Divorced and Claimed by the Billionaire

The night I walked out of my marriage with zero, I roamed the streets. A flyer slapped against a streetlight caught my eye. "Hiring a stepmother. Age and looks do not matter.

Must handle kids. Room and board included." "Room and board" hooked me. That same night, I hauled my duffel bag into a billionaire's estate.

Sometime later, my exhusband sneered at me. "Thea, do you finally admit you messed up?" A fouryearold terror blocked his path and clenched his fists. "Messed up how?!

My mom stays right!" The billionaire clamped a possessive arm around my shoulders. "My wife stays right.

Even when she makes a mistake." Chapter 1 At that moment, I stood on the sprawling porch of the estate. Beside me, Thomas, the butler, radiated pure condescension. "Mr.

Harrison is hiring a mother for his son, not a wife for himself. Keep that in mind," he said, shooting me a sharp look. "A man of his status attracts opportunists.

Don't get any ideas." I kept my head down, eyes fixed on the marble floor. Honestly, this gig sounded perfect. Translated: he wanted a glorified, livein nanny.

I'd just finalized my divorce that morning. Jumping into another marriage wasn't on my radar. But wrangling a kid meant a free roof over my head, saving me from scrambling for rent.

For a woman with five dollars to her name, this was a lifeline. I gave a firm nod. "Understood.

No inappropriate thoughts." Thomas grunted his approval and led me into the grand dining room. At the far end of a mahogany table, a father and son were locked in a standoff.

A striking, darkhaired man sat gripping a ceramic bowl and a silver spoon. His jaw ticked with frustration.

Across from him, a little boy bit down hard on his bottom lip, refusing to yield an inch. The man finally cracked. He let out a harsh breath, lowering the bowl to the table.

Long, calloused fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just one bite, Theo," he murmured, his voice rough. "One tiny bite.

Please?" Thomas stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Sir. Another applicant. This one seems unassuming." Harrison turned slowly.

He wore sharp black slacks and a crisp white buttondown. The top button hung loose, exposing the hard line of his collarbone.

He'd rolled the sleeves to his elbows, revealing thick veins running down his strong, pale forearms.

I recognized his face instantly from the covers of Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. He was too sharply handsome to ever forget.

The lingering fear that this ad was a trafficking scam vanished. A billionaire like him didn't need to kidnap broke, freshly divorced women. His dark, piercing eyes swept over me.

Exhaustion bled into his deep voice. "Name?" He clearly hadn't even changed out of his work clothes before diving into dinner duty. And he was losing badly.

Forcefeeding a toddler was probably harder for him than closing a billiondollar merger. "Thea," I answered evenly.

He gave a sharp nod and shoved the bowl into my hands. "You try." He pushed back his chair, stalked over to the leather sofa, and crossed his arms, watching me intently.

The ultimate job interview. If I nailed this, I wouldn't be sleeping on a park bench tonight.

I gripped the bowl, plastered on a warm, nonthreatening smile, and took a step forward. Before my shoe hit the rug, Theo scrambled under the dining table.

Two huge, dark eyes glared at me from the shadows. "No!" he screamed at his father. "Tell her to get out! I don't want her!

They're all bad women!" Clearly, a long line of stepmothers had crashed and burned before me. I needed leverage. Fast.

I scanned the room, my eyes locking onto a scattered pile of Marvel action figures near the baseboards. A plan clicked into place.

Chapter 2 I grabbed a few Marvel action figures and slid them under the table next to Theo. "Don't worry," I said, flashing a bright, reassuring smile. "I'm not feeding you.

I'm feeding Iron Man and Captain America. You're completely safe." I scooped up a spoonful of mac and cheese, holding it out to the plastic toys. "Eat up, guys.

You need fuel to save the world. Kids who skip dinner get skinny little twig arms. They can't even protect themselves, let alone the rest of humanity. Oh, you want the broccoli?

Smart choice. Real heroes need their greens for super strength." Theo slumped against the table leg, completely sidelined. He smacked his lips a few times. I totally ignored him.

His little nose turned red. Tears pooled in his dark eyes. Only when he was on the verge of a full meltdown did I pretend to notice him. "Whoa!

How did a baby Avenger get under here?" I gasped, looking from the toy to the boy. "Iron Man, do you mind sharing your leftovers?

