Snatched a Billionaire to Be My Husband — Episode 8
Byron’s command stopped Mia’s hand inches from Cora’s face. He stood in the archway with his suit jacket folded over one arm, his expression calm enough to be terrifying. The entire room seemed to contract around him. Even Easton’s mother, who had encouraged every insult, lowered her eyes as he approached.
Cora’s pulse turned erratic. She had imagined seeing Byron again, but never like this—not with the memory of his bed still vivid while his family surrounded them. He gave no sign that she had left his bedroom that morning. His gaze went first to Mia’s raised hand, then to Cora’s face, assessing the scene with ruthless precision.
Mia recovered quickly and let her arm fall. “Mr. Hansen, Cora came here causing trouble,” she said, replacing rage with injured innocence. “I was only defending Easton.” Her voice softened around Byron’s name, revealing that even she understood where real power lived in this family.
“Defending him from what?” Byron asked. He did not look at Mia again. The question landed on Easton, whose confidence had vanished. Byron’s nephew opened his mouth, but Cora spoke before he could reshape the truth.
“From paying what he owes me.” She refused to sound grateful for Byron’s intervention. Last night had already made her vulnerable enough to him. “I asked for fifty thousand dollars or the return of gifts worth considerably more. Easton decided my mother’s medical crisis would be more entertaining if I begged.”
Byron’s attention sharpened. “Your mother?” Cora heard genuine concern beneath the restraint and hated that it warmed something inside her. “She woke up,” she said. “Her recovery will cost fifty thousand out of pocket. That’s why I’m here—not because I want Easton back.”
“She’s lying,” Easton’s mother cut in. “The gifts were freely given, and now she’s trying to extort us because the Lane money is gone.” Byron turned his head, and the older woman fell silent. He possessed the rare ability to rebuke someone without speaking.
His gaze settled on Easton’s wrist. “That watch was a gift from Cora?” Easton covered the Rolex with his cuff again, too late to hide it. Byron asked about the Land Rover and the painting next. Every reluctant answer confirmed Cora’s account and stripped another layer from the family’s performance.
“And you took back her engagement ring?” Byron asked. Easton shifted under the scrutiny. “Mom said it belonged to the family.” His mother nodded quickly, but Byron’s expression remained cold. “It belonged to my mother,” he said. “I authorized Grandfather to give it to you. I did not authorize you to reclaim it after presenting it as a gift.”
The revelation stunned Cora. She had worn the ring for two years without knowing its history or Byron’s connection to it. Easton had invoked family tradition as an excuse, but the one person with a legitimate claim had never demanded its return. Byron’s quiet correction made Easton’s cruelty look even smaller.
“Give Cora the ring,” Byron ordered. Easton stared at him. “Uncle, she isn’t part of this family anymore.” The objection carried a possessiveness that infuriated Cora. Easton did not want her as his wife; he simply could not tolerate her leaving with anything of value.
“That ceased to be your decision when you ended the engagement.” Byron extended his hand. After a tense hesitation, Easton pulled the velvet box from a nearby drawer and surrendered it. Byron did not open the box before offering it to Cora.
She kept her hands at her sides. “I don’t want his ring.” It had represented a future built on lies, and no diamond could restore what Easton had destroyed. “Sell it,” Byron said. “Your mother’s treatment matters more than the symbolism attached to a man who failed you.”
Easton’s face flushed. “You don’t know what happened between us.” Byron looked at him with open disappointment. “I know what I just witnessed.” The rebuke carried more force than anger. “You allowed a guest in this house to be degraded for asking you to show basic decency.”
Mia bristled. “She insulted me first.” Byron finally acknowledged her. “Then you should have left. Raising your hand made your character clear.” Mia looked to Easton for support, but he was too consumed by his uncle’s judgment to offer any.
Cora accepted the velvet box, though it felt heavier than before. “This settles nothing between Easton and me.” Byron’s eyes met hers. Something intimate passed between them, invisible to everyone else but powerful enough to steal her breath. “No,” he said quietly. “It doesn’t.”
Easton noticed the exchange. Suspicion replaced embarrassment as his gaze moved from Cora to Byron. “Why do you care so much?” he asked. The room went still again, but this silence carried a different danger. Cora felt last night’s secret pressing against her skin like a confession.
Byron could have dismissed the question. Instead, he stepped beside Cora, close enough that the warmth of him reached her. “Because someone in this family should understand the difference between power and cruelty.” His answer protected the truth without denying that his concern was personal.
He turned toward the door. “Come with me, Cora. I’ll take you to the hospital.” She wanted to refuse, yet remaining would give Easton another chance to corner her. Holding the ring box and what remained of her pride, she followed Byron beneath the family’s stunned attention.
Behind them, Easton’s voice sliced through the room. “Were you with her last night?” Cora stopped breathing. Byron’s hand settled at the small of her back as he looked over his shoulder, and the dangerous calm in his eyes made it clear that whatever answer came next would tear the Hansen family apart.
