Chapter: Chapter 36: An Offer Too Good to RefuseAngelicaI woke up feeling so uneasy, the kind that sat there the moment my eyes opened and refused to leave. Lyra’s face kept flashing in my mind — I couldn't still wrap my head around the audacity she presented the contract termination with,I dragged myself out of bed, showered, and got dressed without really thinking about what I was putting on. Black jeans, a plain top, hair pulled back. Nothing special. My reflection in the mirror looked tired. The tracking watch on my wrist glowed a steady green. At least that was one thing not screaming at me this morning.By the time I reached the shop, Skylar was already there, eyes bright and laptop open.“You’re early,” I said, dropping my bag on the desk.“I couldn’t sleep.” She turned the screen toward me. “Look at this.”I leaned in. A new order had come through late last night, one fully customized high-end bike, paid in full through a corporate account. The amount made my eyebrows rise. Then I saw the follow-up message attached to i
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter 35: The Buyer Behind the MaskEthanI stared at Lyra for a long moment, “You met with her,” I repeated, my voice low. “Behind my back. And you tried to end the surrogacy.”She lifted her chin, arms crossed, that familiar defiant spark already burning in her eyes. “I offered her a clean way out. Her brother’s bills would have been covered and she refused." She paused,"Doesn't that tells you everything you need to know about her intentions?”I set my laptop aside slowly, deliberately. The screen still glowed with unfinished work, but none of it mattered right now. “You don’t get to make that decision. The child is mine and the contract too. For goodneed sake, you are not the one carrying it, and you are not the one who decides when it ends.”Lyra let out a short, humorless laugh. “Yours? Funny how quickly you claim it when it suits you. You barely looked at me when we first discussed a surrogate. Now suddenly it’s sacred.”I stood, closing the distance between us until she had to tilt her head back to meet my gaze.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter 34: The War She StartedLyraAngelica's mere presence in this room irritated me. Her facial expressions and the way she sounded like she wanted Ethan here almost got me to sink my nails in her."Just sign the papers. That's the important part... Like I said, your brother's hospital bill will not be added as a debt for you to pay," I said, reassuring her of her fear."Or do you want to tell me that you actually want to be a surrogate mother for my husband?" I asked, making sure I emphasized the word "my husband.""I think he still has to be here, Mrs. Vance." She suddenly pushed the chair back. Looking me in the eye, she said,"I'll have to take my leave now, thank you." Then she walked out of the room.I bit my lips, trying so hard to stay calm.I reached for the envelope on the table and properly shoved the paper back in it before finishing my wine.A dry chuckle escaped my lips as a few thoughts ran through my mind.She definitely doesn't know that she's messy with the wrong person, and this contract that
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter 33: The Agreement from HellAngelicaThe rest of the day went by smoothly. I tried not to overwork myself so I don't feel stressed at the end of the day.After everything, Jax dropped me home, and I spent almost the rest of the day thinking about every event that went on today.It was undeniably good. I mean, at some point we were under a lot of pressure because of the orders, but we were able to pull off a significant amount, and I must say, Jax wasn't really as stern and hard as people might assume him to be; he seemed more soft, I mean softer than I imagined, and I must admit, that side of him was cute.As I settled into my bed, I subconsciously scrolled to his chat and texted, "Hey, are you home now?" I asked, waiting for him to respond, smiling sheepishly at my phone.I didn't even notice this until 5 minutes past, and I still got no reply from him.Finally, I left his chat and sat up, composing myself, "What the hell is wrong with me?" I asked, almost face-slapping myself.Before I could even scold myself
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter 32: The Name on His MindEthanAfter leaving her building, I got to my car while the lawyer who brought in the suitcase hurried to my window. "I'm sure I didn't meet you here on time, sir," he apologized because I waited a while for him to join me here so we could head in together, but he was stalling, and one thing I hate is lateness."Don't let it repeat itself," I said, turning on the engine of my car."It won't, sir. "I promise," he murmured, and then I zoomed off immediately.I drove down to my house and, surprised, I found Caleb on my couch."What the fuck are you doing here?" I thundered, completely enraged."Can't I visit my brother? I mean, it's not like we're at war," he said.I turned to my butler, arching my brows. "Why did you let my brother in? Do you want to lose your job?" I asked,"I'm sorry, sir, but he came in with your wife, so I didn't really have much to say about it," he said immediately. I looked around for my wife, but soon started hearing noises in the kitchen, but before I could mak
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter 31: A Warning in RedAngelica"Ethan, you have to leave; you can't tell me what to do, and I mean it. You have to get your arse out of here," I said. I honestly would have called the security on him, but I couldn't even do that because she let almost everyone in because we couldn't afford them anymore."I won't, and Jax paying for any part of your brother's bill was not part of the deal...""Do you want to know something that wasn't part of the deal too?" I snapped. "You're delaying the hospital bills. "My brother needed it, yet you claimed to be withholding it because you wanted to keep me in line," I said, causing Ethan to narrow his eyes.I was already convinced that he didn't care about any other thing but himself and anything about him."You haven't changed, Ethan, and it's not like I expected you to change, but I want you far away from me. I made that clear: what I decide to do is none of your business," I said, but he refused to listen, claiming that everything I decided to do while this baby is s
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-10
THE HUSBAND WHO ERASED ME
To survive her marriage, she had to play the clueless, dependent housewife, to reclaim her empire, she had to burn his world down.
