Pampered by the Ice-Cold Billionaire

The airport bustled with activity. A woman's sweet, clear voice chimed over the loudspeaker, announcing incoming flights.

When the plane from California landed in Toronto, passengers poured out of the gate in a steady stream.

A slender girl walked out of the terminal, dragging her suitcase behind her. She wore a simple graphic T-shirt and dark blue skinny jeans, her naturally wavy hair pulled back into a high ponytail.

Her skin was fair, her posture tall. Coupled with her clean, tranquil demeanor, she stood out effortlessly in the crowd.

Bucky, who had been sent to pick her up, spotted her at once. He rushed forward and took the luggage from her hands. "Chloe."

Chloe glanced around. Aside from Bucky, no one else had come to meet her. A self-deprecating smile touched the corner of her lips.

Perhaps she had stayed abroad for too long. Long enough for everyone to forget that someone named Chloe Bishop even existed.

No matter. There would be plenty of time for everything ahead.

Stepping out of the airport, Chloe got into the car and closed her eyes to rest. Bucky loaded her suitcase into the trunk, opened the driver's door, and sat inside. Looking back at her closed eyes, he hesitated.

Before leaving, Kate Bishop had instructed him to bring Chloe to the Stark Manor for dinner. Still, he needed to ask her opinion first.

Seeing her with her eyes closed now, he assumed she had fallen asleep and kept quiet, smoothly merging the car into the flow of traffic.

After a flight that lasted over ten hours, Chloe felt drowsy the moment she settled into the seat. But she hadn't slept long before a sharp blare of car horns jolted her awake.

Noticing the car had come to a complete standstill, she glanced out the window. They were right in the heart of the bustling downtown area. The streets were jammed with traffic and pedestrians, and towering skyscrapers stood imposing beneath the sunlight.

Rubbing the tired corners of her eyes, she asked, "Bucky, what happened?"

Bucky looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Chloe, this road is always congested. Rest a bit longer. I'll wake you when we get there."

Chloe was a light sleeper; once disturbed, she couldn't drift back off.

The cars ahead crept forward a few meters only to stop again. Bucky followed suit, inching through the stop-and-go traffic.

After nearly half an hour, Chloe lost her patience. Seeing the cars ahead move slightly, she told Bucky to overtake from the side lane.

As a veteran driver for the Bishop family, Bucky was skilled behind the wheel. Following her directions, he successfully passed several cars in a row.

Ahead of them, a Maybach seemed to be in a rush as well, frequently switching lanes and overtaking. Bucky made a miscalculation and rear-ended it. Fortunately, the speed had been low, so no one was injured-though the other party's car took a hit.

Bucky turned pale with fright, stuttering nervously, "Chloe... what do we do?"

Anyone driving a car like that was bound to be extraordinarily wealthy and influential. Coupled with that distinct, prestige license plate, the owner was clearly someone you did not want to mess with.

Chloe knit her delicate brows. Pressing her lips together, she stepped out of the car, walked forward, and tapped gently on the Maybach's window.

In the driver's seat, a man was unbuckling his seatbelt, preparing to step out and check the damage. Hearing the knock, he looked up through the glass at Chloe.

He slowly lowered the window. Before he could speak, Chloe took the initiative. "Do you have a pen and paper?"

Alfred looked at her in confusion, a blank expression on his face. It wasn't until Chloe repeated herself-"Do you have a pen and paper?"-that he snapped out of it and handed them over.

He had seen in the rearview mirror that this girl came from the car behind. She was clearly the culprit behind the crash.

With practiced ease, Chloe jotted down a string of phone numbers and added a specific name underneath.

Perhaps some things were simply carved too deep into her memory. Even after three full years, she could still recite that man's phone number by heart.

Hanging up the phone, Tony Stark fell silent for a moment before dialing the internal extension to his assistant.

When the line connected, he said, "Arrange a dinner for me tonight with Mr. Martin of Martin Group."

Zack replied, "Understood, Mr Stark."

The CEO's office was situated on the twenty-eighth floor. Tony Stark stood before the floor-to-ceiling glass windows wearing a crisp white shirt with his sleeves rolled up, revealing sturdy forearms.

He remembered with painful clarity that night three years ago before Chloe Bishop left the country. She had burned all their photos together and thrown away everything tied to him, her voice resolute and filled with pure hatred.

"Tony Stark, I hope we never see each other again in this lifetime."

He closed his eyes and whispered softly, "Chloe..."

Chloe kept her eyes closed in the backseat, resting until Bucky announced, "We've arrived." Only then did she open them.

Bucky got out and opened the door for her. Looking at the estate before her, she froze. Her delicate brows knit slightly. "Why are we at the Stark Manor?"

Bucky answered respectfully, "Kate Bishop said she hasn't seen you in three years and asked me to bring you here to have dinner together."

Chloe pressed her pale lips into a thin line. Three years... If not for Grandfather Bishop's eightieth birthday, she likely would never have set foot back here for the rest of her life.

Whether California, the UK, or Canada-anywhere outside the country-she was willing to spend a lifetime, even if it meant growing old alone.

A Stark family servant led her into the living room. Kate Bishop was descending the stairs; seeing Chloe standing at the entrance, a look of genuine joy brightened her face.

"Chloe, you're finally willing to come back."

On the day Chloe left the country three years ago, Kate Bishop had gone to the airport to see her off. Chloe's eyes back then had been hollow, drained of hope. "I'm never coming back, and I won't give you two my blessing."

Tony Stark and Kate Bishop's wedding was just a week away back then. Knowing she couldn't undo what was done, escaping had been her only choice.

