THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE BABYSITS ME (R18+)

Chapter Twenty-Two

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

ADAM MEADOWS

HINDI maalis sa isip ko ang sinabing 'yon kanina ni Jazzlene. Nakaharap ako sa salamin at nag-aayos ng necktie, gumagayak na papunta sa VIP Art Preview na magsisimula ng 7 p.m., 6:15 na.

A date? Really, huh?

Napangisi ako. Alam ko naman kung bakit niya 'yon sinabi. She was trying to make me jealous. Sigurado 'yon dahil nakita niya akong may kasamang babae kanina. Kahit hindi niya sabihin nang deretsa, nabakas ko sa mukha niya ang selos, lalo na nang makitang lumingkis sa braso ko si Lexi. Funny.

Lexi was the reason I had to drop Jazz off early at her place after breakfast. Lexi had insisted on meeting up, but I didn't want to leave Jazz at home alone, especially since she felt uncomfortable around Ivana. So, to settle things in my mind, I made sure Jazz was dropped off before heading to the mall to meet Lexi.

Lexi hadn't explained in her text why she wanted to meet; she was vague, saying it was something urgent. When I finally got to the mall, the real reason for her call became painfully clear. All her cards had been frozen, and she needed mine to buy something she couldn't resist. Naging kampante siya sa panghihingi sa 'kin ng pera dahil noon ay hindi ko naman siya tinatanggihan, lalo na at napakikinabangan ko naman ang katawan niya. Pakunswelo ko 'yon sa paglaspag sa kaniya.

But if I'd known this was her "emergency," I wouldn't have wasted my time. My patience had all but snapped the moment I arrived at the boutique and saw her at the counter, bags already stuffed with a mountain of purchases—dresses, heels, bags, everything she could load up on. Just watching her, already pleased with the haul she assumed I'd cover, made my blood boil.

"Oh, narito na pala ang boyfriend ko." Nakangisi niya akong itinuro sa babaeng kahera sa harap niya noong natanaw akong palapit.

Boyfriend? What the f*ck?

My temple throbbed as I closed the distance between us, irritation spiking higher when she held out her hand, expecting me to give her my card so she could settle her bill. I didn't care about the money; she could buy out this whole damn mall for all I cared. What got under my skin was the way the cashiers gasped, eyes wide, clearly impressed by her little "boyfriend" stunt.

Sa inis ko, hinila ko siya sa isang sulok para sitahin. As far as I was concerned, we should have been done with each other already. Last night, right after what happened between Jazz and me, I messaged her to end whatever twisted arrangement we still had. No more of her "services.".

But all she replied was, "I don't believe you. You've said that plenty of times, but you still come looking for me when you need my body."

Mariin kong hinawakan ang braso niya, my teeth clenching as I spoke. "Boyfriend? Didn't I make it clear from the start what kind of arrangement we had? And I ended that arrangement last night. So, where'd you get the nerve to call me your boyfriend?" My voice was cold, and I watched her face shift, but I didn't care. "If this little stunt of yours spreads and ends up affecting me, you're going to pay for it. Understand?"

"Ended?" A whirlwind of emotions flickered across her face before settling into a mask of shocked fury. "You're breaking up with me?"

I let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "We don't need to 'break up' dahil hindi naman tayo. At hindi naging tayo."

"So... what exactly were we then?" she asked, her tone turning sharp. "Gano'n lang? Ang paligayahin lang ang isa't-isa?"

"Alam mo 'yan simula pa lang," I replied, voice flat and unbothered.