Clara Vance didn’t give up her corporate throne because she was weak; she stepped away to raise her daughter and build a family, she handed the reins of Vance Innovations to her husband, Mark, who spent the next three years playing the flawless, devoted partner but Clara’s illusion shatters the night she spots him holding another woman on a local livestream while claiming to be on a business trip.
When Clara investigates, she uncovers a chilling truth: Mark hasn’t just betrayed their marriage. He has systematically erased her identity, forged her signature to steal her inheritance, and installed another woman at her company under the title "Mrs. Vance."
Left with nothing, Clara makes a lethal choice. She will smile, cook his dinners, and play the trusting wife but in the shadows, she aligns with Damon Steele, a ruthless billionaire investor and Mark’s biggest rival.
Wrapped in a web of corporate espionage, high-stakes blackmail, and an undeniable, burning attraction, Clara must systematically dismantle her husband’s life before he realizes the wife he thought he destroyed is the architect of his demise.
Baca
Chapter: Chapter 4: My Name Was Stolen"Are you sure you don't want me to stay home with you today?" Mark asked, adjusting his silk tie in the hallway mirror, he turned to me, his expression radiating that perfect, manufactured concern. "You looked so pale last night, Clara. You’ve been so on edge lately, i really think you should just rest, read a book, and let your mind relax.""I'll be fine, Mark," I lied smoothly, handing him his leather briefcase the same briefcase that held the foil packet I had discovered less than twenty-four hours ago. "I'm just going to do some gardening in the backyard and maybe take a nap, you go to work, I know you have a busy day.""I do, unfortunately," he sighed, leaning in to press a tender kiss to my forehead. "I'm buried in executive meetings until six. I'll call you at lunch, okay? I love you.""I love you too," I replied, the words tasting like ash on my tongue.I stood in the doorway and watched his car disappear down the street, the second his taillights vanished, I turned around and
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 3: The Woman in My Place"Two days ago?" I echoed, my voice barely a whisper in the empty kitchen. "Sarah, that's impossible, two days ago, Mark was supposedly trapped in a hotel room in Chicago.""Clara, I'm telling you, I was downtown, and I saw him," Sarah said, her voice dropping lower, sounding frantic. "He was getting into a black car outside the Grand Azure Lounge and Clara... he wasn't alone, he was with…"Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through Sarah’s side of the phone, followed by a man's sharp voice calling her name.Sarah gasped. "I have to go, i can't talk right now.""Wait! Sarah, who was he with?" I demanded, gripping the granite counter. "Who did you see?""Meet me at the corner café near my office at noon," Sarah rushed out. "Don't tell Mark we're speaking. Please, Clara."The line went dead.I stood in the kitchen, shocked and confused, The Grand Azure Lounge, the exact same rooftop bar where I had seen the man in the suit on the livestream last night. Mark had sworn he was freezing in Chicag
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 2: The Lie I Wasn’t Supposed to SeeThe glowing white text box on the lock screen burned into my retinas.Did she find out?My pulse pounded in my ears, completely drowning out the quiet hum of the bedroom's air conditioning, the profound relief I had felt just hours ago shattered like thin glass, Wives who were completely respected by their husbands didn't have anonymous numbers texting them at 3:00 AM asking about what they knew.I reached out, my fingers trembling slightly, wanting to swipe the screen and unlock the phone, i knew his passcode, it was Lily’s birthday.Before my fingertips could brush the glass, Mark shifted heavily in the sheets.I instantly snatched my hand back, freezing in place, Mark groaned, blinking his eyes open. He rubbed his face, looking disoriented in the dark, before his gaze fell on me sitting straight up in bed."Clara?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "What's wrong? Why are you awake?""Your phone lit up," I said, forcing my voice to remain perfectly steady, I pointed to the nig
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 1:The Perfect HusbandOur daughter, Lily, was fast asleep in her nursery, and I was curled up on the living room sofa, nursing a cup of chamomile tea, while watching my favourite soap opera.My phone vibrated against the cushion, it was a livestream link from an old college friend: Grand Azure Lounge Grand Opening…Rooftop VIP Stream.I tapped the screen absently, expecting to see a crowd of local socialites, the camera panned across the dimly lit rooftop patio, sweeping past glass tables and bottle-service sparklers, then, the lens focused on the VIP glass railing.My tea sloshed over the rim of the mug, burning my knuckles from what I saw next, standing by the railing was a man in a bespoke suit, his hand was resting intimately on the bare waist of a woman wearing a backless crimson silk dress, i didn't need to see his full face to know the slope of those shoulders, i knew the way he leaned in when he laughed, I recognized the custom sterling silver cufflinks flashing under the patio lights..I had bought
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-28
