I Catfished a Billionaire Using My Bully’s Photo Chapter 12

I Catfished a Billionaire Using My Bully’s Photo Chapter 12

He pulled my fingers away, exposing the wound to the air.

It burned — sharp and searing.

But the chaos inside my chest was worse.

I opened my mouth, instinctively ready to say, It’s nothing.

Before I could get the words out, he took my hand.

He wanted me to go with him.

That familiar scent of citrus wrapped around me, and I forgot to resist.

Behind us, a wave of gasps rippled through the room.

Ethan didn’t look back.

In front of everyone — mouths hanging open, eyes wide — he laced his fingers through mine and walked me out, pulling me toward his office.

I stumbled along behind him.

Maybe brawling with Talia had knocked something loose in my brain, because staring at his broad back, my nose started stinging — and I just started talking.

Rambling.

“Ethan — my feelings for you were never fake.”

I knew what I was doing was wrong.

I shouldn’t have used Talia’s identity.

I shouldn’t have used her photos.

I wanted to hurt her — but not like that.

And I hurt you…”

“I’m sorry.

I’m so, so sorry.

But I really did like you — all of it was real.

The day I cut you off — it broke my heart.

I’m sorry I’m so twisted up like this.

I’m sorry I’m so weak.

Hurting you was never what I wanted.

I like you.

I like you so much…”

No reaction.

He didn’t slow.

Didn’t turn around.

Didn’t say a word.

The hallway stretched on forever.

I trailed behind him, my heart sinking in his.

He didn’t want to talk to me.

He never wanted anything to do with me again.

Tears started spilling over, but I bit down on my lip, refusing to make a sound.

My hand was just about to slip out of his —

And then his grip tightened.

Hard.

Hard enough to make my bones ache.

The next thing I knew, he was shoving open the door to his office.

He yanked me inside.

The door slammed shut behind us, and before I could even catch my breath, he had me pinned against it.

His mouth crashed down on mine — fierce, almost punishing.

I had nowhere to go.

His tongue pushed past my lips, tangled with mine, his breath scorching hot.

My fingers found the front of his shirt and held on.

Time blurred.

The kiss softened.

Deepened.

Grew tender.

He caught my lower lip between his, again and again.

The hand braced beside my ear slid slowly down, hooked around my waist, and pulled me flush against him.

Our bodies pressed together, just the thin layers of our clothes between us.

I don’t know how long it lasted.

When he finally pulled back — just barely — his forehead rested against mine, and his voice came out wrecked.

“Finally. Just like I imagined.”

“Don’t… don’t say stuff like that.” I wiped at my eyes, too embarrassed to look up at him.

“Wait — when did you send me a photo of Talia?

I don’t remember that.

Are you sure you’re not mixing things up?”

He frowned and handed me his phone.

I took it, my fingers still trembling, and started scrolling up through our chat history.

It didn’t take long to find conversations that made my face burn.

His messages — blunt, explicit.

Several of my voice replies had been saved by him.

Higher up were the photos we’d traded — suggestive angles, half-undone clothes.

They sat there in the chat log, perfectly preserved.

Not a single one missing.

Ethan was standing right next to me, eyes on the same screen, his breathing noticeably uneven.

I didn’t dare look at him.

I just kept scrolling — all the way back to the day we first started talking.

Nothing.

There was nothing there.

He’d never received one.

I froze.

“Then… how did you know she was Talia on that first day?

If you’d never seen her photo?”

“You told me yourself you’d be interning at this company.

The timing matched.

The name matched.

She was the only Talia here.”

He pulled back just enough to cup my face in both hands and look me in the eye.

“Evelyn, do you believe there’s some kind of pull between people?

That day in the car — the second you climbed in, I didn’t even have my eyes open yet.

But every instinct in my body started screaming that it was you.

Every time I hear your voice, it’s like everything in me just… settles.”

“I swear to God, sometimes I wonder if I’m your dog — how can just listening to you talk make me feel so at peace?”

I pressed my lips together.

Then I laughed.

I buried my face in his chest.

“But you didn’t even know what I looked like.

What if you hated my face?”

He was quiet for a few seconds.

“I never thought about it.

But honestly — whatever you look like, I think I’d still fall for you.

It’s the strangest thing.

I can’t even control it.”