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Fecha de publicación:
2026-10-03 04:40:24
Último capítulo
Fake Death of the Stand-In Ex-Wife 40
ValeriaThe heavy brass bolt slid home with a solid, echoing thud.Inside the palatial bathroom, the air was warm, smelling of cedarwood, steam, and lavender bath salts. The roaring terror of the past week—the severed brake lines, Eleanor’s venomous ultimatums, Miller’s armed guards pacing the perimeter, and Maya’s manila envelope hidden beneath the mattress—finally fell away, locked on the other side of four inches of solid oak.I turned the brass faucets until the steaming water rose to the brim of the deep clawfoot tub.I stripped off the oversized cashmere sweater and stepped into the water. The heat enveloped me, soaking into my aching joints, loosening the knot of exhaustion that had pulled my spine taut for days. I slid down until the water lapped against my collarbones, letting my head rest against the porcelain edge.Beneath the clear surface, my hands drifted down to rest over my lower stomach.The swell was still subtle, barely noticeable to anyone who didn't know what to l
Fake Death of the Stand-In Ex-Wife 39
ValeriaThe property was a secluded, gated limestone villa situated on five heavily wooded acres along the bluffs of the Hudson. It wasn't Hayes Estate; it was Tobias’s personal acquisition, completely detached from the family trust.After seeing the sliced brake line resting inside Detective Harris’s evidence bag, the raw terror in my chest had silenced my objections. I had agreed to go with him. The thought of another sabotaged vehicle, another sudden failure of steel and asphalt, made my hands shake so violently I couldn't hold a glass of water without spilling it.Here, the perimeter was sealed like a military installation. Iron security gates flanked by private guards in dark tactical suits, motion sensors lining the stone walls, and security cameras tracking every foot of the gravel driveway.Tobias had established an impenetrable perimeter to keep his grandmother out.Yet, within forty-eight hours, the fortress began to reveal its true shape.On Tuesday morning, I sat by the fl
Fake Death of the Stand-In Ex-Wife 38
ValeriaThe rain had let up, leaving the city slick and gleaming under an overcast sky. Maya was at the gallery handling an intake shipment, so I had booked a licensed rideshare to take me to Dr. Ross’s clinic for a routine checkup.We were descending the sloping curve of the expressway off-ramp toward the east side when the driver suddenly stiffened."What the..." he muttered, stomping his right foot.A sharp squeal of metal echoed beneath the chassis, followed by a sickening, hollow pop. The brake pedal went straight to the floorboard."Hold on!" the driver yelled, his voice cracking in sheer panic.The car picked up speed down the wet incline, hurtling toward a line of stopped freight trucks waiting at the red light below. The steering wheel shook violently in his hands.My heart leaped straight into my throat. Instinct took over before my brain could process the terror—I curled forward, tucking my chin against my chest, throwing both arms around my stomach to shield my midsection,
Fake Death of the Stand-In Ex-Wife 37
TobiasThe wrought-iron gates of Hayes Estate parted slowly in the headlights of my sedan, grinding against wet gravel like teeth.I didn't hand my keys to the valet. I slammed the driver’s side door shut and took the front steps of the west wing three at a time. The heavy double doors gave way beneath my palms, rattling against the brass stops as I crossed the black-and-white marble foyer."Mr. Tobias?" Mrs. Gable gasped from the corridor, clutching a silver tray to her chest. "Mrs. Hayes has already retired to the—""Get out of the way," I growled, not breaking stride.I marched down the gallery, threw open the high walnut doors of Eleanor’s private sitting room, and let them crash against the wainscoting.The room was warm, smelling of dried lavender, wax, and expensive bergamot tea. Eleanor was sitting by the hearth in a charcoal robe, a leather-bound ledger resting in her lap. Her reading glasses hung from a silver chain around her neck, and her silver-topped cane leaned against
Fake Death of the Stand-In Ex-Wife 36
ValeriaThe vow had barely left Tobias’s lips before the shift began.It wasn't a slow transformation; it happened in the blink of an eye. The vulnerable man whose hand had hovered three inches from my stomach vanished, replaced instantly by the commander of the Hayes empire taking control of a crisis."Pack a bag," Tobias said, turning toward the hallway, already pulling his phone from his trouser pocket. "We’re leaving this apartment tonight. I have a private penthouse in Midtown—high-rise, keycard elevators, biometric access from the lobby to the roof. Miller will place four armed guards on the floor, and I’ll have Dr. Vance bring an obstetrics team to examine you by morning."I stood rooted to the worn floorboards of Maya’s living room, watching him pace toward the window, his voice clipped and authoritative as he prepared to dial his head of security.A cold, familiar dread crept up the back of my neck."Stop," I said.Tobias paused, his thumb hovering over the screen. He turned
Fake Death of the Stand-In Ex-Wife 35
ValeriaThe question hung in the narrow living room like a blade poised to drop.Is the baby mine?Maya stood frozen near the kitchen threshold, her hands clutched against her mouth. The hum of the refrigerator seemed to die down, leaving only the sound of rain lashing against the thin windowpanes and the rough, ragged cadence of Tobias’s breathing.His dark eyes were fixed on me with an intensity that burned through every defense I had left. He looked raw, stripped of every ounce of corporate armor—a man standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for a single word to push him over or pull him back.My lips parted. My throat felt as though it were lined with sand."Yes, Tobias," I whispered.The syllable was small, barely louder than a breath, but in the silence of the room, it carried the weight of an earthquake."Yes," I repeated, my voice finding a fragile, defiant strength as I met his gaze. "I am pregnant. And it is yours."I kept my chin lifted, keeping the rest locked away behind
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