Chapter: Chapter Ten: What Sophie OwedI was still gripping the steering wheel when I pulled up outside Rosewood Florals twelve minutes later, my heart going harder than the short drive should have earned, Sophie's silhouette visible through the front window arranging something she clearly wasn't paying attention to.She looked up when the bell over the door rang, and whatever composure she'd managed to piece back together since the warehouse lot fell apart the second she saw my face."Elena." She set down the flowers in her hands too fast, a few stems scattering across the counter. "What's wrong?""I saw you," I said, before she could find a way to talk us both out of the conversation. "In the parking lot by the old print shop. I saw Daniel give you something."She didn't bother denying it. She walked past me, flipped the sign on the door to closed in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon, something she told me once she'd never done in six years of owning the place, and locked it behind her with hands that were still shaking.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter Nine: Caught TogetherThe reply came at seven fourteen, before Daniel's alarm had even gone off, Helen Reyes's name sitting plain and unhurried at the top of my inbox like it hadn't just rearranged the next three hours of my life. Based on what you've described, I'd like to see you today if possible. I have an opening at ten. Please bring the documents.I told Daniel I had a dentist appointment. He didn't even look up from his coffee.I was three blocks from her office, early for the first time in my life for a meeting I still wasn't sure I had the nerve to walk into, when Daniel's car passed me going the opposite direction. Not toward downtown, where his calendar said he'd be in back to back meetings until six. Toward the old warehouse district, where nothing but a few converted lofts and a diner that never seemed to close had any business existing.I turned the car around before I decided to.I kept three cars back the whole way, the way I imagined people did in movies, my hands steadier than I expected
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter Eight: The DocumentI didn't remember walking back through the lobby, or handing Jenna my visitor badge, or driving the first ten minutes home. The next clear thing I remembered was sitting in my own driveway with the engine off, the flash drive balanced on my knee, trying to work up the nerve to plug it into my laptop like it might detonate the second I did.It didn't detonate. It just opened, quiet and ordinary, a handful of PDFs with names like filing_june and retreat_photos_2024, and I sat there in the driver's seat scrolling through eight years of a company I used to help run with my own hands, looking for the exact moment I had apparently stopped mattering to it.I went up to the attic before I'd even taken off my coat.I found our old file box exactly where I remembered it, the same gray banker's box I'd packed before we moved into this house, label still in my own handwriting on the side. Company, legal, keep forever. I hadn't opened it in eight years, and the tape across the top had yellowed eno
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter Seven: What Priya KnewDiane set both coffees down on an empty desk still cluttered with someone else's abandoned nameplate and leaned back against it, arms crossed, the same posture Priya had used in that conference room twenty minutes earlier. I was starting to recognize it as the posture people used right before they told me something they'd rather not say out loud."Okay," she said. "Talk to me. What did Priya say to you in there?""Nothing, really. That's the problem." I set the card down on the desk between us, Priya Vale, Client Relations, like it might explain itself better than I could. "She told me it's not what I think, but it's also not nothing, and then her phone rang and she left before I could ask what that was even supposed to mean."Diane didn't look surprised, which told me more than anything she said next."I was thinking about what you asked me, on the phone a couple weeks back," I went on. "About coming back here. I wanted to understand what I'd actually be coming back to. Who's running
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter Six: Mrs. ValeThe woman behind me was Priya.Not the Priya who let herself into my kitchen with a key I never remembered giving her. This Priya wore a charcoal suit I didn't recognize, heels that clicked with real authority instead of borrowed confidence, and a smile that settled into place the instant she saw me. For one disorienting second, relief almost beat out the fear, because a familiar face is a familiar face no matter the circumstances. Then I remembered what the receptionist had just called her."Elena." Priya's voice dropped half an octave, warmer and steadier than I'd ever heard it at my own kitchen counter. "What a surprise.""She was just about to surprise Daniel," the receptionist said helpfully, looking between us, sensing something was wrong but not able to name it. Jenna, her badge read, the same name that four months hadn't been quite long enough to make her careful."Mrs. Vale," I said, testing the words out loud for the first time. "That's what she called you."Priya's laugh ca
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-11
Chapter: Chapter Five: The Name on the DoorThe sign out front had changed since I'd last stood underneath it.Ashford & Vale Holdings had been carved into that stone for eleven years, my maiden name first, because Daniel had insisted on it back when insisting on things like that still felt romantic instead of strategic. Now it just said Vale. Fresh lettering, the old grooves sanded smooth enough that a stranger would never guess anything had ever been written there before. I stood on the sidewalk longer than I meant to, looking up at a building I'd once picked the marble for, feeling like a ghost that had wandered back into its own haunted house.The lobby hadn't changed as much, the same soaring atrium, the same wall of glass I used to watch the sunset through while pretending to review quarterly numbers I already understood better than the men presenting them. But the guard at the front desk was new, twenty-something, polite in the specific way of someone who has never once been told who I am."Can I help you?""I'm here to
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-28
Masuk