After going abroad, she cut off contact with everyone, not even logging into instagram for the longest time.

It wasn't until one day, when she suddenly called David Bishop needing a large sum of money, that she finally reconnected with her family.

Having not seen each other in three years, Kate Bishop-now a married woman-was even more stunning than before.

She wore a pale celadon Bodycon embroidered with elegant orchids at the collar, its high side slits revealing fair, slender legs.

Her once-long hair was now cut short with delicate, slightly curled tips dyed a warm chestnut, accentuating her rosy, alabaster skin. She looked both fashionable and strikingly beautiful.

She glided gracefully down the stairs, radiating the gentle poise expected of a daughter from a wealthy house.

"Sister," Chloe greeted softly, lacking the playful softness she once used to have.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Kate Bishop took Chloe by the hand and looked her up and down.

She had grown significantly thinner-so thin she seemed almost frail.

Kate Bishop said with deep heartache, "Was life in California that hard on you?"

"It was fine. Everything was fine." Whenever anyone asked about her time in California, that was always her answer: Everything was fine.

Kate Bishop knew how stubborn she was. If Chloe didn't want to talk, asking would yield nothing.

Noticing the exhaustion in Chloe's eyes, Kate Bishop said, "Go upstairs to the guest room and rest for a bit. Once you wake up, I'll have the servants prepare your favorite dishes."

"Okay." She was indeed exhausted. She gave a faint nod and headed up to the second floor. Having visited the Stark Manor often in the past, she easily found her way to the guest room without needing guidance.

She went into the bathroom, took a hot shower, blew her hair dry, and laid down on the bed, gradually letting her eyes drift shut.

Yet her sleep was restless as usual, plagued by the same bizarre, disjointed dreams.

By the time she woke up, dusk had already settled outside. She reached for her phone on the nightstand and checked the time-it was already 9:30 PM. Having barely eaten on the flight, a wave of hunger hit her.

She changed into a fresh set of clothes and prepared to head downstairs. Stepping out of the guest room, she leaned over the hallway railing and glanced down.

Kate Bishop was sitting on the living room sofa watching a variety show while a maid placed a fruit platter on the coffee table.

She had only taken two steps down the stairs when she saw Tony Stark walk through the front door. A servant rushed forward, placing a pair of slippers at his feet.

Her feet froze instantly. Her hand tightened its grip on the gilded handrail.

Compared to three years ago, he had become even more mature and striking. Dressed in a tailored dark suit and a crisp white shirt, he carried an air of refined, aloof calm.

Bending over at the entrance to change his shoes, he didn't notice Chloe standing on the staircase.

She stood frozen on the steps, torn over whether to go down. Knowing her appearance would only make things awkward for all three of them, she turned to head back to her room-only for Kate Bishop's voice to ring out from behind her: "Chloe."

Her body went stiff. She instinctively bit her lower lip, her fingernails digging into her palms until sharp pricks of pain resonated through her skin.

After a long pause, she turned back around. Her face was once again a mask of quiet indifference, betrayed by not a single trace of emotion.

Kate Bishop looked up at her from the sofa, and Tony Stark, standing by the entryway, was doing the same.

With a brief, neutral glance, Chloe seamlessly averted her gaze and finished descending the stairs. "Sister, I'm hungry."

Kate Bishop called out warmly for "Sia." Sia emerged from the kitchen, and upon seeing Chloe coming down the stairs, her face lit up with joy. "Miss Bishop!"

Before Tony Stark and Kate Bishop were married, Chloe had been a frequent guest at the Stark Manor, so the household staff all remembered her well.

Unlike many spoiled heiresses, Chloe possessed no arrogance. Back then, she would always greet the older servant with a sweet, lively "Sia," leaving a wonderful impression.

Tony Stark entered the living room. Kate Bishop stepped forward and naturally took his suit jacket before hanging it up in the coatroom. The seamless, intimate dynamic between them mirrored that of an old married couple.

The sight cut Chloe like a knife. It felt as if a sharp blade were slowly slicing through her heart, making it difficult to breathe.

Sia brought out the meal she had saved for her. Chloe walked over to the dining table, sat down, and asked casually, "Where is Wania?"

Wania was a senior servant of the Stark household who adored her. In the past, whenever she visited, Wania would always cook her favorite dishes and prepare her favorite fruits.

Detecting the faint scent of alcohol on Tony Stark, Kate Bishop instructed a maid to brew a pot of hangover tea. Hearing Chloe's question, she replied, "Wania's grandson fell ill, so she took the day off."

Tony Stark leaned back exhaustedly against the sofa, his peripheral vision drifting toward Chloe at the dining table. The youthful innocence on her face had entirely faded. Dressed in a white dress that accentuated her porcelain-fair skin, her features looked sharp and exquisite.

She had lost a significant amount of weight. The baby fat that used to round her face was completely gone, replaced by a slender, pointed chin. Because she was so thin, her eyes appeared even larger-just as dark, bright, and clear as they had always been.

Chloe had a small appetite to begin with. After taking just a few bites, she set her fork down.

Noticing the food was barely touched, Sia asked, "Miss Bishop, is the food not to your liking?"

That shouldn't be, she thought. Everything was cooked according to her old preferences.

Before Chloe could answer, Tony Stark suddenly chimed in, "Eating too much at night isn't good for digestion."

The moment the words left his mouth, Chloe lifted her head and looked straight at him. His chest tightened.

From the moment he had stepped through the door until now, she had treated him as if he were completely invisible.