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55. THE QUESTION OF MY FATHER
publish date:
2026-07-05 19:12:50
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My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 169. THE DUST OF THE SOUTHERN ROADS
ARIA'S POVMorning broke over the valley in shades of soft gold and pale slate gray. By seven o'clock, the dew was still heavy on the terrace grass, but the outdoor summer kitchen was already bustling with quiet, purposeful life. A gentle column of sweet birch smoke drifted up from the stone hearth pit, carrying the rich, toasted aroma of roasted barley coffee and griddle cakes cooked on the cast-iron plate.Nora sat on the edge of the long oak bench, wrapped in a thick wool blanket Elizabeth had laid across her shoulders. The grey dust of the road was gone she had washed her face and hands at the cold spring trough before dawn revealing a face that was far younger than she had seemed under the starlight last night. She held her stoneware mug in both hands, watching the morning light creep down the eastern granite ridge with an expression of quiet, disbelieving wonder."I haven't seen a valley this still in three years," Nora said softly, her eyes tracking the smooth, rhythmic spin
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 168. THE SIXTEENTH CHAIR
ARIA'S POVThe journey up the gravel track was slow, measured to match the hesitant, trembling stride of our new guest. Theo walked just half a pace ahead, casting a long, steady shadow, while Thomas walked alongside her, his raspy voice dropping into a quiet, comforting hum that kept time with the crunch of her boots.When we cleared the hazel copse and stepped onto the flagstones of the upper courtyard, the warmth of the applewood fire enveloped us like a heavy woolen blanket.Elizabeth was already moving. Without a word of instruction, she had retrieved a thick, clean sheepskin from the bench inside, draping it over the cedar chair closest to the hearth pit. Maya brought a warm stoneware mug filled with sweet mint and nettle tea, setting it carefully on the edge of the oak table within easy reach."Here, sister," Elizabeth said gently, taking the woman by her elbow and guiding her into the chair. "Sit down. Let the fire take the cold out of your knees."The traveler sank into th
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 167. THE FIRST STEP ON THE BRIDGE
ARIA'S POVThe music faded into the cool night air as Julian drew the willow pipe from his lips, letting the final, sweet note linger until it dissolved into the rush of the creek below. Around the fire pit, the embers shifted with a soft crackle, throwing a sudden burst of orange light across the faces gathered on the terrace.No one spoke for a long moment. The warmth of the song held us in its grip, a shared breath shared by fifteen souls who had found their way to the same high valley.Then, down by the lower gorge, a metallic sound cut through the steady hum of the waterwheel.It wasn't the natural groan of the oak timbers or the familiar slap of the current against the stone race. It was a sharp, rhythmic clink tap, the unmistakable sound of iron shod boots stepping cautiously onto the oak planks of the newly reinforced lower bridge.In an instant, the gentle atmosphere on the terrace shifted. It didn't break into panic, the valley had long outgrown the frantic fear that once
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 166. THE FIRE ON THE TERRACE
ARIA'S POVNight fell over the valley with a quiet, velvet stillness. The last crimson light faded from the western peaks, replaced by a dense canopy of stars that glittered sharp and brilliant through the cold mountain air.Down at the creek, the repaired waterwheel kept up its steady, rhythmic CHURN-slosh, a comforting heartbeat echoing softly through the darkened trees. But up on the high stone terrace, the focal point of the estate had shifted to the broad granite fire pit set into the outer flagstones.Theo and Silas had built the fire high, stacking heavy logs of dry applewood and split hickory over a bed of pine knots. Bright orange sparks drifted up into the cool night sky like temporary stars, casting a deep, amber glow across the long oak table, the stone pillars, and the fifteen faces gathered in a loose circle around the warmth.The evening work was done. The tools were cleaned and oiled in the forge, the grain was safe in the cedar chests, the blackberry jars rested in
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 165. THE CIRCLE OF THE WHEEL
ARIA'S POVBy two o'clock in the afternoon, the heat down in the lower gorge was thick and heavy, trapped between the high granite walls of the creek bed.The upper waterwheel, a twelve foot structure of dense white oak that powered the estate’s wood turning lathe and the secondary grain mill sat motionless in its stone race. The creek water had been diverted through the timber bypass sluice, sending a torrent of foam and spray churning over the mossy rocks below, leaving the giant wooden wheel hanging dry, exposed, and silent in the shade of the hemlocks.For three years, the upper wheel had turned without complaint. But last week, during the heavy timber hauling for the loft floor, one of the three inch iron binding hoops that held the outer oak rim together had buckled under stress, splitting clean through at the weld. Without a sound outer hoop to clamp the radial spokes, the wheel would warp, bind against its granite housing, and tear its own axle tree to splinters within a sea
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 164. THE STRENGTH OF THE LOWER BRIDGE
ARIA'S POVThe morning sun had barely cleared the granite crags when Theo, Thomas, and David headed down the winding gravel track toward the lower gorge. The mountain air was cold and crisp, carrying the sharp scent of damp hemlock, crushed fern, and the icy spray of the creek where it narrowed into a churning white-water flume.Two hundred yards below the copper gate, where the road crossed the torrent before winding out into the wider world, sat the lower timber bridge. Built years ago from thick white oak stringers resting on dry stacked granite abutments, it had carried horses, loaded supply wagons, and countless travelers safely across the gorge. But after a spring of heavy snowmelt and the recent hauling of timber and stone, the northern approach had settled two inches into the gravel, causing the main deck timbers to creak ominously whenever the heavy work cart crossed over."If we leave that settlement until the autumn rains hit," Theo remarked as we reached the edge of the
My Billionaire Ex- Husband’s Nemesis 4. THE MAN WHO WATCHES
ELARA’S POV The next morning, I tried to act like everything was normal. I tied my apron and picked up my tray. I told myself I would not think about the note in my pocket and i would not think about the man who gave it to me, or the other man who should not have noticed me but did. The bell abo
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 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
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
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