MasukShare
167 Time is running out
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-19 17:50:28
Bab terkait
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 168 A truth too costly
Collins’ POVThe USB sits on my desk, small and unassuming, yet holding the weight of everything. I stare down at it, my mind pulling me back to my mind pulling back to that night, the moment Eva’s carefully guarded secrets came tumbling out. I can still see her sitting across from me, wringing her hands, her eyes darting around like a cornered animal.At first, she tried to lie. But I pushed. Hard. Until she finally broke.And then she said it. A name that refuses to leave my mind.Cynthia Castillo.My stomach twists. Cynthia. Alexander’s wife.How? What’s the connection?No matter how much I try to piece it together, I can’t make sense of it. The weight of the revelation presses down on me, a sickening mix of shock and realization.I exhale sharply, dragging a hand down my face. My gaze drops again to the USB on the table—the proof of everything. Eva’s confession. Her forced admission that she orchestrated the scandal, that she lied and destroyed Aria’s reputation for money.I made
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-20Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 169 Shadowed intentions
Isabel’s POVThe door bursts open without warning. Christine strides in, her face set in a grim expression that sends a ripple of tension through me. Whatever it is, it’s going to be big. I can feel it.She approaches with measured steps, her heels clicking against the polished floor, and drops an iPad onto my desk with deliberate force. “The voice analysis is completed,” she announces, her voice even but laced with significance. “It’s been confirmed. It’s indeed Eva Langley.”The air shifts. My breath catches, and a sharp sigh escapes me as I sink back into my chair. I clench my fist slightly, nodding once. I knew it. My gut had been right all along. But what I still can’t understand is the connection between Eva and Aria. Why would Eva go to such lengths over a matter she’s already taken to court? Is this just about tarnishing Aria’s image? Or is there something more?Christine pulls me from my thoughts. “About the court issues between Miss Aria and Eva,” she says, tilting her head.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-20Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 170 She’s up
Isabel’s POVCollins pulls on his jacket, his movements unhurried, deliberate. He clears his throat, then takes the seat directly opposite me, leaning back with an air of easy confidence. His sharp gaze locks onto mine, a slow smirk tugging at his lips.“Wow, Miss Claire Montgomery,” he drawls, his tone laced with amusement. “I never knew I could be of help to you someday.”I chuckle softly, shaking my head. He hasn’t changed. Collins was always quick with words, sharp and calculating, even back when I was married to his best friend. He had a way of baiting people, setting traps with nothing but his tone, and watching them walk right in.Facing him now feels like stepping into a familiar battlefield, but I push the feeling aside. I straighten, my expression cool.“I’m going to cut to the point, Mr. Collins West,” I say smoothly, meeting his gaze. “I’m not here for myself.”His smirk deepens, but before he can respond, I continue.“Where is Eva Langley?”The name lands between us like
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-21Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 171 One weapon left
Collins’ POVThere’s something sharp about Isabel—something that was always there, even when she was just Isabel. But she never wielded it the way she does now. It was there, buried beneath the surface. And now, as Claire, she doesn’t hold it back. She watches me, waiting for my next move, like she’s already ten steps ahead.She’s here for answers. That much is clear. But what she doesn’t realize is that she’s not the only one searching for them.I let her speak, watching as she lays out her accusations with cold precision. There’s no hesitation in her voice when she brings up Eva Langley, no flicker of doubt when she says there’s a warrant out for her arrest. She’s not here to negotiate—she’s here to make demands.Typical Claire.But then she says a name.Aria.It’s a name I’ve been trying to push aside, to pretend doesn’t affect me. Yet, the moment it leaves her lips, I feel it—the tightening in my chest, the unwanted rush of memory. The last time I saw Aria, she was lying in a hosp
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-22Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 172 The hidden piece
