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Chapter Twenty Two
Last Updated:
2025-04-30 07:33:11
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My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Three
Mystery ManValenticia’s POV~The red rose rested on the library table. Back at the office, my computer screen had shown a live feed of my face, as seen from some unknown angle — maybe a camera in the ceiling or the vents. And then the image was gone as quickly as it had shown followed by a disturbing phone call: “You’re digging too deep, heiress.” It served as a reminder that nowhere was safe. Grandmother walked in, her hair catching the lamplight, face a mixture of determination and worry. “Valenticia, the security caught Dmitri. And he demands to speak with you only.”I nodded, suddenly aware of the pounding of my heart. Dmitri. What could he want now? “Let him in.”The security brought him in, and I could hardly recognize the shell of a man standing before me. His eyes were red, his finely tailored suit baggy, and it was as if guilt had carved away his insides. Memories rushed in — nights spent dreaming of a life together, his promises now ash. Rosanna stood by the fireplace,
Last Updated : 2025-05-01My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Four
Web of DeceitGregor's POV~I paced with the crushed note in my fist”Your moves are observed”.When I had found it an hour ago and read it, its jagged script had taunted every step of mine. The black sedan that had followed me through Seryne’s rain-slicked streets last night was gone, but its shadow hung in my memory. Somebody was getting close—Valenticia, Stefan, or a player I had yet to identify.My pulse thrummed. I’d made my way to the brink of seizing control of Clawford Corporation, but the higher I climbed, the more the ground moved from under me.Victor Galden’s call had been a tightening noose this morning. "Get rid of the heiress," he had snarled. “She’s a liability.” Galden had been not just a partner, but a predator, and I had attached myself to him. The money I had been shipping to Nexus Ventures his cover for the Clawfords' takedown was supposed to guarantee that I stayed on top. But then his silence afterward scared the hell out of me, an absence where promises had be
Last Updated : 2025-05-01My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Five
Unveiled Valenticia's POV~I held the crumpled note in my hand, Meet me at midnight. I know Galden’s next move. The words offered information on what Victor Galden planned to do, but there was danger woven through them, a snare I could not dismiss. I was in the estate's library, the air hung thick with the odor of old leather and wax, and last night’s red rose was still sitting on the table, its thorns pointed like an unsaid accusation. I had smashed Natasha’s tracking device with my heel at the auction, but her obsession was shackling me.My grandmother's voice sharp and hard pierced through my thoughts. “Valenticia, you’re going to meet Stefan Myles tonight. Let’s talk about the contract marriage.”My heart dropped, and a familiar ache started. Another loveless transaction, like Dmitri’s betrayal, the starry promises that had turned to ash. “Grandmother, I can’t. Not another cage.”Grandmother's gaze softened but her tone was firm. “This isn’t about love, child. It’s about surviva
Last Updated : 2025-05-01My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Six
Sting of BetrayalStefan's POV~The marriage draft rested atop my desk, the scrawl of Valenticia’s signature slashing starkly against the blank copy. Her fire at dinner. The sparkle of her eyes demanding equality had cracked at my core, awakening an admiration I could not afford. I sat back in my chair, the city’s neon pulse seeping through the office window as a reminder of the stakes. Seryne was a warzone and Valenticia Clawford was an asset and a risk. The penthouse fire, two nights before that, had cost me more than walls. New Dream’s servers were limping, critical data gone to ash. I was losing my hold, and Victor Galden was winning.Carter’s call split the silence, his tone strained. “Gideon’s gone rogue, Boss. He’s seeing Valenticia at the pier—midnight. Says he’s showing her evidence of Galden’s patent theft.”My gut clenched. “I told him to keep his head down,” I snarled, punching the desk. “What the hell is he doing risking it?”“He feels like he owes her,” Carter said. “Thi
Last Updated : 2025-05-02My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Seven
