Don’t Fall for the Billionaire Lover

When Connor finally made it home, Tim bolted straight toward him.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Connor, still in his wheelchair, barely had time to react before Tim climbed right up onto his lap, wrapping his small arms around him.

"Daddy, welcome home."

Those two words-welcome home-hit Connor straight in the chest. Yes. He was really home. It felt like it had been a year, or maybe a whole lifetime.

Everyone else came over to greet him too. Jeffery looked better than he had in ages. His hair was even whiter now, but his whole face seemed to glow with energy. There was a light in his eyes that Connor hadn't seen in years.

Connor knew that Jeffery's happiness wasn't just because he was awake again. Most of it was thanks to Nemo. Jeffery had always cared more than anything about that old, life-or-death friendship from his youth. That bond had left him with a lifetime of regret and longing-something that had become part of who he was. But now, all those old misunderstandings were gone. What was left was a connection that ran deep. Nemo still lived out at the Sartori family's cottage on the lake, playing chess with Jeffery, sipping tea, keeping him company every single day. It was the dream they'd both had when they were young, finally come true.

Nemo had filled the little lakeside garden with herbs of all kinds. Even though there was nothing he could do to wake Connor during his coma, Nemo's acupuncture had helped Connor's organs heal and kept his muscles from wasting away. That was why Connor looked almost like his old self-maybe even a bit healthier, if anything. That was all Nemo.

Marian came over, beaming. Ever since Connor woke up, she seemed to get stronger every day.

Pax arrived too, walking right up with a confident smile. "Uncle, you're finally awake. Aunt Chloe's smiling again. She's had such a rough year."

Pax had been calling Chloe "Aunt" for a long time now. Back when he was younger, Chloe had been his first love the girl he'd secretly admired. But seeing the love

vel

between her and Connor had moved him deeply. If he couldn't be her

lover, then being family was enough. He would always protect his "moonlight," as long as she was happy. noveldrama

Connor looked at Pax, taking in just how much he'd changed. After Claire died, Pax's whole personality shifted. He even looked different now-his once-blond hair was dyed black, and the flashy, laid-back clothes were gone, replaced by a sharp suit and a grown-up, polished look.

Connor used to think Pax in a suit looked like a kid playing dress-up. But now, after a year apart, Pax carried himself with a calm maturity. He'd lost some of that reckless edge and gained a quiet strength.

Connor's face softened with pride. "You've really grown up, Pax. You're carrying

so much now. I know this year hasn't been easy."

Pax had changed fast this past year. He'd not only been running the Gilbert family's business, but also fighting to protect Connor's position at Sartori Corporation. With Connor in a coma, the board of directors-mostly old-timers-had tried more than once to stir up trouble, insisting they couldn't trust the fate of the company to someone who might never wake up.

It was Pax, as a major shareholder, along with Isaac, who stood firm and protected Connor's legacy. After Connor's accident, Sartori Corporation's stock price crashed. Shareholders started to panic and sell off their shares, and it looked like the company might not survive.

But Isaac and Pax threw everything they had into saving it. They bought up as much stock as they could and eventually transferred all of it to Chloe. Under pressure from the board, they had to appoint a new CEO, so Chloe became Ms. Claire in name.

But over the course of that year, Chloe hardly ever set foot in the office. Running a company had never been her thing. The truth was, it was Isaac, Pax, and loyal friends like Teddy who were holding everything together behind the scenes.