Library
Search
Home / Romance / RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK / CHAPTER 123

Share

CHAPTER 123

Author: CagalieYula
last update Last Updated: 2025-05-11 23:59:49

Florence glows at dusk.

I’d forgotten how cities could hum like a living thing — the kind of hum that sinks into your chest and stays there. The streets here are tight and tangled, like secrets. And maybe that’s what drew me.

I didn’t come looking for anyone. Not for answers. Not for closure.

Just a month-long exchange. Teaching. Creating. Breathing.

At least, that’s what I told myself.

The studio where I’d been assigned to co-mentor was nestled behind a faded wine bar. There was a fig tree in the courtyard, and laughter leaking from the walls before I even stepped inside.

I scanned the room as I entered, ready to meet the other mentor artist the program had paired me with.

Then I froze.

Jeff Ortega.

Charcoal on his fingertips. Rolled sleeves. That same crooked focus when he was deep in thought, the one I hadn’t seen in over a year. For a moment, I was nothing but breath and heartbeat.

He looked up. Saw me.

Didn’t flinch.

And neither did I.

We didn’t talk much during the session. Just
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter
Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Latest chapter

  • RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK   CHAPTER 169

    The Manila heat clung to my skin like a second layer of guilt. I stood on the rooftop of our regional office, watching the sun slowly sink beneath the jagged skyline, trying to make sense of everything.Jeff’s proposal still echoed in my mind—raw, unexpected, but somehow perfectly timed. “I want to do life with you,” he had said. Even in the chaos, he remained constant. My anchor.I turned as he stepped onto the roof behind me, his sleeves rolled up and his tie loosened, the soft thud of his steps grounding me.“You’ve been up here for an hour,” he said gently.“I needed to breathe.”He joined me at the ledge, our shoulders brushing. “I know it’s a lot. But you don’t have to carry it alone, Demi.”“I keep thinking—what if I missed something?” I confessed. “What if this breach wasn’t just negligence, but part of something bigger? What if it goes beyond Rachel?”Jeff looked out at the city, his jaw tight. “I’ve been running background checks, cross-referencing activity logs. You’re righ

  • RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK   CHAPTER 168

    Demi's POVI didn’t sleep that night.Even after everyone had cleared out from the summit gala and the glowing headlines buzzed across the media, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling of our Geneva apartment while Jeff snored softly beside me.My mind circled around a single phrase Elena Fischer had whispered to me just as she was leaving the venue:“There’s something you need to see. And it can’t wait.”By dawn, I was already at headquarters. The coffee hadn't kicked in, and my blouse still smelled faintly of perfume from the night before. Elena met me in the executive conference room, a thick file clutched in her hands. She closed the blinds before speaking.“We’ve been monitoring some irregularities,” she began, her voice low. “It started with donor database discrepancies. At first, we thought it was an internal glitch. But last night, we confirmed unauthorized access attempts—multiple.”My chest tightened. “Cyberattack?”“We don’t know for sure yet. It could be someone on the inside

  • RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK   CHAPTER 167

    The late October chill swept across Geneva, crisp and biting, yet oddly refreshing. It reminded me that change was in the air—an echo of everything we had endured and the path that lay ahead.I sat on the edge of the rooftop terrace of our office building, legs curled beneath me, a mug of chamomile tea nestled in my hands. The city glimmered below—traffic lights blinking in rhythm, pedestrians bustling in coats and scarves, unaware of the battle we’d just come through. I had just sent out the final report on the Consortium’s internal reforms—a long, grueling document that would, hopefully, mark a new chapter for our organization.Behind me, I heard the gentle creak of the rooftop door. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was him.Jeff.He was the only one who didn’t hesitate to find me when I needed air. Somehow, he always knew when to follow—when silence wasn’t enough.“You left the lights on in your office,” he said gently, joining me on the bench. “I figured you’d be up here.”

  • RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK   CHAPTER 166

    Three months into the Umoja overhaul, we were gaining traction—and making enemies.The Consortium’s blockchain monitoring system had done more than just restore credibility; it was forcing uncomfortable transparency across the humanitarian sector. Aid mismanagement, long buried beneath bureaucratic layers, was being pulled into the light.And not everyone liked that.I stared at the screen in my office, reading the encrypted email again. No greeting. No signature. Just a statement:“Keep pushing and you’ll find yourself buried with your data.”Charming.Jeff leaned against the glass wall, arms folded. “We trace the IP?”“Routed through four countries. Proxy in Myanmar. This one was meant to rattle—not reveal.”He stayed silent for a moment, then said, “Are you rattled?”I turned to him. “Only because it means we’re getting close.”He gave me that slow nod of agreement he reserved for moments when he knew I wasn’t backing down. “Then we keep going.”But not everyone on the board agreed

  • RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK   CHAPTER 165

    Back in New York, the air felt different. Harsher, faster, less forgiving. Geneva had been the battlefield; this was the proving ground.The Consortium headquarters stood like a monolith of purpose—clean glass and ethical ambition. For all its steel and stone, I now saw it as something alive, something fragile. Reputation, after all, was a heartbeat away from a flatline.Jeff and I stepped into the lobby side-by-side. He was on the phone with our Lagos office, his voice even and calm. I scanned the reception area—every corner still bore the weight of recent weeks. Murmured greetings. Quick glances. That subtle caution in the eyes of people not yet sure if they could trust again.We were rebuilding, yes—but some walls take longer to mend than others.“Demi,” a voice called from across the atrium.It was Ava Rhee, our new Director of Global Partnerships. She was brisk, smart as hell, and direct in a way I admired.“We have a situation,” she said. “You might want to take this in your off

  • RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE EX-HUSBAND CHASED ME BACK   CHAPTER 163

    I leaned back in my office chair, the final audit summary glowing from my screen. The numbers, once sources of deception, now told the truth—stark, cold, and undeniable. For weeks, I had buried myself in rebuilding what had crumbled under the weight of betrayal. And yet, even with progress in motion, the exhaustion seeped into my bones like a quiet poison.A soft knock at my office door pulled me from the spiral of numbers.“Come in,” I called, straightening.Jeff stepped inside, carrying two steaming cups of coffee. His tie was loosened, sleeves rolled up, and his expression bore that familiar mix of concern and quiet encouragement.“You’ve been in here since six. Again,” he said, placing one of the cups beside me. “You know you don’t get extra points for burnout.”I managed a tired smile. “I know. But I need to finish this proposal for the summit. If we don’t secure that UN funding—”“Then we pivot,” he interrupted gently. “But we’ll handle it together, Demi. You don’t have to do it

More Chapters

You may also like

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status