He needs this to grow huge and strong like you." I lowered my voice to a robotic rumble. "Affirmative." I smiled. "Alright, boss's orders. You can have a bite.

But don't eat too much. If you get bigger than Iron Man, you'll hurt his feelings." Theo nodded frantically.

Before I even fully extended the spoon, he lunged forward and clamped his mouth over it.

After inhaling three massive bites, he glared at me with pure accusation. "Why aren't you giving me the broccoli? Are you scared I'll get stronger than him?

Bad woman!" I glanced back over my shoulder at Harrison. The deep crease between his brows had vanished. He offered me a rare, appreciative smirk.

The estate spanned three massive floors. Theo and I took the second floor. Harrison claimed the entire third floor.

Thomas had drilled the rules into my head earlier. "Never set foot on the third floor. The last girl thought she was special and sneaked up into Mr. Harrison's bed.

He threw her out the window." I nodded vigorously. Absolutely no boundarycrossing here. Like father, like son—the billionaire's kid slept in his own room at four years old.

That made my life infinitely easier. The next afternoon, Harrison pulled up the driveway right as I was feeding Theo on the front porch.

Theo sat crosslegged on the pavement, a neon dog leash looped loosely around his neck. Next to him sat Toby, the massive Golden Retriever. I fed a chicken nugget to Toby.

Then a nugget to Theo. They were having the time of their lives. Harrison's face darkened like a thundercloud as he stepped out of his car. "Thea!

What the hell are you doing to my son?" His voice slashed through the air, icy and sharp.

I flinched, almost dropping the plate. "Woof!" Theo barked before I could defend myself. "Dad, Thea and I are roleplaying. Look, I'm eating way more than Toby! Woof! Arf!

Woof woof!" Harrison's scowl deepened. He turned his deadly glare onto Thomas. Thomas looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him whole.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Sir, Miss Thea's methods are… unconventional. But highly effective. The young master inhaled two full bowls of food this afternoon.

He swore a blood oath to outeat the dog." Harrison's jaw clenched hard enough to crack a tooth. His lips pressed into a thin, tight line.

He stared in cold disbelief as his son aggressively shoveled chicken, broccoli, and mashed potatoes into his mouth.

He let out a harsh breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just… make sure the boy and the dog use different utensils." "Don't worry, sir," I piped up instantly. "Your dog has high standards.

Toby won't even touch the young master's fork." Harrison froze. His expression morphed into utter exasperation. Without another word, he spun on his heel and marched into the house.

Theo ended up polishing off two and a half large bowls. His little stomach bulged out like a football.

He sat back, stretching his neck out as a loud hiccup wrecked through his chest.

I had no choice but to grab his leash and walk both him and Toby around the estate gardens for thirty minutes just to digest before bed.

Chapter 3 What I didn't know was that Harrison stood at a secondstory window, watching us. He tracked his son racing Toby across the lawn, barking his little lungs out.

The hard, familiar line of Harrison’s mouth finally broke, curving into a rare smile.

Thomas stood beside him, shaking his head. "This Miss Thea operates on a completely different frequency. The young master hated eating, refused to speak, and barely moved.

One day with her, and he's a different kid. Sir, I think we finally found the one." When I finally hauled myself and the kid inside, Harrison lounged on the living room sofa.

Long legs crossed, radiating that untouchable, predatory energy. I unclipped the neon leash from Theo's neck.

Just as I turned to march him upstairs for a bath, Harrison’s deep voice cut through the room. "Thea. We need to talk." "Sure thing, Mr.

Harrison." I handed Theo off to Thomas and took the armchair opposite the billionaire. "You handle him well," Harrison stated, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "You have kids of your own?" "No.

But I raised my exhusband's sister's kid for two years.

Whitney's boy." My former inlaws gaslit me into quitting my entrylevel corporate job because the salary wasn't up to their standards.

Once I lost my income, they branded me a lazy freeloader and fired Whitney's nanny, forcing me into the role of unpaid domestic help.

Harrison gave a slow nod. "Your file says you just finalized a divorce." "Yesterday." "Reason?" "We were from completely different worlds," I said flatly. "We were from entirely different tax brackets." Harrison’s gaze darkened, assessing me. "You saw the terms on the flyer.

