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CHAPTER 30

Penulis: Samuel Chikwado
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-25 16:31:43

Dominic’s Pov

The hotel room was dark. Choking.

I huddled at the bedside, elbows and back bent into knees. The thin wall lamp pulsed and buzzed above me like a dying insect. The folder Langley gave me was heavier than any gun I had ever seen. My thumb ran along the rim of the paper. For the hundredth time in two days, I unfolded it again.

Liana. Serena. That flash drive.

There was a soft photo of Serena snapped in the cafe, catching her passing what looked like data. It wasn't high-definition, but the shape of her face, the tilt of her head, I didn't need crystal clarity. I knew her like I knew my own heartbeat.

A tear slipped down my cheek. I didn't wipe it away. Didn't stand up. Just sat there and let it brew, grinding my teeth until my jaw ached.

I trusted her. She comforted me in the evenings. Cooked meals in my kitchen. Spent time with me when I raged through the war Liana was waging. All the while… she was feeding the devil.

"You idiot," I growled into the silence. The words bou
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  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   CHAPTER 42

    The hospital parking lot was colder than I had remembered.Or maybe it was the way Stanley looked at me—as if I were dirt on the sole of his shoe.His words still echoed in my mind:"I'm glad someone's finally putting you in your place."And that smug grin when he spoke them—like he'd won a prize.I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles hard as bone, my breath fogging up the inside of the windshield. Moved not an inch. Not for a very long time. Sat there in stale quiet, the bag of pills from the pharmacy untouched on the glove compartment shelf, the pills themselves this nasty reminder of what I had allowed myself to become.But Liana—she was the problem.The reason my name hit the streets.The reason I’d been forced to slink around in the dark like a goddamn criminal.The reason Stanley thought he had the right to look at me like that.No.Enough was enough.I yanked my phone out of the center console and dialed my lawyer—Carlton Fields. A buttoned-up bastard with a face li

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   CHAPTER 41

    Liana's POVThe shriek sliced through the house like a blade. Not Cam's usual shriek of laughter or argument—but a raw, terror-filled cry that made my blood freeze. I took off before I even knew I was moving, heart racing, feet barely hitting the floor. Stanley's boots pounded after me."Cam!" I screamed, terror constricting my throat.She was in my mother's room, shaking next to her grandmother who was on the floor—dead.Grandma!" Cam cried, her little hands trembling as she stretched to grab my mother. "Wake up!"I fell to my knees, grabbing for my mother. Her skin was cold and sweaty, her breathing ragged and shallow."Mom. Mom!" I struck her cheek, checked for a pulse. Still going, thank God. But slow. Weak. I glared up at Stanley. "Call an ambulance."He was already on the phone.I believe she fainted," I exclaimed, voice trembling, "or perhaps… her blood pressure. I don't know," I murmured.Cam just kept sobbing, hiding her face in my ribcage. I pulled an arm around her and held

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   CHAPTER 40

    Thursday crept up on me. The week was slow, but not agonizing, like a thoughtful unwinding. It had a quietness to it that I was used to, and maybe that is the reason why I noticed each minute motion. Cam started humming again. I didn't flinch when the phone rang, I had recieved threats from Dominic's legal team but even they knew they were fighting a lost battle. My chest no longer tightened on every door knock and today when I heard it, I knew it was Stanley. I cleaned all afternoon even though the house was already clean enough. Cleaned the counters twice, moved around a vase that never did anything for me, put in fresh bathroom hand towels. It wasn't making an impression on him, I told myself. It was about control, routine, predictability. But deep down, I knew that I was lying deep inside.Cam was at her afternoon art club, and I had one free hour. I hung around in front of the mirror, wondering if I was too sloppy or try-hard enough. In the end, I didn't do anything, just work

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   CHAPTER 39

    I woke up prior to daybreak. The air within the room was still, as though it hadn't moved throughout the night, and I lay there under the covers for a while, my eyes open, observing the slight angle of light creeping up the wall. Something was different about how quiet the house was, but it wasn't suffocating. It was peace. I rolled onto my back and reached to the spot above my heart, fingers curling over the hem of my nightshirt. Stanley's words echoed in that quiet corner of my mind, in that space I kept for things I hadn't processed yet. “You don't have to do anything. Just let me be here.”Let him be here? The words settled on my chest, warm and unsettling at the same time.I eventually forced myself out of bed and marched to the kitchen, still in pyjamas and socks, my hair a tangled mess I lacked the energy to bother about. There were remnants of last night in the sink—two clean cups, one wadded napkin folded neatly, and the scent of fries and milkshakes in the air like a ghost

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   CHAPTER 38

    The scent of warm food filled the air, rich and earthy, and reminded me of something that seemed surreal. Stanley had come home with takeout—nothing extravagant, just burgers and fries and milkshakes from a humble diner that he told me he loved when he was a kid. We sat at the kitchen table, not the formal dining room, and I was grateful for the intimacy of it. The fluorescent light above cast a soft glow over the island where we were sitting, crinkling paper bags and steaming containers being unwrapped like Christmas presents."I don't want you to be too disappointed," Stanley said, holding out a paper plate. "I figured tonight wasn't the night for candles and tablecloths."I shook my head and gave him my tired smile. "This is great. Really."He nodded and pulled out a box of fries. The salty, potato smell wafted up and made my stomach protest in betrayal. I had not realized how hungry I was."So," he said after a few bites, "what was your comfort food as a kid?"I looked down at my

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   CHAPTER 37

    Liana PovThe minute the car pulled into the school parking area, I started unbuckling the belt. My heart pounded, my entire body tense with anxiety. I didn't let the driver look for an actual parking space. I opened the door roughly and sped down the path, heels clicking madly on the sidewalk. Mum caught up quickly behind, anxiety carved heavily on her face. The receptionist barely had time to utter a word before I sped past and stood in front of the principal's door.And there she was. Cam was seated on the bench outside the door, her backpack untidy at her feet. Her eyes were glassy, lips quivering slightly, and her hands clasping a crumpled tissue. My baby. My sweet, clever girl was lost and hurt."Cam," I breathed, going down on my knees before her. Her head popped up. The moment she saw me, something in her eyes and she flung herself into my arms."Mummy, I'm sorry! I didn't want to, I just… I was so angry!" she wailed.I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her in the kind of

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