Belated Love: Marrying the Billionaire Novel – My fiance, Steve, completely protected his mistress, Violet, behind him. His face was etched with anger, and his sharp eyes were set on me. Watching the farce in front of me, I chuckled softly, “I’m calling off the wedding with you.” Steve’s head shot up. “What did you say? The wedding’s off?” “Steve, Were you deaf after you became a jerk? I mean we are over! scram!” At this moment, Violet’s eyes were red, and her pale face was slightly raised.”I…” Before she could finish her words, I slapped her without hesitation. “You shameless, immoral, rude, phony and evil bimbo!You scram, too!”
Chicago saw its first snow on November 7th. “Miss, you should’ve gotten someone to keep you company. You fell asleep just now. The drip was finished, and your blood reverse-flowed. Fortunately, my mom saw it and called the nurse.” Carina Roland lay on the bed in the hospital’s emergency room, listening to the kind reminder from the girl in the bed next door. She felt groggy. The little girl continued, “Miss, you need a few more IV bags. Why don’t you call your family?” Carina said, “Thank you. But I’m an orphan.” The little girl was stunned for a moment and quickly apologized. Carina smiled and said it was okay. She then slowly took her phone from under the pillow and looked at the time. It was two o’clock in the morning.
It was very late. Carina worked in the photography studio all day. She had takeout food for dinner and then spent four hours developing the photos in the darkroom. However, none of the photos were satisfying. It was all rubbish. When she was on the brink of a mental breakdown, she felt abdominal cramps. Carina stayed in bed, thinking she would be fine after a short rest. But soon, she felt nauseous and vomited. In the end, she couldn’t stand it anymore and took a taxi to the hospital. The doctor said she had acute enteritis. Carina had finished two IV bags. She was conscious during the first bag but couldn’t hold it in the middle of the second bag. She felt so sleepy. It had been a long time since Carina had a sound sleep. After changing the fluid bag, the nurse talked to her before leaving. The nurse was nice. When she learned that Carina had no family to accompany her, she said she could help Carina find an orderly. Carina stayed in the hospital for three days.
On the day she was discharged, her mother, Michelle Roland, called. “Tomorrow is Stella’s birthday. You have to be present.” Carina just walked out of the hospital. “I can’t make it. I’m sick,” she said. Michelle knew Carina very well and obviously didn’t believe her. “Sick? Yeah, right. Out of all days to be sick, you’re ‘coincidentally’ sick on your sister’s birthday?” The weather was humid, and Carina’s eyes were momentarily moist. But she quickly blinked back her tears and sneered. “Believe it or not, I won’t go anyway. What’s so good about her birthday party? Her funeral will be more interesting. I’ll be there when she dies.” “Carina! How can you say such vicious words?!” Michelle was furious. “I’m your daughter, and I took after you. You’re scolding yourself when you scold me.” “Nice of you to know I’m your mom. So, is that how you talk to your mom? Can’t you learn from Stella? Stella is mature and thoughtful.
She never lets us worry. Stella…” “What should I learn from her? To be shameless? To take what belongs to others? To be immoral and rude? Or to be phony and evil?” “Carina!” A taxi stopped by the road, and a passenger got out. Carina walked over. “Since you hate me, why did you call me? Do you like being pissed off? How about we not contact each other anymore?” “Carina! Be nice!” Conversations like this happened every year, and Michelle had been used to it. After scolding and warning Carina, she said, “I’m not having this argument with you. Steve will come tomorrow, too. He said he would pick you up.” Carina’s face finally turned cold. “Did you call him?” she asked. “Yes. You two had a fight, so I knew you wouldn’t call him. I’m just giving you a way out. Come tomorrow and apologize to him.” When talking about Steve Lorenz and Carina, Michelle started lecturing again. “You’ll get married a few months later. Don’t spend all day in the studio. The profits are small anyway. You should focus on Steve. Don’t always argue with him. And you need to control your temper. You should learn from Stella. Stella is good-natured. She…”
Michelle talked a lot, giving Carina a headache. Carina opened the car door and got in, ready to hang up the phone. Michelle quickly spoke. “Many people will be coming tomorrow. It’s Stella’s birthday. As her younger sister, you have to come. Rumors say that you are not getting along. If you are absent, people will talk behind Stella’s back. Just come for my sake.” Carina told the driver an address, then leaned back and said into the phone, “Well, that’s gonna cost you an arm and a leg.” Michelle scolded, “Money again! Every time I talk to you about something, you end up asking for money. All you care about is money!” Then, holding back her anger, she asked, “How much do you want?” “You said it’s for your sake, right? How much do you think that’s worth?” Carina asked. – Carina returned home, made oatmeal, and ate it before going to bed.