I need a mother for Theo. He lacks basic security. Refuses to leave the estate, absolutely refuses the idea of preschool. I run a multinational firm. I don't have the hours.

He needs a patient woman to step in as his mother permanently." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I’ll draft an ironclad prenup.

We’ll keep our assets entirely separate." I nodded immediately. "Makes perfect sense." My last marriage started as a college romance, but the wealth gap meant I still signed a brutal prenup.

When the love rotted away, I walked out with zero. They even demanded the engagement ring back.

A billionaire like Harrison naturally operated with ruthless caution. "Honestly, I'm just grateful for the room and board. We don't need a marriage license," I offered.

Harrison’s jaw set. "The paperwork is for Theo.

He needs a permanent figure in his life, and a legal marriage is the most binding contract available." I wasn't about to argue with the guy providing my shelter. "Whatever you think is best." "I'll transfer one hundred thousand dollars into your account on the first of every month for your personal expenses." That caught my full attention.

I’d been financially bled dry in my previous marriage. "Mr.

Harrison, just to clarify—if we terminate this contract and divorce, do I keep whatever I saved from that allowance?" "Naturally.

That money is yours." "Deal." Harrison leaned back, his expression turning strictly professional. "I have zero requirements for a physical relationship.

Keep your things in the secondfloor suite." "Perfect," I fired back. "I'm definitely off the market in that department too." Just like that, three days postdivorce, I was a married woman again.

No white dress. No vows. No ceremony. Thomas brought out three extra Michelinlevel dishes for dinner that night to celebrate.

Midmeal, Harrison slid a velvet box across the mahogany table. Inside sat a flawless, blindingly huge diamond ring. I immediately pushed it back. "Oh, no.

That's totally unnecessary." Harrison didn't blink. "Put it on. It’s for Theo." "Right. Got it. Thanks for the massive expense." I slipped the heavy stone onto my finger.

That night, I barely pulled the duvet over my legs when my bedroom door creaked open.

Theo hovered in the doorway, shifting his weight from foot to foot, clutching a book to his chest. "What's up, kiddo?" I asked.

He picked at his fingernails, his dark eyes refusing to meet mine. "Thea," he mumbled, his voice a tiny, hesitant rasp. "Can you… read me a bedtime story?" Chapter 4 "What?" The word slipped out.

I stared at him, sure I'd misheard. Theo gnawed on his bottom lip. "I'll make my dad pay you extra.

If you don't want to, it's fine." I patted the mattress beside me. "Come here." I tossed back the heavy duvet.

The little boy scrambled up and slid under the covers without a second of hesitation. He fell asleep in my bed that night, right in the middle of a chapter.

The next morning, shock registered on Harrison’s sharp features.

That rare, approving glint returned to his dark eyes. "Thank you, Thea," Harrison said, his deep voice carrying real weight. "I'm adding an extra fifty thousand to your monthly allowance." "Mr.

Harrison, that's way too much." It really was. In my last marriage, I bled myself dry for free. When I finally walked out, I couldn't even afford a motel room.

Back then, I spent my days babysitting Whitney’s kid. I spent my evenings cooking for Parker, satisfying his needs in bed, and waking up at midnight to scrub the floors.

Patricia, my exmotherinlaw, loved to gaslight me. "We can afford a maid, but having Thea sit around doing nothing all day is just a bad look." Even after all that free labor, Parker's family claimed I'd spent three years freeloading off their wealth. "Seriously, Mr.

Harrison, you're overpaying me," I insisted. "I actually like the kid. He acts tough, but he's got a good heart.

Reading a book isn't hard labor." Something warm and small slipped into my right hand. I glanced down. Theo had his little fingers wrapped tight around mine.

He stared up at me, his tiny face deadpan, but his dark, grapelike eyes shimmered with unshed moisture. He was a softie at heart, melting way too easily.

Harrison watched us, his gaze softening. "The women before you only cared about getting into my bed. They completely ignored Theo.

The extra fifty grand is nonnegotiable." Refusing a billionaire was impossible. I muttered a quiet thank you. From that morning on, Theo became my shadow.

Harrison worked insane hours. Most days, it was just me and the boy roaming the massive estate. Then came the day of my followup doctor's appointment.

I needed my prescription refilled. Thomas had warned me the day I arrived. "Theo doesn't leave the gates.