Blood and BondsValenticias POV~Gideon’s blood remained damp and clung to my skin. The USB drive felt like a cold lump in my hand, slick and red with his blood. I stood in the hospital’s sterile corridor, my lungs burning with that antiseptic smell, paramedics shouting as they raced Gideon into surgery. Stefan steadied me, his arm holding me up with a firm grip just as he had done back at the pier when he’d protected me from the masked attackers. That act of protection, etched my heart, marriage contract or not. The next vehicle had been police, the sirens a distant salvation, but the attackers had disappeared, leaving only Gideon’s broken body and my breaking resolve.I blamed myself. It was my search for Victor Galden that had led Gideon to that pier; his loyalty to Stefan left him losing blood that night. My hands shook. I had gone too far, and now a man was dying for it. “He’ll be all right,” Stefan said, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his certainty. “Gideon’s loyal to
Last Updated : 2025-05-04My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Eight
Threads of TreasonGregor's POV~The drone footage played on a replay in my mind as I sat in the safehouse, its moldy walls suffocating, the laptop screen dark but seared with the image of me on Clawford Corporation’s rooftop, Natasha’s venomous smile beside me as we schemed against Valenticia. The drone had captured it all, exposing my every word, my betrayal. Vance’s treachery, slipping files to a hooded figure in that alley, had broken my trust, and now this footage threatened to bury me. My pulse bit fast, a traitor’s anthem, as I fought to hold myself together.Victor Galden’s call had come at dawn, his voice cold through the phone. “Valenticia’s still a problem, Clawford,” he snarled. “Remove her, or I leak your Nexus dealings. You’ll be seen as a traitor which you are.”Galden’s ruthlessness was legendary, his empire built on the bones of those who’d crossed him. I’d funneled millions to Nexus Ventures, his machine to dismantle the Clawfords, believing it would crown me king.
Last Updated : 2025-05-04My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Nine
Cries for RetributionValenticias POV~The video of Clara, bound and gagged, played repeatedly in my brain, Natasha’s venomous hiss, you step down, or she pays, twisting in my gut. I hesitated in the library back at the estate, the trembling in my hands worsening as I held onto my phone. It was my fault all my fault. I’d been suspended from the board, Natasha’s forged emails calling me a thief had weakened me, and now she’d hit me where it hurt most, the people who worked for us. Gideon’s USB, covered in his blood, was the only thing I had, but it was also my curse, bringing me closer to Victor Galden and the threats he carried.Grandmother's voice cut through my confusion, “Valenticia, we must act. Inform Stefan of the wedding and let him announce it to the public. It’s a shield between Natasha and Galden as they will not so readily aim at a unified Clawford and New Dream.”My heart revolted, and I counted the contract marriage as a shackle I’d slowly let be tied around my ankle.“
Last Updated : 2025-05-04My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Thirty
Fractured ShieldsStefan's POV~The theft of Gideon’s USB drive, our evidence of Galden’s patent theft and crime, had blown a hole through our plan, leaving us hanging out there on a line. My office had become a graveyard of broken monitors. Anger raged through me but Valenticia's silent panic forced me to break out. I led her to a seat, my hand resting on her shoulder, an unspoken promise to save Clara amidst the madness.Her fear shattered something in me. The engagement announcement had been intended to be a strategy— a fortress for Clawford and New Dream against Galden’s charge. But her courage, her defiance in the face of Natasha’s video threat, turned it into something greater. I saw her, holding Gideon’s bloody USB, her scream when he dropped. She wasn’t a piece to be moved around... she was a partner, and I certainly wouldn’t have Galen take her or take Clara.Memories clutched at me — my mother’s face, white and blank, her death when I was twelve that had taught me, that love
Last Updated : 2025-05-05
Latest chapter
My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Thirty