Collins’ POVIsabel stands stiffly, her arms crossed over her chest, fingers gripping her sleeves like she’s holding herself together. Her jaw is tight, lips pressed into a thin line, but it’s her eyes that give her away—darting, searching, calculating. She’s worried. Tense. And she’s trying to hide it.I watch the way her shoulders rise and fall in a slow, controlled breath, but it does little to ease the tension running through her frame. Her gaze flickers toward Aria, just for a second, before she pulls it away, as if she can’t afford to linger. But I see it—the pain buried deep in her eyes.And that’s what makes this even harder.I shouldn’t be hesitating. My loyalty should be clear. Alexander has always been my closest friend, the one I should stand by no matter what. But then there’s Aria. Aria, who never asked for any of this. Aria, who’s being misunderstood, trapped in a storm someone else created.I rake a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. Maybe this is it. Maybe this is
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-23Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 173 A shift
Isabel’s POVCollins’ words send a jolt through me. Eva is missing.I tense, my mind racing. Could he be lying? Another trick to divert attention? No—he’s the only one who knew where she was. So why now? Why this sudden disappearance?Then, he says my name.“Isabel.”The way he calls me—low, steady, familiar—makes me turn toward him without a second thought. It’s the same way he used to say my when I was still married to Alexander. The echo of it stirs something deep within me, a reflex I can’t quite shake. But I push it aside, my gaze sharp, expectant.He wouldn’t call me like that without a good reason.Then I see it—the small drive in his hand.“This contains all of Eva’s confession,” Collins says, his voice even, controlled.For a moment, I don’t know how to feel. Relief? Because this could finally clear Aria’s name. Or suspicion? Because how was this possible?Eva was determined, ruthless. She was ready to go all in to ruin Aria’s image. She wouldn’t have given this confession so
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-24Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 174 More than words
Roy’s POVRelief settles in my chest as I watch Aria, now stable, resting against the pillows. The weight of not knowing if she’d make it through the night finally lifts. I glance toward Isabel, expecting to see the same relief mirrored in her expression.And I do.She looks at me, her eyes soft in a way that sends a strange warmth through me. As the doctor finishes his final instructions and leaves the room, silence follows. Isabel doesn’t say much, just a small nod in my direction, but something lingers in her gaze—something unreadable.I notice the way her attention shifts, her body tensing slightly, as if she’s suddenly somewhere else in her mind. Before I can ask, she exhales and murmurs, “I’ll… I’ll be outside.” A quick motion toward the door, and she’s gone.I watch the space she just occupied, a frown tugging at my brows, but Aria’s soft sigh pulls me back.Minutes drag on as I help her lie back down, adjusting the blanket over her. Her breathing steadies, her lashes flutterin
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 175 Before the storm
Collins’ POVMy hands tighten into fists as I step closer, rage surging through my veins like fire.“What right do you have?” My voice is razor-sharp, cutting through the air as I glare at Cynthia. “What gives you the damn right to do this to Aria?”She flinches but recovers fast, lifting her chin like she’s untouchable. But she isn’t—not today.I lunge before I can stop myself, my fingers wrapping around her throat, squeezing. Hard. She gasps, her nails clawing at my hand, desperate for breath. But I don’t let go. Not yet.“You ruined her,” I growl, my grip tightening. “Destroyed her business, humiliated her—why, Cynthia? Why the hell would you do that?”Her eyes widen, panic flashing across her face as she struggles, her legs kicking against the floor. She wheezes, lips parting like she wants to say something, but no words come out.A rush of satisfaction coils in my gut, but then—“Collins!”A voice slices through the fog of rage, distant at first, then clearer.“Collins, man, snap
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-26
Bab terbaru
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 218 Her Grip, My Fight
Isabel’s POVI finally manage to push myself out of the living room, my legs moving before my mind catches up. The moment the heavy doors open, a gust of fresh air hits me like a slap—cold and sharp, and far too late. My lungs welcome it greedily, but my chest still feels tight, like I’m dragging a thousand bricks behind me. I stop at the top of the stairs, watching as Sabrina is shoved into the back of a police car. Her hands are cuffed, her head lowered, her face blank. No screams. No explanations. Just silence.This isn’t what I wanted.A hard lump settles in my throat as I stare at her. I didn’t come here for this. I didn’t want Sabrina to take the fall, not like this. Now that she’s confessed… how the hell am I going to prove Cynthia’s hand in any of this?“Damn it,” I mutter under my breath, my fist clenching tightly at my side as frustration coils hot beneath my skin.Then—“What’s gotten you thinking so hard like this?”The voice slices through my thoughts like a jagged knife.