She slept until noon the next day when a phone call woke her up. It was from her friend, Candice Murphy. “Sweetheart, my flight is at three o’clock in the afternoon, and I’ll arrive at five-thirty. Can you pick me up?” Carina stared at the ceiling for a moment to refresh her mind and asked, “Aren’t you going on a business trip for a month? Is it over already? It’s only been less than two weeks.” “No, I’m taking half a day off. And I’ll have dinner with you and then come back.” Carina was stunned momentarily. She patted her forehead and cleared her mind. She realized why Candice would return. Today was Carina’s sister, Stella Roland’s birthday. Every year on this day, Candice would accompany Carina to have fun all night long. “You don’t have to come back,” Carina said. She sat up, picked up the coffee on the bedside table, and took a sip. “I’ll go back to the Roland Manor tonight,” Carina added. Michelle had transferred money to Carina. At first, she started at five figures, but Carina ignored it. Then, Michelle slowly raised the price several times till it hit seven figures; only then did Carina finally agree and send her a thank-you emoji.
Michelle was furious, while Carina was more than happy to take such a great deal—she got paid seven figures to simply make an appearance, maybe have a few drinks, and at the same time give these people a hard time at the party. “Seven figures?” Candice sneered. “Well, isn’t Michelle generous?” Her tone was heavy with irony. She just couldn’t comprehend why Michelle was so biased. Michelle was extremely stingy with Carina yet was willing to spend such a fortune just to keep up her adopted daughter’s appearance. She didn’t care about her real daughter at all while treating her adopted daughter as a treasure. What kind of moronic mother would do that? More accurately, except for Carina, all the other members of the Roland family were morons. Every time Candice mentioned Carina’s stupid family, she would get infuriated. She scolded them for a while and then changed the subject. “How are you and Steve doing? Are you still not talking to each other?” Carina took another sip of the cold coffee that almost froze all her limbs. “He is also going to the birthday party tonight.
Michelle asked him to pick me up.” Carina didn’t tell Candice if she and Steve would reconcile. Clearly, they had a serious problem this time. Candice was silent for a while and finally couldn’t help but say, “Sweetie, forgive me for saying so, but you and Steve can’t keep fighting like this.” Carina set the coffee down. She didn’t respond but calculated the time with her eyes closed. Fight? They did fight. She and Steve had a terrible fight this time. They had not been on speaking terms for two months. “Steve has changed,” Candice said. She wanted to scold Carina to wake her up. She continued, “He has fallen in love with Violet Linton. You need to see that he is cheating. Why do you have to be stuck with him?” The truth was so harsh, like the sharpest knife piercing Carina’s heart, gauging out a part of her. Carina felt a sharp pain in her head. Indeed, Steve had loved her passionately. Indeed, Steve was over her now. Once, Carina was the love of his life.
Yet now, Steve didn’t want her, but he was stuck with her. Violet Linton. Carina hated this name and was particularly reluctant to mention her. But she couldn’t change the fact that Violet had become Steve’s love of his life. Why did Carina have to be stuck with Steve? Of course, it was because she didn’t want her commitment to Steve to go to waste. After all, she had waited for so many years for their upcoming wedding. After all, she had loved him. Moreover, they were engaged and would have a wedding three months later. They had already sent the invitations. Everyone knew Carina would get married. If she were to give up now, she would been humiliated. Although she could be thick-skinned, she still was unwilling to give up and let Violet get Steve. But what could she do? Steve said she had become a hedgehog, hurting anyone who attempted to approach. Yeah, she was like a hedgehog. Unfortunately, it would no longer be the case soon.
Steve had pulled out all the thorns on her body. Her armor was gone, leaving only bloody injuries. When the last thorn on her body was gone, how could she survive? – As Michelle said, Carina received a call from Steve. “It’s Stella’s birthday, and Michelle asked us to go together. Where are you? I’ll pick you up.” Carina had just come out of the shower and was walking towards the cloakroom with her phone. “Didn’t you not want to talk to me? Does this mean we’re reconciled now?” she asked. Steve paused and asked, “Do you want to?” Hearing his arrogant and uncompromising tone, Carina knew that once this topic was brought up, they would have another fight, and she didn’t want to argue on the phone. “I’m at my apartment,” Carina said. As night fell, the sky was dark with clouds, casting a depressing atmosphere. A black car was parked by the roadside. Steve leaned against the car door, smoking. Carina walked over in high heels.
