The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband – Episode 45
Natalie sat near the departure gates with her mother’s suitcase beside her. Her mother would travel first to recover with relatives, while Natalie had purchased a refundable ticket without deciding whether to board. Leaving the city promised quiet, but it also resembled another decision made from fear.
“You don’t have to come with me,” her mother said. “I know how to recover without turning it into your full-time job.”
Natalie glanced at the boarding pass. Caring for her mother had defined so many choices that freedom felt almost irresponsible. “What would I do if I stayed?”
“Ask yourself what you want when no one is holding a bill over your head.”
The question exposed how rarely Natalie chose from desire. She married to fund treatment, pursued work to repay debt, and defended independence because dependence had always been dangerous. Even leaving Sebastian could become another reaction rather than a choice.
Her mother asked whether she loved him. Natalie tried to separate the man from the money, but affection belonged to mornings in a small kitchen, arguments about shoes, and the way he crouched before her when pride failed. Those memories existed before she knew Bash Myers.
“I love Sebastian,” she admitted. “I don’t know whether Bash is the same person.”
“Then make him prove it.”
Across the terminal, Sebastian moved through security without an entourage. Daniel could have cleared the concourse, delayed the flight, or arranged a private meeting. Sebastian refused every advantage. Natalie had accused him of controlling her choices; he would approach only as the husband asking to be heard.
He found her just as boarding began. “Natalie, please wait.”
She remained seated but did not invite him closer. Her mother collected her bag and joined the boarding line, giving them privacy with a knowing glance.
Sebastian apologized without mentioning how many times he almost confessed. Intent did not undo repetition. “I chose the lie every day I woke up beside you and said nothing.”
Natalie asked about the Klein takeover. He explained Stephanie’s humiliation, the inheritance stolen through legal manipulation, and the company his father built partly from her family’s connections. Reclaiming it had become the purpose that survived grief.
“And the marriage?”
“Originally, leverage.” The word hurt them both. The Quinn alliance gave him access to contracts and shares. He expected Cassie, a temporary public arrangement, and a clean divorce after the takeover.
“Then I arrived.”
“And nothing stayed clean.” Sebastian told her the truth he had avoided: he investigated her because she was unexpected, admired her because she remained kind without reward, and began changing the plan because protecting her mattered more than efficiency.
Natalie asked whether Nick Volkov’s client introduction was arranged. Sebastian admitted it. She closed her eyes, another supposedly independent success altered by hidden influence.
“The meeting was arranged,” he said. “The proposal, negotiation, and contract were yours. I opened a door Serena tried to lock.”
“You still decided which door I walked through.” Natalie stood as the final boarding announcement sounded.
Sebastian offered her the ring but did not place it in her hand. “I won’t ask you to stay because I paid a bill or because we’re legally married. Stay only if the man you knew was real enough to deserve the chance to become honest.”
The gate agent called Natalie’s name. Her mother had already boarded. Natalie looked at the open jet bridge, then at Sebastian holding the symbol of a marriage founded on bargains. “I can’t answer you here,” she said, and walked toward the gate as the agent prepared to close it.