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 217 Twisted confessions
Isabel’s POVI scoff, folding my arms as I shift my gaze to Sabrina. “What are you trying to do, Sabrina?” My voice slices through the room, low but sharp. “How dare you lie—or worse, try to twist the truth in front of everyone here?”The officers watch, unmoving, as I take a breath, trying to hold onto the edge of control. I turn to them, my tone firm, voice steady. “Don’t mind her. I’m sure she’s been made to say all this. The Sabrina I know wouldn’t take the blame for something she didn’t do. Not like this. Besides,” I pause, looking pointedly at her, “how does she explain the evidence we have? The link we found between the Castillos and the person in question? This isn’t a story you can bury with theatrics.For a flicker of a second—barely a heartbeat—I see it. Shock. A flicker that flits across her face before it’s gone, replaced by a scoff. Slow. Hollow. She lands her gaze on me, eyes unreadable, digging into something I can’t quite understand. But there’s something off. The way
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 216 Subtle shift
Isabel’s POVI descend the stairs with fury pulsing through every step, my heels clicking sharply against the polished marble. Each thud feels like a countdown. My jaw is clenched tight, my fists balled at my sides, nails digging into my palms. I don’t care. Let it hurt. It grounds me.Halfway down, I hear her voice.“Where are you going to?” my mother asks, stepping into view at the foot of the stairs, her brows drawn in concern, eyes searching mine.I don’t answer immediately. Instead, I pause, inhaling a deep, shuddering breath through my nose, as if I can exhale all this rage, all this pain. My hands tighten by my sides again, trembling. It’s the only thing keeping me from screaming.She notices the silence, but doesn’t push. Instead, she raises the phone in her hand. “Your father called. He’s planning to return as soon as he heard the news.”I look at her now, startled, as if those words punch a hole in the emotional armor I’ve barely held together.“He’s worried,” she continues g
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 215 In Her stillness
Alexander’s POVI’m gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles are pale. Buildings blur past my window as I drive, but my mind is stuck on Collins’ words—each one echoing like a slow, burning fuse.It’s Sabrina. Your mother.Could she have really done it?My jaw clenches as I press harder on the gas. The engine hums louder beneath me, but it doesn’t drown out the flood of thoughts crashing in my head.She never wanted me to marry Isabel. From the very beginning, my mother made it painfully clear—Isabel wasn’t good enough, not for me, not for our family. She despised everything about her. Her upbringing. Her background. The fact that she was poor. A nobody. Someone who didn’t fit into our world.She never forgave me for choosing Isabel anyway.And then I remember—that night.We were arguing in her study room. She’d been furious about how useless Isabel was during a family crisis—said she just stood there, quiet, offering nothing of value. That she had no strength, no presence,
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 214 Fragments of the truth
Collins’ POVI look up, raising an eyebrow as I meet Alexander’s gaze. “So… you want me to get details on this vehicle?” I ask, tapping the paper he just slid across my desk, my tone dry, disbelieving.Alexander shifts his weight from one foot to the other, slowly nodding. But it’s the kind of nod that screams reluctance—like he still can’t believe the words are coming from his own mouth.I scoff. “You came back after storming out last time, pissed at the world, and now you want me to run a plate number on a bike?” I let the silence hang, thick and heavy, watching him squirm as he avoids saying what we both know he came here for.He doesn’t answer.Instead, he pinches the bridge of his nose, and that’s when I know—he’s wrestling with it. The discomfort is all over his face. I’ve known Alexander long enough to recognize when something’s eating him from the inside.I sigh, sinking deeper into my seat, locking my fingers together. “What’s your connection with this plate number?” I ask, s
