.

"I’m not defending her. I’m saying she’s not the kind of woman who fucks her boss for sport. If she’s involved with him... it’s because she feels something. And that means I never really had her."

Silence again.

Clara’s breathing quickened.

"You still want her."

Marcus didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

The line went dead.

Clara stood outside the mall.

Phone clutched tight.

Cheek still burning from Marcus words.

And for the first time since she’d slapped her...

She felt something colder than anger.

Fear.

Because if Marcus was right if Fiona had somehow captured Martin Mole’s attention then Clara had just slapped the one woman who could ruin everything.

And Martin had just made it very clear he would burn the world down to protect her.