## CHAPTER 2 ## THE SECRET KHLOE HID FROM HER BILLIONAIRE HUSBAND
The ambulance doors closed.
The sound echoed through the hospital entrance.
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Marcus Thorne stood frozen beneath the bright emergency lights, watching the woman he loved disappear behind those doors.
His wife.
His unborn child.
Both fighting for their lives.
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For the first time in years...
Money meant nothing.
His name meant nothing.
His power meant nothing.
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All he could do was wait.
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And wait was something Marcus Thorne hated.
Because waiting meant he wasn't in control.
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"Mr. Thorne."
Daniel Parker's voice pulled him back.
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Marcus turned.
The older man stood beside him, his face filled with anger.
Not the anger of a stranger.
The anger of someone who had spent years protecting Khloe.
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"You knew about Isabella."
Marcus's voice was cold.
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Daniel didn't look away.
"Yes."
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The answer surprised him.
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"You knew she was dangerous?"
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"I knew she was obsessed."
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Marcus stepped closer.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
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Daniel's jaw tightened.
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"Because Khloe asked me not to."
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That stopped Marcus.
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"Why?"
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Daniel looked toward the emergency room doors.
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"Because she was afraid of losing you."
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Marcus frowned.
"Losing me?"
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"She believed if she told you everything about her past, you would see her differently."
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Marcus felt something twist inside him.
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"Her past?"
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Daniel didn't answer.
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That was the second secret of the night.
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Two hours later...
The doctor finally came out.
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Marcus immediately stood.
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"How is she?"
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The doctor removed his mask.
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"Your wife is stable."
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Marcus closed his eyes.
A breath he didn't realize he was holding finally escaped.
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"And the baby?"
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A small smile appeared.
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"The baby is safe."
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For the first time that night...
Marcus almost broke down.
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"Can I see her?"
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"In a few minutes."
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When Marcus entered the private recovery room...
Khloe was awake.
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Her face was pale.
Her eyes tired.
But alive.
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"Hey."
Marcus sat beside her.
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She tried to smile.
"I look terrible."
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He shook his head.
"No."
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"You look like the strongest person I've ever known."
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Her eyes filled with tears.
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For a moment...
They were just husband and wife.
Not billionaires.
Not public figures.
Just two people who almost lost everything.
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Then Marcus became quiet.
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"Khloe."
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She knew.
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The moment she saw his expression...
She knew.
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"What did Isabella mean?"
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Silence.
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Khloe looked away.
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"Marcus..."
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"She said there was something you were hiding."
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Her fingers tightened around the blanket.
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"Tell me the truth."
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A tear rolled down her cheek.
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"I was going to."
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"When?"
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"After the baby was born."
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Marcus looked hurt.
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"Why not now?"
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Because I was scared."
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The words were barely audible.
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"Scared of what?"
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Khloe closed her eyes.
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"That you would hate me."
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Marcus stared at her.
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After everything they had been through...
That was the last thing he expected.
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"Hate you?"
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Khloe nodded.
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"I didn't come from the world you came from."
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Marcus frowned.
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"What does that have to do with anything?"
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"Everything."
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She looked at him.
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"Your family thinks I married you because of money."
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Marcus immediately shook his head.
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"My family doesn't matter."
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"But they were right about one thing."
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He froze.
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"What?"
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Khloe swallowed.
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"I wasn't completely honest when we met."
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Five years earlier...
Khloe wasn't a billionaire's daughter.
She wasn't a socialite.
She wasn't someone who belonged in Marcus Thorne's world.
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She was a young woman working two jobs.
Trying to pay medical bills.
Trying to survive.
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Until she discovered something.
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A family secret.
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A secret connected to the Thorne empire.
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"I found documents."
Khloe whispered.
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Marcus listened.
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"Old documents about your father."
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His expression changed.
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"My father?"
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"Yes."
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Marcus's father had died ten years earlier.
A respected businessman.
A man everyone described as honest.
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"What documents?"
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Khloe looked terrified.
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"Proof that your father didn't build the company alone."
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Marcus frowned.
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"What are you saying?"
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She looked directly into his eyes.
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"Your father took credit for someone else's work."
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Silence.
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"And that someone..."
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She hesitated.
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"Was my father."
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Marcus felt the room become smaller.
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"Your father?"
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Khloe nodded.
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"My real last name isn't Thorne."
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A pause.
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"It's Parker."
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Marcus stood slowly.
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The name hit him.
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Daniel Parker.
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The man who saved Khloe.
The man who had just exposed Isabella.
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His uncle.
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No.
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Her father.
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Marcus stared at her.
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"You're saying your family created the foundation of my empire?"
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Khloe nodded.
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"And your father took it."
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The door suddenly opened.
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Daniel Parker stepped inside.
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Marcus turned.
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"You knew?"
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Daniel didn't deny it.
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"Yes."
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"How long?"
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"Since before you met her."
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Marcus's voice became colder.
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"So everyone knew except me?"
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Daniel looked at him.
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"Not everyone."
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A pause.
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"Your father knew."
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Marcus froze.
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"My father knew?"
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Daniel nodded.
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"He knew exactly what he took."
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The truth hit harder than any punch.
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The man Marcus spent his life admiring...
The man whose name built everything...
Had stolen someone else's legacy.
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Then Daniel placed a folder on the table.
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"I didn't come here only because of Isabella."
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Marcus looked at the folder.
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"What is that?"
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Daniel's expression became serious.
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"The reason Isabella attacked Khloe tonight."
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Marcus opened it.
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Inside were financial records.
Messages.
Photos.
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And one name appeared again and again.
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THORNE FAMILY TRUST.
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Marcus looked up.
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"What does Isabella have to do with this?"
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Daniel's answer was quiet.
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"She wasn't trying to steal your marriage."
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A pause.
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"She was trying to steal your company."
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Marcus stared at the documents.
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Then he saw the final page.
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A transfer agreement.
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Signed by someone inside his own family.
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The signature at the bottom made his blood run cold.
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Evelyn Thorne.
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May you like
His mother.
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