She glanced at the smoking butts at his feet and asked with a smile, “Got impatient from waiting?” Steve remained still and awaited her approach. He glanced at her and replied perfunctorily, “No.” The truth was, he was indeed getting impatient. He had been waiting for almost an hour. If she had come five minutes later, he would have left. Steve knew he had changed. In the past, even if Carina were late for a day, he would wait for her, no matter how long it would take. Now, his patience had run out in merely an hour. Many people had said that whoever could marry Carina was blessed. Carina was a true beauty. Steve couldn’t agree more. Carina was indeed stunning. She was many men’s ideal type—curvy figure, tender skin, and alluring eyes that held a unique charm. Even with light makeup, she was beautiful. At this moment, Carina was dressed in a low-key, high-end brand with a simple style. This clothing, which seemed nothing more than ordinary on others, made her look gorgeous, unique, and noble. She stood upright gracefully, like a princess.
Any man would be proud to take out such a stunning woman. Moreover, Carina had a good family background. She was the daughter of a real estate tycoon. Marrying her meant not only wealth but also prestige. Steve was blessed that Carina was his fiancée. Unfortunately, he didn’t value money. No matter how wealthy the Roland family was, it couldn’t compare to the Lorenz family. Money was the last thing Steve needed. In his case, Carina was lucky to marry him. As for her beauty, Carina’s facial features indeed matched his aesthetic. However, even the most ravishing rose in the world would seem dull if one looked at it every day. The same goes for fancy cuisines—one would get tired of it if one ate it all the time. A mutual friend of the two told him, “Steve, don’t do anything silly. No one in this world loves you more than Carina. You will regret it if you make her leave you.” Steve knew Carina loved him. He had also loved her. At first, Steve was crazy about Carina, but later, that passion he once had for her was gone, replaced by a hint of… resentment that he wouldn’t admit.
Now, Steve fell in love with Violet, a woman who lived a tragic life but was strong. His friend advised him again. “Steve, that’s not right. You have been in love with Carina for so many years. You can’t suddenly fall in love with someone else. It must be an illusion. You are just temporarily confused. The one you love is still Carina.” Was it an illusion? Steve didn’t know. Did it matter? Violet was indeed more important than Carina in his mind now. – On the way to the Roland Manor, Steve mentioned their fight and repeated the questions on the phone, “Do you want to reconcile?” Reconcile? Of course, Carina wanted to, but… She turned to look at him and said, “Sure. As long as you fire Violet, I will never quarrel with you again.” Violet was Steve’s secretary. When Carina found out that Steve treated Violet differently, she asked him to fire her. Steve refused, saying Violet was capable and had no reason to fire her. At that time, Carina was more anxious about winning back Steve. She thought that Steve was just blaming her for being away for too long and that he was just angry with her.
Carina never believed Steve would abandon her until she saw the two together downstairs at Steve’s apartment building two months ago, holding hands and smooching passionately. She couldn’t even describe how painful that felt. Steve’s later confession seemed more like charity, tearing Carina’s heart into pieces. He said, “Carina, I’m going to be frank with you. I’m in love with Violet. Of course, my family won’t let me be with her, so don’t worry. I will still marry you, and the wedding will be held as planned.” – Quiet and soothing piano music played in the car. The notes disturbed Carina’s miserable memory. The vow made in youth wasn’t unbreakable. Carina dreamed of marrying Steve, and he was sure that she would compromise because she loved him. However, her pride didn’t allow her to coexist with Violet. Sadly, Steve fell in love with Violet and forced Carina to give in. It was an issue they couldn’t fix. Unsurprisingly, the topic of reconciliation remained unresolved as both of them refused to give in. Steve’s words were more than hurtful. “Carina, I can break off the engagement if I insist. Stop being unreasonable. This may sound harsh, but it’s common for couples to play their fields after marriage in my circle.” Carina didn’t reply. She put her arms on the car window and looked at the scenery. She watched the tall buildings on the roadsides, her thoughts drifting away. When they were about to arrive, she sent a w******p message. It was for Steve. Carina: 99. Steve glanced at the phone and then put it into his pocket nonchalantly.
This was not the first time Carina sent him a number. The first time, she sent 1. This was the 99th time she had sent him a number, so it was 99. Steve asked her what she meant. She drunkenly joked, “I remember how many times you have hurt me. Steve, when you hurt me a hundred times, the Carina who loves you will be gone, and I will no longer want you.” Carina sent 1 when they had a fight after they got engaged last year. Steve analyzed her pattern and found she would only send a number after they had a big fight, not every time they fought. It seemed that it depended on her mood. Steve didn’t take it seriously and just thought Carina was throwing a tantrum. After all, Carina loved him dearly. He was sure that she would compromise in the end. – Today was the birthday of the eldest daughter of Brad Roland, chairman of Crown Group. Everyone knew that the Roland family had two daughters: the outstanding eldest daughter, Stella, and the unruly and willful younger daughter, Carina. The most favored one in the Roland family was Stella, whose birthday would be celebrated every year. The 30-year-old birthday party was as grand as the 18-year-old coming-of-age ceremony.
