She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 720

Melanie stared at him in sheer panic.

But as she rushed forward, she realized Preston—draped in a loose hospital gown—wasn't looking at her.

He was locked in a dead stare with Elias.

Elias was staring right back. The air in the room instantly turned to ice.

Melanie forced an awkward smile, trying to bridge the bizarre silence.

"Preston, this is Elias Carter, the CEO of the Carter Group," she introduced lightly.

"Elias, this is my boyfriend, Preston."

Her words did absolutely nothing to thaw the suffocating tension in the room.

Before she could try again, Elias turned to her, his face a mask of utter confusion.

"Oracle, why didn't you ever tell me your boyfriend is the head of Stellaris PharmaTech?"

The color drained from Melanie's face.

On the bed, Preston's hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.

Time seemed to stop. For three agonizing seconds, the room was dead silent.

Then, her hand trembling, Melanie pointed a finger at Preston and looked at Elias.

"Who did you just say he is?"

Elias looked completely lost.

"He's the CEO of Stellaris PharmaTech. The absolute man in charge, Preston Whitmore."

The words struck her like a physical blow. Her world shattered in an instant. She stood paralyzed, her wide eyes locked onto Preston as a dizzying montage of memories flashed through her mind.

Preston looked back at her, feeling as though a boulder was crushing his chest, robbing him of oxygen.

In her beautiful eyes, he saw the rapid descent from shock, to confusion, to realization... and finally, to pure, untethered rage.

Just as he opened his mouth to beg for a chance to explain, Melanie spun on her heel and bolted from the room.

"Honey!"

Ignoring the searing agony in his back, Preston scrambled out of bed and stumbled after her.

Left alone in the deafening silence of the suite, Elias awkwardly set his gift basket down and twiddled his thumbs.

"Did I... come at a bad time?"

"Because you knew all along..." she choked out. "Four years ago, the research project that killed my mother... it was Stellaris PharmaTech behind it. Wasn't it?"

"Melanie..."

"Answer me!"

Faced with her devastating fury, he couldn't bring himself to lie.

"Yes, but..."

"So this whole time we've known each other, this whole time we've been together, you were playing me for a fool."

"I—"

CRACK!

A deafening clap of thunder made Melanie jump.

The moment she looked up, heavy, freezing raindrops slammed against her forehead.

The storm had broken. In this season, the rain was violent and merciless.

Without a second thought, Melanie yanked off her jacket and threw it over his shoulders to shield his back.