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23. THE DRIVE HOME
publish date:
2026-06-18 20:36:11
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My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 200. THE HIGH BEAMS OF THE EASTERN HEARTH
THEO’S POVThe warm, steady rain had cleared by mid-morning, leaving the high pine forest dripping with fragrant water and draped in thick veils of low-hanging mist.David, Marcus, and I trudged up the steep timber track beyond the upper pasture, our double-bitted felling axes slung over our shoulders and two heavy iron crosscut saws wrapped in oiled canvas slung across our backs. Behind us, the two pairs of oxen hauled a heavy oak timber-sled, their hooves sinking into the dark, damp pine needles.Three hundred yards above the orchard line stood a grove of ancient white cedars straight grained, tight-ringed, and naturally resistant to rot."This is the stand Thomas planted his mark on three winters ago," David said, halting the oxen near a towering eighty-foot cedar with a trunk three feet thick. He scraped away a patch of damp moss near the base to reveal Thomas's carved timber mark: a broad square with three vertical lines. "Dry heartwood. Perfect for the tie-beams and the ridge
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 199. THE FIRST STONE OF THE NEW HEARTH
ARIA'S POVThe morning after the pack train's return, the valley awoke to a sky the color of crushed slate, cool and heavy with the promise of late spring rain.Instead of dampening the estate, the overcast sky brought a focused, quiet urgency to the yard. Before the sun had even cleared the eastern crags, the ring of Kat’s anvil was answered by the steady, rhythmic thud of wooden mallets and the scraping of iron spades up on the eastern slope.Three hundred yards from the main house, where the second terrace met the natural granite outcropping of the mountain, Aaron stood beside Thomas, Kat, and Silas.They were laying out the foundation lines for a new stone cottage.Aaron held a long, notched pine rod, his eyes following the taut hemp string Silas had stretched between four corner stakes. For six years, Aaron’s home had been a shifting shelter of driftwood, rusted tin, and damp canvas down by the coastal salt marshes. Here, his boots rested on solid granite, and the soil beneath
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 198. THE RETURN TO THE GORGE
ARIA'S POVThe copper bell mounted at the timber bridge rang out three long, clear chimes just as the high western crags cast their deep indigo shadows over the floor of the valley.The sound echoed off the granite cliffs, sharp and resonant, cutting through the quiet hum of the evening terrace."They're through the lower bend!" Silas shouted down from his perch on the woodshop roof, waving his canvas cap in wild, sweeping arcs against the sunset before scrambling down the timber ladder two rungs at a time.The entire household spilled down the broad stone steps twenty people now, moving in a warm, eager wave down the terraced hillside. Aaron and Clara walked alongside Elizabeth and Nora, their faces bright with an anticipation that had only grown over the past two days. Little Sean ran ahead of us all, his small leather boots clicking excitedly on the smooth gravel track, pointing toward the lower orchard path where the pine trees opened into the canyon gap."Careful on the bridge,
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 197. THE ASCENT UP THE BLACKWATER
THEO'S POVThe return climb was always slower, but the mules moved with a lighter, steadier cadence.The seven heavy cedar trade chests were gone, left behind at the brick kilns of Port Mercer to be unlatched, unpacked, and emptied into thirty-two eager pairs of hands. In their place on the broad leather pack-saddles were four tightly bound canvas sacks of coarse grey sea-salt, two kegs of lamp oil recovered from an old harbor vault, and a heavy bundle of seasoned copper wire David had managed to trade from Old Peter's storehouse.By ten in the morning, the heavy coastal fog that had clung to the marshy river mouth had fully burned away under the rising sun.The sky turned a hard, brilliant blue, setting the steep red sandstone walls of the Blackwater Cut a glow like massive iron furnace plates."Hold the train at the boulder shelf, David," I called back over my shoulder, pulling the brim of my oiled slouch hat down to block the blinding glare off the red rock wall.David clicked his
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 196. THE SEATED TABLE EXPANDS
ARIA'S POVBy five in the afternoon, the sun had settled into the deep saddle between the western peaks, washing the terrace stone in a rich, honeyed light.The long ash table was set under the broad porch overhang. For six years, seventeen chairs had held the perimeter of the twenty-four-foot board. Today, Silas brought two sturdy oak benches up from the timber shop, setting them along the sunlit side of the table to make room for three more.Their names were Aaron, Clara, and little Sean.Clara sat near the center of the board, her thin fingers cradling a wooden bowl of hot broth as if she couldn't quite believe the steam rising from its surface. Beside her, Sean sat on a sheepskin cushion, his small hands holding a thick wedge of warm rye bread spread with fresh butter and wild honey. He ate with an intense, quiet focus, his eyes darting cautiously around the faces seated along the wood."Slowly, sweet boy," Elizabeth said softly, leaning over to refill his tin cup with sweet go
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 195. THE SHADOW AT THE LOWER ARCH
ARIA'S POVBy mid-morning, the valley was drenched in heavy, humid warmth that drew a thick, sweet mist off the freshly watered garden beds.Up on the terrace, Nora and Elizabeth were laying out woven straw mats over the young green shoots to protect them from the harsh midday sun. Down in the forge pit, the rhythmic CLANG-CLANK of Kat’s hammer had slowed to a steady, measured beat as she and Silas worked on drawn-iron hinges for the main granary doors.I was down near the orchard wall, carrying a basket of dried lavender to line the cold-storage bins, when the brass bell at the timber bridge gave two short, clear chimes.My heart took a sharp leap against my ribs. It wasn't the rapid, clattering rhythm of the pack mules returning from the south, nor was it the heavy three-chime warning for mountain storm winds. It was the simple, single-stroke signal Thomas used whenever someone stepped onto the gravel track below the orchard.I set the wicker basket on the dry stone wall and walke
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 3. THE GHOST FROM HER PAST
ELARA’S POV The night after the gala, everything felt wrong. I went back to work like nothing had changed. It was as if I had not seen a world that was never meant for me, as if I had not stood in front of a man who looked at me like I truly mattered. But nothing felt the same. The diner smelle
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 2. THE NIGHT OF COLLISION
ELARA’ S POV The next place I stood felt nothing like home. The Grand Meridian Hotel glowed with wealth and power, and when I stepped inside, I felt like I had crossed into a different world where people like me only existed to serve and disappear. I kept my head down and held my tray steady as I
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 1. WHAT THE DIRT HIDES
ELARA’S POV The first thing I heard when I stepped through the door of my own home was laughter, and it did not belong to anyone I loved. I stood in the doorway of the small apartment on Crest Lane with my work shoes still on and my uniform smelling. Looking closer, I watched three women I h
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 15. THE NAME ON THE LIST
ELARAI did not let my face change when Lydia said his name.I had spent years learning to hold still while the ground moved underneath me and this was simply the hardest test of that skill I had ever faced.“Silas Thorne helped Victoria make your sister disappear,” I said.“His name is on the list
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