Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 816

Claudia’s eyes went wide. In that instant, it hit her. “You’ve been looking into me?” she blurted out.

Wait, that couldn’t be right. She’d heard rumors that someone was investigating her, but everyone she sent to dig up information had disappeared without a trace. Like they’d just vanished off the face of the earth.

Suddenly, everything made sense. “No. No way it was you!” She stared at Ben, voice trembling. “It was Emmy! Mr. Nelson is behind this, isn’t he?”

She should’ve guessed. In the entire Capital, only the Nelson family could shut down information so completely that she couldn’t get a single hint.

Ben let out a frustrated sound, pulling at his tie and popping open the top button of his shirt. “You didn’t just kill Claudia. You stole her name. You’ve been living her life, taking everything that should’ve been hers!” He stepped closer with every word, his voice cold and sharp. “You’re a dirty, poisonous snake. I should just—”

He raised his hand, but before he could do anything, someone grabbed his wrist from behind. Something cold and heavy was shoved into his palm.

He spun around. Dean was suddenly there, silent as a shadow. Ben looked down and saw a gun in his hand.

Dean’s voice was ice. “Why bother hitting her? Just shoot.”

Claudia was terrified. She scrambled off the floor and crawled to Ben, clutching at his leg. “Ben, wait, please! Let me explain! Please, listen for a second!” Her voice was desperate, falling apart. “I’m the real Claudia! The one who died was just a nobody! Emmy and the others are lying to you!”

She was betting it all on one last lie. But Ben just lifted the gun, steady and slow, pointing it straight at her forehead. “Did you really think we never checked the DNA?”

His words struck like a thunderclap. Claudia’s last hope broke apart right then and there.

The shot ripped through the silence, echoing through the villa. The bullet slammed into Claudia’s thigh.

She howled, clutching her bleeding leg and rolling on the floor, her cries filling the room. Ben’s anger didn’t fade. He turned to the servants who’d rushed in, faces white with shock. “Lock her up,” he ordered, voice cold as ice.

The servants had never seen anything like this. Shaking, they hurried to drag the screaming Claudia away, not daring to ask questions. Only then did Ben turn to Dean, who’d been standing there, calm and distant, like he was watching a play.

Ben rubbed his temples, tired. “Why did you come back?”

Dean tilted his head, a half-smile on his lips, but his eyes stayed cold and mocking. “I came for the show,” he said, voice light. “And this one’s got it all.”