His forgotten wife, his greatest regret
Iridessa saved Maya Wilder from drowning and was rewarded with a cold, contract marriage to a man who despised her. For three years, she was the hidden brain behind Wilder Tech, building an empire for a husband who thought she was a social climber and a family that treated her like a servant. Every day, his first love, Malani, sent her photos of their "affair," and every day, Iridessa stayed—until the night Malani drugged Slade.
When Iridessa tried to help her incapacitated husband, the night ended in a passion he wouldn't remember. By morning, the sweetness turned to ash. Slade accused Iridessa of drugging him to trap him, and a final, violent confrontation with his sister became Iridessa's wake-up call. She walked out of the mansion, stripped off the clothes his family bought her, and disappeared.
Five years later, the Wilder empire is crumbling, and they are desperate to meet the mysterious tycoon who bought their debt. When the boardroom doors open, it isn't a man who walks in. It’s Iridessa—no longer a victim, but the billionaire heiress holding the keys to their ruin. She isn't just back for her company; she’s back with a secret that looks exactly like the man who broke her.
Baca
Chapter: Chapter 10: What She NeedsSlade's POVCassian and Iridessa's words echoed in my head long after I stepped out of Sterling Group Headquarters.I stopped at the bottom of the wide marble staircase and stared across the city skyline.They were right. Every logical part of me knew they were right.I had lost the right to demand answers. Lost the right to know where she lived. Lost the right to know who she spent her days with.But there was one problem. I couldn't stop thinking about her, and I refuse to give up so easily.Not when a child is involved. Not when I was losing my mind. I ran a hand through my hair before heading toward my car, which was outside the premises.The ride back to my temporary home took nearly thirty minutes. Thirty miserable minutes I spent replaying every second of my conversation with Iridessa.The worst part wasn't her anger. It wasn't even the fact that she refused to forgive me.The worst part was that she genuinely didn't seem affected by me anymore. It was as if the woman who once
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 9: The Unwelcome VisitorIridessa's POVThe Sterling Group headquarters occupied the top forty floors of one of the tallest buildings in Geneva.Every inch of the structure reflected the influence of the Sterling family. Five years ago, walking through these halls would have intimidated me.Now they simply felt familiar.I stood in my office overlooking the lake, reviewing a proposal from the Asian division while three separate screens displayed market projections for the next quarter. My assistant, Elise, stepped inside carrying a tablet.Her expression was unusual, and I noticed it immediately."What is it?" I asked.She cleared her throat and responded in a low tone. "There's a visitor downstairs requesting a meeting.""I have appointments all afternoon." I said with a frown."He says it's important.""Then he can send an email." I answered without looking up. Elise took a deep breath before responding. "I suggested that, but he refused." That finally got my attention, and I set the document down and tu
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 8: The PastSlade's POVThe Wilder mansion had never felt this quiet before. For most of my life, the house had been filled with noise.Now it seemed like a graveyard.I stood in the grand foyer, staring at the half-empty room while movers carried furniture toward waiting trucks outside. The crystal chandelier still hung overhead, but everything beneath it was disappearing piece by piece.Twenty-four hours. That was all Iridessa had given us. Twenty-four hours to vacate the estate.Five years ago, I would've laughed at anyone who suggested the Wilder family could lose everything.Today, strangers were carrying my mother's favorite antique cabinets out the front door."Be careful with that!"My mother's shrill voice echoed from the second floor."Do you know how much that vase costs?"The mover ignored her. For the first time in her life, money couldn't solve her problems.I should have been focused on the foreclosure, the company, the house, and the mountain of debt.Instead, my mind kept driftin
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 7: The Children Of GenevaIridessa's POVThe moment the private jet touched down in Geneva, I felt the tension slowly beginning to leave my body.The foreclosure meeting had gone exactly as planned. The Wilders were officially finished. Their empire was collapsing exactly the way Cassian and I had designed it to collapse over the last five years.Yet despite that victory, I found myself replaying the expression on Slade's face when he saw the photo on my phone.The look haunted me more than I wanted to admit.I pushed the thought away and looked out the car window. The Sterling Estate eventually came into view.Nestled along the shores of Lake Geneva, the estate looked more like a private kingdom than a home. For five years, this place has been my sanctuary. More importantly, It was home to the only two people in the world who mattered.The moment the front doors opened, a loud voice echoed in the room."Mom!"A tiny body collided with my legs, and I laughed despite myself as Aurora wrapped both arms around
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 6: The Face In The PhotoSlade's POVThe boardroom door clicked shut behind Iridessa. For several seconds, nobody moved, nobody spoke.The silence she left behind was heavier than any argument.I stood at the head of the conference table, staring at the door through which she had disappeared, while the foreclosure papers trembled slightly in my hands.Iridessa Sterling, not Iridessa Wilder.Not the quiet woman who used to wait for me at dinner."Sterling." The name echoed through my skull like a gunshot.One of the most powerful families in Europe.A family whose influence stretched across governments, corporations, and financial institutions.A family I had spent years trying to compete against. And somehow, I had been married to one."What a manipulative little snake."My mother's sharp voice shattered the silence. Penelope slammed both palms onto the table and rose to her feet."I knew there was something wrong with that girl from the beginning. She lied about who she was. She deceived all of us."Maya no
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 5: The Silent ShadowIridessa’s POVThe glass walls of my office in Geneva looked out over the lake, but I barely glanced at the view as I finished reviewing the final audit for the Wilder Tech acquisition, because for five years I had worked toward this specific moment with a focus that left no room for sentiment. I had discovered the pregnancy only weeks after arriving in Switzerland, and while the shock of having twins nearly broke me at first, Ares and Aurora became the reason I rebuilt myself into someone who could never be stepped on again. Cassian walked into the room without knocking, his footsteps heavy on the plush carpet as he dropped a leather-bound folder onto my desk and leaned against the edge of the mahogany surface."The jet is fueled and ready, and the legal team in the city says the Wilders have already arrived at the neutral boardroom, though they still think they’re meeting a male executive from the Sterling Group," Cassian said, his eyes scanning my face for any sign of hesitation,
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-30
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