Ex wife’s return: Claiming the billionaire’s crown

The front door shut quietly behind Scarlett as she walked timidly behind her husband and his family. It had been a long day of one of their unending social events and they had been outside giving fake smiles and poses for the media and newspaper covers. One would think that she would finally have some peace indoors but the fire she faced indoors consumed her more than the 7 hours of blazing sun that burned the back of her neck outdoors.The Ashbournes had long stopped pretending to like her and tonight at the quarterly family dinner hosted at her own marital home, they pretended she didn’t even exist.She sat at the far end of the 12 foot dining table- silent and invisible, hoping that it would all end soon and she would retreat to her room and rest her head. Her back ached but she still sat upright in her custom versace dress, her hair sparkled in expensive diamonds but still she didn’t belong- she never had.“You should really consider a bow tuck , Scarlett“, her mother in law, Chr

Four years later. Napa Valley- California.Sunlight poured through the windows of Scarlett’s estate, dancing across the gleaming Italian floors. Outside, her home was nestled in between rows of lush vineyards that stretched into the hills like something out of a fairytale. A vintage crystal chandelier sparkled above her open-spaced living room and a grand staircase curved at the far end of the room.The air was crisp ,perfumed with a faint mix of grapes, lavender and roses. Scarlett Monroe was no longer the ex wife who was forcefully divorced and sent away or the girl who had scrubbed tables in a rat-infested motel. She was now a self made billionaire and CEO of Monroe Luxe.Co - an elite interior branding company that catered to private jets, luxury hotels and billion-dollar real estate empires. She was wealthy!Her phone buzzed on speaker as she leaned on the edge of her sleek marble counter. Roxy’s voice came through the line, now smoother but unmistakably her. Their friendship ha

The organ’s last notes faded into the silence of the chapel, leaving only the faint rustle of designer fabrics and murmured condolences. The Ashbourne funeral was supposed to be a statement of legacy, but all anyone could think about now was the ghost who had returned wearing heels sharp enough to cut through any pride.Christine’s nails dug into the handle of her designer clutch as she leaned toward her son. Her whisper was anxious with an undertone of fear.“Grant, we cannot let her walk out of here without confronting her.”Grant kept his eyes fixed on Scarlett. She sat three rows ahead, poised in that tailored suit, her back a straight line of defiance. She hadn’t looked at him once the entire service. His throat tightened.“This isn’t the place,” he muttered.“It has to be the place.” Christine’s eyes flashed. “Do you think she came here by accident? She’s taunting us, parading herself in front of the entire city. We corner her before the ceremony ends. Before she slips away.”L

“Who does she think she is to keep us waiting almost an hour?” Christine’s voice cracked through the conference room where her family members all sat. “She sets the date and time and still manages to keep us waiting!”“I think she would show up mother, you need to calm down” Louis muttered, his jaw tight. His gaze shifted to the empty head chair, the one that used to belong to their father. Now it sat waiting-for her.Grant leaned back in his seat, arms folded, expression unreadable. But the slight twitch in his jaw betrayed him. He hadn’t wanted to come. He hadn’t wanted to be trapped in this room with his family-waiting for the ghost of his past to walk in and prove how alive she truly was.He looked at every face along the long table. There were his uncles and aunties and close family lawyers, all expectant- hoping Scarlett was bringing good news. But how good would the news really be for the company if she had a child for Grant but was not willing to involve herself anymore?“Fran

“There’s no way you planned this all for me Grant, and all by yourself?” Scarlett laughed softly, her eyes sparkling as they danced over the candlelit table.The dining table had been transformed-candles flickered in elegant crystal holders, casting golden shadows across polished silverware and a vase of fresh roses, her favorite.Grant, in his shirtsleeves, loosened tie hanging carelessly around his neck, leaned back in his chair with a sly grin.“Why is that so hard to believe? I’m a man of many talents.”“You don’t say “, she raised her brows as she grinned back at him “I married a romantic event planner too, I didn’t see this in your résumé tho, when was this skill added “ she joked.He reached across the table and gently took her hand, his thumb brushing her knuckles as though she was the most delicate thing he’d ever held. “Since I realized I had something worth planning for.”Her giggle slipped into something softer, tender. The kind of sound she never let herself make around a