Fractured ShieldsStefan's POV~The theft of Gideon’s USB drive, our evidence of Galden’s patent theft and crime, had blown a hole through our plan, leaving us hanging out there on a line. My office had become a graveyard of broken monitors. Anger raged through me but Valenticia's silent panic forced me to break out. I led her to a seat, my hand resting on her shoulder, an unspoken promise to save Clara amidst the madness.Her fear shattered something in me. The engagement announcement had been intended to be a strategy— a fortress for Clawford and New Dream against Galden’s charge. But her courage, her defiance in the face of Natasha’s video threat, turned it into something greater. I saw her, holding Gideon’s bloody USB, her scream when he dropped. She wasn’t a piece to be moved around... she was a partner, and I certainly wouldn’t have Galen take her or take Clara.Memories clutched at me — my mother’s face, white and blank, her death when I was twelve that had taught me, that love
My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Nine
Cries for RetributionValenticias POV~The video of Clara, bound and gagged, played repeatedly in my brain, Natasha’s venomous hiss, you step down, or she pays, twisting in my gut. I hesitated in the library back at the estate, the trembling in my hands worsening as I held onto my phone. It was my fault all my fault. I’d been suspended from the board, Natasha’s forged emails calling me a thief had weakened me, and now she’d hit me where it hurt most, the people who worked for us. Gideon’s USB, covered in his blood, was the only thing I had, but it was also my curse, bringing me closer to Victor Galden and the threats he carried.Grandmother's voice cut through my confusion, “Valenticia, we must act. Inform Stefan of the wedding and let him announce it to the public. It’s a shield between Natasha and Galden as they will not so readily aim at a unified Clawford and New Dream.”My heart revolted, and I counted the contract marriage as a shackle I’d slowly let be tied around my ankle.“
My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Eight
Threads of TreasonGregor's POV~The drone footage played on a replay in my mind as I sat in the safehouse, its moldy walls suffocating, the laptop screen dark but seared with the image of me on Clawford Corporation’s rooftop, Natasha’s venomous smile beside me as we schemed against Valenticia. The drone had captured it all, exposing my every word, my betrayal. Vance’s treachery, slipping files to a hooded figure in that alley, had broken my trust, and now this footage threatened to bury me. My pulse bit fast, a traitor’s anthem, as I fought to hold myself together.Victor Galden’s call had come at dawn, his voice cold through the phone. “Valenticia’s still a problem, Clawford,” he snarled. “Remove her, or I leak your Nexus dealings. You’ll be seen as a traitor which you are.”Galden’s ruthlessness was legendary, his empire built on the bones of those who’d crossed him. I’d funneled millions to Nexus Ventures, his machine to dismantle the Clawfords, believing it would crown me king.
My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Seven
Blood and BondsValenticias POV~Gideon’s blood remained damp and clung to my skin. The USB drive felt like a cold lump in my hand, slick and red with his blood. I stood in the hospital’s sterile corridor, my lungs burning with that antiseptic smell, paramedics shouting as they raced Gideon into surgery. Stefan steadied me, his arm holding me up with a firm grip just as he had done back at the pier when he’d protected me from the masked attackers. That act of protection, etched my heart, marriage contract or not. The next vehicle had been police, the sirens a distant salvation, but the attackers had disappeared, leaving only Gideon’s broken body and my breaking resolve.I blamed myself. It was my search for Victor Galden that had led Gideon to that pier; his loyalty to Stefan left him losing blood that night. My hands shook. I had gone too far, and now a man was dying for it. “He’ll be all right,” Stefan said, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his certainty. “Gideon’s loyal to
My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Six
Sting of BetrayalStefan's POV~The marriage draft rested atop my desk, the scrawl of Valenticia’s signature slashing starkly against the blank copy. Her fire at dinner. The sparkle of her eyes demanding equality had cracked at my core, awakening an admiration I could not afford. I sat back in my chair, the city’s neon pulse seeping through the office window as a reminder of the stakes. Seryne was a warzone and Valenticia Clawford was an asset and a risk. The penthouse fire, two nights before that, had cost me more than walls. New Dream’s servers were limping, critical data gone to ash. I was losing my hold, and Victor Galden was winning.Carter’s call split the silence, his tone strained. “Gideon’s gone rogue, Boss. He’s seeing Valenticia at the pier—midnight. Says he’s showing her evidence of Galden’s patent theft.”My gut clenched. “I told him to keep his head down,” I snarled, punching the desk. “What the hell is he doing risking it?”“He feels like he owes her,” Carter said. “Thi