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 213 Blood turns ice
Cynthia’s POVI pace the room, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor, every step slicing through the heavy, choking silence.My mind won’t stop spinning, crashing back to Alexander’s words from last night. His tone, his stubbornness, the way he said he was going to start digging into the past. Into the truth.Panic twists inside me.If he really starts poking around, he will find it.He will find me.How I carefully, ruthlessly created a rift between him and Isabel.How I built lie upon lie, wound after wound, all to keep them apart forever.No.I shake my head fiercely, biting down hard on my thumbnail, pacing faster.That can’t happen.For years, I’ve endured—fought—to keep the truth buried. I’ve planted doubts, fueled betrayals, sowed distrust like a second skin between them.And yet—Why does fate keep spinning the damn wheel back to them?No matter how far apart I tear them, no matter how well I bury the past, something—something—always shoves them back toward each o
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 212 The truth that broke us
Isabel’s POV“Claire…” My mother’s voice breaks, hoarse with grief. “How could you have been going through all of this alone?” Her eyes are wide with pain, hands trembling as they reach toward me but stop halfway. “Countless times, Claire. Countless times you were attacked, and you just… you just hid it from me?”Tears spill freely down her cheeks as she steps closer, her voice rising into a sharp, helpless wail. “How did you think I would feel as your mother—knowing you’ve been living through all this, silently bleeding, and I never knew? And now… now I find out you’d planned to use yourself as bait at the event?” She clutches her chest like her heart might tear in two. “Why, Claire? Why didn’t you tell me?”I snap—not out of anger, but from the pressure of everything I’ve been holding in.“Because I was scared, Mom!” I cry, my voice raw and cracking. “Scared of seeing you this way. Scared that I’d shatter you.”Her breathing falters, but I push through the lump in my throat.“I know
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 211 Whatever it takes
Alexander’s POVThe door clicks open as I step inside the house with Mother.The soft tune of a jazz song floats through the living room, slow and airy like the aftermath of a toast. Cynthia dances alone—wine in hand, hair loosely pinned, her dress glinting in the light as if she’s celebrating something only she knows.My jaw clenches.I walk straight to the speaker and turn off the music.She turns slowly, surprised, raising her glass mid-air like she just noticed us.“Oh… you’re back?” she says lightly, her tone breezy. “The event’s already over?”Something in her voice irks me. I don’t miss the sly curiosity behind her words.I stare at her. My mind replays the scene—the flash of her slipping out through the hotel hallway, the way she avoided every gaze.I know what I saw.“Where were you today, Cynthia?” I ask, voice sharp.She scoffs, laughing without humor.“Impossible. Where else would I be?”Lies. I can see it in the flicker of her eyes.If you lie to me now, Cynthia, I’ll tak
Ex-husband’s Regret: Revenge So Sweet 210 Because of me
Isabel’s POVI’m still frozen—still in shock—barely able to feel my own breath, much less the dull ache spreading across my chest. The only thing louder than the sound of my pulse is the voice that suddenly rips through the air.“Is this the plan you were talking about? I thought your plan was to avenge Cynthia for all she’s done. How come you had Roy involved in it too?”The voice is raw. Strained. Like it clawed its way up from a place of pain. Each word crashes into me like thunder, louder as the footsteps draw closer. And then… we all turn.Aria.Her red-rimmed eyes land on me with blistering intensity. Her face is crimson, cheeks flushed with rage, and her fists are clenched tight by her sides like she’s fighting every urge to lash out. Her chest heaves, her shoulders rigid with emotion.The silence becomes deafening. Every head turns as she walks forward—past the nurses, past the waiting chairs—right into the center of the tension. No one moves. No one speaks. We just watch, hel