It triggers severe panic attacks." I knelt to his eye level, keeping my voice gentle. "I need to run an errand. I'll be back as fast as I can.

Wait here for me, okay?" Theo didn't say a word. He just clamped his tiny hand onto my wrist. His dark, anxious eyes locked onto mine.

Thomas let out a heavy sigh behind us. "He thinks you're leaving for good. He thinks you're abandoning him." I brushed my thumb over Theo’s soft hair. "I'm not going anywhere.

I'll be back to read your book before you know it.

Go play with Toby for a bit, yeah?" Before I could finish the sentence, Theo let go, bolted past me, and scrambled into the back seat of the waiting SUV.

Thomas gasped, his eyes going wide. "Young master? You're going to the hospital with Miss Thea?" Theo just nodded, his jaw set stubbornly. Tears welled up in the old butler's eyes.

He wiped his face with a handkerchief. "Thank God. It's a miracle." Dr. Sullivan loaded me up with another heavy bag of pill bottles.

As we walked out of the clinic, Theo tugged on my sleeve. He looked everywhere but at my face. "Thea.

Are you sick?" "Yeah," I said, offering a small smile. "I didn't eat my meals properly, so I got sick.

Don't be like me, kiddo." His large eyes snapped up to mine, swimming with worry. "Does it hurt?" He dug his tiny hand into his pocket. "If it hurts, I can give you this." He uncurled his fist, pressing a single piece of foilwrapped chocolate into my palm. "Dad told me.

Sugar makes the pain go away." I stared down at his small, earnest face. My throat closed up. A sharp, jagged ache ripped through my chest. My breath hitched.

My lungs refused to expand. A hot drop of moisture hit the back of my hand. Then another. Chapter 5 My throat slammed shut. A jagged ache ripped through my chest.

For three years, Parker’s family treated my tears like weapons. They called me manipulative. Too lowclass to handle their highsociety world.

When I forced the word depression out of my mouth, Whitney just scoffed. She called me a dramatic burden, playing the victim for attention.

Even Brayden—the nephew I raised with my own two hands—hurled nasty insults at me on my way out the door. "Ugly witch." But this kid.

This tough, stonefaced little boy was offering me his favorite candy just to stop my pain. My lungs seized. I dropped to my knees on the pavement.

I pulled Theo tightly into my arms. He was so small, practically swallowed up in my arms. He didn't pull away.

Warm, chubby little hands patted my shaking spine. "Thea," he mumbled into my shoulder. "I'll eat all my dinner.

When I get big, I'll protect you." A choked, watery laugh scraped up my throat. "You better grow up fast, then." By the time we walked out of the clinic, my eyes were raw and stinging.

A sleek, black Maybach idled at the curb. Harrison leaned against the passenger door. Tall. Lethal. Radiating dark, untouchable money. Every head on the sidewalk turned to stare.

I gripped Theo's hand tighter and walked over. "Mr. Harrison? What are you doing here?" Harrison scooped his son up in one fluid motion. He stared at Theo.

The kid was perfectly calm outside the estate gates. The billionaire's dark eyes flared. A muscle feathered in his jaw. His voice dropped, rough and thick. "Thomas called.

Said Theo left the gates with you. I had to see it for myself." Theo rested his chin on his dad's broad shoulder. His tiny fingers stayed locked around mine. "Dad. I'm with Thea.

You don't have to worry." Harrison's gaze snapped to me. Dark. Heavy. Searching.

He gave a single, stiff nod. "I know, kid." That night, Harrison tried to bump my monthly allowance again. I practically choked on my water and shut it down immediately.

He leaned back in his leather chair. "Thea. Name a price. Tell me what you want." I chewed on the inside of my cheek. "Could you help me track down a used car?

Something around five grand.

Just so we can get around easier." Harrison didn't blink. "Take the keys to anything in the garage." "The cheapest car in your garage is a threehundredthousanddollar Porsche," I shot back. "I'm not driving that to the grocery store." He stared at me for a long second. "Fine." The next morning, a beatup, fivethousanddollar Honda CRV sat parked right next to his sleek Maybach.

He also flew in Dr. Lawson, a globally renowned psychiatrist, directly to the estate. Lawson's diagnosis matched the clinic's perfectly.