My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Five
Unveiled Valenticia's POV~I held the crumpled note in my hand, Meet me at midnight. I know Galden’s next move. The words offered information on what Victor Galden planned to do, but there was danger woven through them, a snare I could not dismiss. I was in the estate's library, the air hung thick with the odor of old leather and wax, and last night’s red rose was still sitting on the table, its thorns pointed like an unsaid accusation. I had smashed Natasha’s tracking device with my heel at the auction, but her obsession was shackling me.My grandmother's voice sharp and hard pierced through my thoughts. “Valenticia, you’re going to meet Stefan Myles tonight. Let’s talk about the contract marriage.”My heart dropped, and a familiar ache started. Another loveless transaction, like Dmitri’s betrayal, the starry promises that had turned to ash. “Grandmother, I can’t. Not another cage.”Grandmother's gaze softened but her tone was firm. “This isn’t about love, child. It’s about surviva
My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Four
Web of DeceitGregor's POV~I paced with the crushed note in my fist”Your moves are observed”.When I had found it an hour ago and read it, its jagged script had taunted every step of mine. The black sedan that had followed me through Seryne’s rain-slicked streets last night was gone, but its shadow hung in my memory. Somebody was getting close—Valenticia, Stefan, or a player I had yet to identify.My pulse thrummed. I’d made my way to the brink of seizing control of Clawford Corporation, but the higher I climbed, the more the ground moved from under me.Victor Galden’s call had been a tightening noose this morning. "Get rid of the heiress," he had snarled. “She’s a liability.” Galden had been not just a partner, but a predator, and I had attached myself to him. The money I had been shipping to Nexus Ventures his cover for the Clawfords' takedown was supposed to guarantee that I stayed on top. But then his silence afterward scared the hell out of me, an absence where promises had be
My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Three
Mystery ManValenticia’s POV~The red rose rested on the library table. Back at the office, my computer screen had shown a live feed of my face, as seen from some unknown angle — maybe a camera in the ceiling or the vents. And then the image was gone as quickly as it had shown followed by a disturbing phone call: “You’re digging too deep, heiress.” It served as a reminder that nowhere was safe. Grandmother walked in, her hair catching the lamplight, face a mixture of determination and worry. “Valenticia, the security caught Dmitri. And he demands to speak with you only.”I nodded, suddenly aware of the pounding of my heart. Dmitri. What could he want now? “Let him in.”The security brought him in, and I could hardly recognize the shell of a man standing before me. His eyes were red, his finely tailored suit baggy, and it was as if guilt had carved away his insides. Memories rushed in — nights spent dreaming of a life together, his promises now ash. Rosanna stood by the fireplace,
My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! Chapter Twenty Two
Shadows of Vengeance Stefans POV~I leaned against the floor-to-ceiling windows, with a glass of bourbon in my hand, the sting of the gas explosion that raged in my chest. Valenticia. Carter’s voice an hour ago had assured me, that she was alive, shaken, but unharmed in the gas leak. A miracle, he’d said. I didn’t believe in miracles. The gas leak wasn’t random. Nor was the server crash at Clawford Enterprises two days earlier, or the cryptic threats that had been whispered through back channels. Someone was playing pieces in a game I was not yet ready to dive into, and Valenticia was at the centre of it. My hand tightened around the glass, the bourbon rattling. I didn’t allow myself to use that word, but it knotted in my gut, disguised as anger. And if they laid a finger on her, and gods help them and they did, I would burn their world to ash.I put the glass down and walked back and forth, memory fragments clicking together. Rosanna’s offer of a marriage of convenience for