There were many people present. Most of them were people in the business world who cared about money, power, and interest above all. Many of them were young, single, rich men. It was expected, and the purpose was obvious. Stella was highly educated, good-looking, and had a good family. She was an ideal romantic partner with lots of excellent qualities. However, she was 30 years old and still single. She was not in a rush to find a boyfriend, but Brad and Michelle were. In the past few years, they used her birthday parties to try every possible means to gather suitable singles from all walks of life. It was more like a blind date party than a birthday party. In addition to young good men, many female guests also came. There were young girls from famous families who came to represent their families, elegant ladies who accompanied their husbands, and glamorous stars in the entertainment industry who were brought by big shots to show off.
Men gathered to discuss business, seek benefits, build relationships, brag, and flatter. Women dressed in branded dresses for summer in the cold and windy weather to show off their curves and good figures. Ambitious women came to expand their connections. Vain women came to show off their men. And some came to find rich men. They gathered in small groups, eating snacks and chatting. “Tsk. Look at Stella, socializing with everyone here. What’s she acting so high and mighty for? She’s just an adopted daughter. Does she really think she’s the princess or something?” “Stella is adopted?” “You don’t know? Are you not a local?” “I am, but I grew up abroad and just returned recently. Is Stella really adopted?” “The Roland family has three children. The eldest son, Elvis Roland, and the youngest daughter, Carina, are biological, while Stella is adopted.” “I heard that Stella’s birth father died in a warehouse fire. I don’t know how her mom died later. Anyway, after she became an orphan, the Roland family adopted her.” “Why?” Not many people knew the inside story about this matter.
A certain young rich girl from a famous family who had just tasted the cake rushed to speak. “I know this. Stella’s real father was Mr. Roland’s classmate. After Mr. Roland inherited the family business, Stella’s father worked for him and was his right-hand man. They were good friends. Mr. Roland felt sorry for Stella and adopted her. ” Hearing her words, someone said, “The Roland family is very kind to Stella. I heard that Brad has focused on training Elvis and Stella in recent years. The two entered Crown Group after graduation. But Carina did not go. I heard that he was starting a business and had a photography studio.” “Mrs. Roland usually only takes Stella when she goes out. When talking about their daughters, she always talks about how outstanding Stella is and rarely mentions Carina.” “Well, Stella is excellent, after all. Moreover, Stella entered the Roland family when she was only 12. They have raised her for almost 20 years. She is no different from their real daughter.” “It’s also because Carina doesn’t live up to their expectations. She is arrogant and willful.
What does she have besides that pretty face?” “Isn’t that enough? With that pretty face, she has won over Mr. Lorenz. She will soon become Mrs. Lorenz. That’s an achievement, isn’t it?” “That’s right. No matter how favored Stella is in the Roland family, Carina will marry into the Lorenz family. The Lorenz family is way out of ordinary people’s league. Many rich men come today, but none of them can compare to Steve.” “Indeed. If Stella wants to marry a better man than Steve, she has to marry another man from the Lorenz family.” They didn’t mention the name, but they all thought of one person at the same time. “You mean…” Suddenly, there was a bang. Someone screamed. A sharp and piercing crash sounded in the hall, accompanied by a terrified female voice. Everyone subconsciously looked towards the sound. They were all stunned immediately. Carina didn’t want to make a scene tonight. Steve said something terrible and hurt her in the car.
She didn’t want to do anything except for eating and drinking, using food to ease her sadness. Besides, Carina had accepted money from Michelle. It would be unethical of her to make trouble. It was seven figures, after all. She had to show some respect tonight. However, even though she didn’t want to cause trouble, trouble came knocking. Steve was surrounded by many people who were toasting him. Carina was dragged away by Michelle to put on a sisterhood show with Stella before everyone. After the show, Carina glanced at Steve, who was chatting happily with someone. Knowing that he would need a while, she went to the second floor, preparing to go back to her room to sober up. She just had a few drinks and was a little drunk.
When she went to the bathroom, someone ran out. Just as Carina was about to dodge, she was hit hard on the shoulder. She staggered back two steps and held on to the wall before she could stand firm. There was a snap. The white diamond-covered handbag fell to the ground. The zipper was open, and the things inside were scattered all over the place. While rubbing her shoulders, Carina lowered her eyes and saw the diamond earrings at her feet. She felt that the earring was familiar at first sight. Just as she was about to pick them up, a person took the earring away first. Carina looked up and was stunned. “Violet?” The sight of her romantic rival immediately reminded Carina of Steve. Did Steve bring her here?