But the cheap generic meds I usually got were swapped out for toptier, insanely expensive brandname prescriptions I could never afford before.

Before leaving, Lawson packed his briefcase and leveled a look at Harrison. "Mr. Harrison, your wife needs a strong support system.

Keep her stress levels at zero." Harrison’s jaw set. "Understood." I grabbed the Honda keys the very next day. Theo used to be terrified of his own shadow.

The slightest loud noise outside sent him into a spiraling panic attack, locking his world down to the estate walls. Now, I was going to show him everything.

We hit the local carnival first. Then, the crowded farmer's market. The little guy trailed right on my heels. He was lugging a plastic bag holding a massive, freshly caught salmon.

His tiny, handsome face was pulled tight into a grimace. "Thea!

I don't want to hold the dead fish!" "But my hands are completely full," I whined, playing up the exhaustion. "Can't you help me out?" Theo ground his teeth.

He held the plastic bag at arm's length, looking completely disgusted. "Fine! Just this once!" he barked. "No more fish next time!" I bit my lip to hide my grin.

We finally made it back to the dusty parking lot. Then, a voice cut through the noise. "Thea?" Chapter 6 He stood there in a razorsharp Tom Ford suit.

Not a single hair out of place. Handsome. Untouchable. It had been over a month, but that voice still triggered a violent, involuntary spasm in my chest. My lungs seized.

Parker and I were college sweethearts. He fought tooth and nail against his elite family to marry me.

I grew up invisible in my own house, but at our wedding, Parker swore to protect me forever. Then he took over the family empire. I morphed into a liability.

A dead weight dragging down his rising star. The gaslighting started small. He forced me to quit my career. Turned me into an unpaid maid for his family.

Demanded I raise Whitney’s kid while walking on eggshells around his mother. I swallowed all of it. We married for love, right? I was used to starving for affection anyway.

It was just a different house. Then came the VIP room at that highend club. I walked in and found his hands all over some flashy Instagram model, kissing her heavily.

My entire reality shattered. I screamed. I sobbed until my throat bled. I begged him to swear it would never happen again.

His family treated me like a hysterical lunatic. "Every successful man has side pieces, Thea. Grow up." Parker just sneered at my red, swollen eyes. He told me I was acting spoiled.

That he’d indulged me too much. The silent treatment began that night. He stopped coming home. Blocked my number. My depression spiraled into a black, suffocating pit.

My doctor explicitly warned me against any more emotional trauma. Running on absolutely nothing, I filed for divorce. Parker thought it was a bluff. A pathetic manipulation tactic.

His family cheered him on, telling him not to yield an inch to the gold digger. His shark lawyers drafted an ironclad settlement leaving me with zero.

I signed the papers without a flinch. Four years of dating. Three years of marriage. Dead and buried in a single stroke of a pen.

The memories clawed at my throat as Parker closed the distance between us in the dusty lot.

His gaze flicked from my plastic grocery bags, to Theo, and finally landed on the beatup Honda.

A cruel, arrogant smirk twisted his lips. "An Ivy League grad playing nanny to some random kid?" he mocked, shaking his head. "What the hell is going through your mind, Thea?" "None of your business," I spat out. "You still don't get it, do you?" Parker took a step closer, crowding my space. "The second you married into my family, you stopped being just you.

You represent my brand. My reputation." I dug my nails into my palms. "We are divorced, Parker.

I have absolutely nothing to do with you or your toxic family." The disdain in his eyes thickened into pure disgust. "You're my exwife.

When people see you acting like trash, it reflects on me. Stop embarrassing me, Thea. Use your damn head for once. Stop acting on pure impulse." Nausea churned in my stomach.

I refused to let his garbage pollute Theo's ears. I gripped the little boy's hand tightly, turning to yank the car door open.

Parker’s hand shot out, his fingers clamping like a steel vice around my wrist. "Roughing it out here for a month finally broke you, huh?" he murmured, his tone oozing fake sympathy. "Missing the penthouse life?

Missing the black cards?" He tugged me slightly closer. "If you finally admit you were wrong and fix this attitude, I’ll consider remarrying you. Those other women meant nothing.

I was just blowing off steam. The wife slot is still open. I saved it for you." He smiled, a chilling, entitled smirk. "Just drop the temper tantrum.

Go apologize to my mother, and I'll—" Chapter 7