Chapter Five: The Face on the Screen

After breakfast, Jacob offered to buy bread.

Said he needed a walk.

Khloe stayed behind.

Alone on the couch. Knees pulled to her chest.

She turned on the TV for background noise.

Flipped through channels without thinking.

Landed on a business news program.

And froze.

On the screen was a photo of two men in suits.

One of them was Jacob.

But he didn’t have stubble or wear simple clothes. He was in a custom suit. Surrounded by reporters.

The caption read: “The disappearance of Jacob Smith. Still a mystery. Missing billionaire may be on the run.”

Khloe felt a chill run up her spine.

“Billionaire,” she whispered.

The reporter kept talking.

“Jacob Smith, heir and CEO of one of the country’s largest investment firms, vanished without a trace just after fraud allegations surfaced inside the company. Suspicion points to one of his partners. Police are considering three possibilities: escape, abduction, or voluntary disappearance.”

Khloe turned off the TV.

The face was the same.

The eyes. The voice. The way he held himself.

Those eyes her grandmother swore she remembered.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

It was him.

The same man who ate takeout on the sidewalk. Who slept on a mattress in her living room. Who cooked omelets in her tiny kitchen.

Was a missing billionaire.

She stood there frozen.

Betrayal burned in her chest.

Used. Lied to. Manipulated.

But she also remembered the little things.

His kindness. The way he cared for her grandmother. The quiet moments.

The almost kiss.

---

Jacob came back with a bag of bread.

He sensed the mood immediately.

“Did something happen?”

Khloe sat with her arms crossed.

“Is there something you want to tell me, Jacob?”

He stopped in the middle of the room.

“About what?”

“Don’t pretend. Not with me.”

She stood slowly. Pointed the remote at the TV.

“I saw you on the news. Jacob Smith. Missing billionaire. Possibly on the run.” Her voice shook. “That’s you. Isn’t it?”

He didn’t answer.

The silence said enough.

“Since when has all of this been a lie?”

“It was never a lie,” he said finally. “But it wasn’t part of the plan either.”

Khloe gave a bitter laugh.

“Not part of the plan? You showed up in my life like you fell from the sky. You agreed to marry me. You came into my house. My family. And all that time you were hiding that you were a billionaire.”

He took a step forward.

She moved back.

“Don’t touch me.” Her voice cracked. “I trusted you. I brought you to meet my grandmother. I—” Her voice wavered. “I was starting to like you.”

Jacob looked like he’d swallowed glass.

“I was going to tell you everything. I just needed more time.”

He ran a hand through his hair.

“My partner is trying to destroy everything I built. He’s been stealing from the company. I faked my disappearance to investigate quietly. With help from a trusted friend. It was the only way to stop him without putting more people at risk.”

He looked at her.

“And then you came along. I didn’t expect to feel anything for you.”

Khloe shook her head.

Tears ran down her cheeks.

“But I did.”

She walked to the door. Opened it.

“Leave, Jacob.”

“Khloe—”

“Go. Now.”

He hesitated. Then grabbed the bag. Walked out without another word.

The door shut behind him.

Something inside her broke too.

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