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CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-THREE: EVEN LIONS FALL.
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2025-04-17 23:28:57
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THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY-TWO: PLEADING MAN.
AXEL’S POV:Logan’s place wasn’t hard to find. Not with Serena’s tracking and the muscle I had behind me.The gates were automated, but nothing about that system was smarter than Serena’s laptop. A single command, and we were inside before the guards could even blink. Thaddeus stopped the car right in front of a worn-down brownstone, half of the lights dead, paint chipped at the corners.I stepped out first.“Wait here,” I told them all, not glancing back. This one—I had to handle alone.I climbed the steps two at a time and rang the bell.Once.No answer.Again.This time, the door creaked open.Logan stood there, nothing like the man I knew. His eyes were red-rimmed, barely focused, and his shirt hung off his frame like he’d lost a fight to his closet. He reeked—alcohol, sweat, and something sour that told me he’d given up on showering days ago. His hair was greasy and unkempt, brushing past his eyebrows in wild curls. His pants were unzipped, shoes mismatched—one sneaker, one house
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY-ONE: NO MORE GAMES.
AXEL’S POV:How was I supposed to look my wife in the eyes and tell her I’d zoned out in a meeting—our meeting—because I was seeing ghosts?If not that she stepped in and saved the situation, I would've made a laughingstock of myself. I didn’t say a word. Just waved Avery off gently and hurried toward the car like a man being chased by demons no one else could see.The second we got in, Thaddeus climbed into the passenger seat up front, while Serena was already seated in the rear-facing seat across from ours. Avery slid in beside me, and I could feel her eyes boring holes into the side of my face."You didn’t tell me we had company?" she asked, voice even but laced with irritation. She crossed her legs and adjusted her posture with the grace of a queen and the tension of a lioness on a leash."It was urgent," I muttered, brushing her off with as much care as I could afford at the moment. I turned to Serena before she could press further. "Okay. What did you find?"Before we left for
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SEVENTY: A STENCH.
AVERY’S POV:Everything went black.Just like that night.The moment the lights cut out, my stomach clenched and my chest tightened. The memory flashed so fast it nearly knocked me off my feet. I was back in Axel’s house, towel wrapped around me, stepping out of the bathroom, water still dripping from my hair, when I found those papers scattered across the room. Set up. Devon’s fingerprints all over it.I couldn’t breathe.I gasped, fingers clawing at the air like it might save me, and stumbled toward the hallway. I needed air. Space. A fucking bathroom.The dizziness hit like a wave, nauseous heat flooding my body. My vision spun as I fumbled my way through the corridor until I slammed into the door, shoved it open, and barely made it to the toilet before my body gave up.I puked everything. Every bite, every sip, every emotion.My palms braced the seat, cold porcelain digging into my skin as my stomach emptied again. Then again.The lights came back on.And I breathed. Barely. But e
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY-NINE: A MEETING WITH THE DEAD.
AXEL’S POV:I leaned forward, palms flat on the wood.“First of all,” I began, “I owe every single person in this room an apology. For my absence. For what’s happened to MedixGen. And for the uncertainty it’s caused you.”A few heads nodded. Others watched, arms folded.“My wife and I…we needed time. Time to reevaluate things. Time to breathe after years of building an empire that never once let us rest. We didn’t think the empire would crumble behind us.” I paused, letting my lies sink in. “But it did. And I take responsibility for that.”There was no way I would open my mouth to narrate our ordeal to anyone. That would break my promise to Akira. “But I’m back now. And I promise you—” I looked around the table, steady and certain— “I will rebuild MedixGen. Not just to what it once was, but beyond. I’ll triple your profits, bring every failed investment back to life. I just need one thing—your trust.”The room was quiet, though not silent. There was a current of murmurs. Doubt. Restl
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY-EIGHT: GRIEVING FATHER.
AXEL’S POV:"It's been such an honour to make this press release with my beautiful wife. Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood are back to run MedixGen and all related companies," I finished, my voice steady as steel.Avery, ever the graceful actress, clapped along with the others. Her hand was warm in mine as I stepped down from the podium, the flash of cameras trailing behind us like wolves scenting blood.They thought I was heartless. Maybe I was.What they didn’t see was the truth: control was slipping—at home, at work, inside me. I wasn’t just battling with external forces, but with myself, too. I was battling ghosts. And if I had to be cold to win, so be it. Avery’s plan was idealistic. I needed something guaranteed.Sea had to disappear—boarding school under a fresh identity or at Akira’s, hidden away. I couldn’t gamble with her life. Not again. As for Ryan… the last time we danced this dance, I’d been wrong. This time, the evidence screamed louder than his lies ever could.The next conferenc
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY-SEVEN: INSENSITIVE.
AVERY’S POV:I thought she was leaving, but Katie stopped midway, her brow wrinkled as she turned back to me, the batter still in her hands. “Mrs. Blackwood… with all due respect, it’s my job to take care of this household. That includes making meals for you and Mr. Blackwood. If he's been cautious about who makes his meals, it's definitely not with me.”I closed my eyes briefly, trying not to snap. “Katie, don’t argue with me. Please—just let me do what I want.”The edge in my voice came out sharper than I intended. Frustration had been bubbling under the surface since yesterday, and this little back-and-forth nudged it past civility.Katie blinked, clearly taken aback.I sighed, immediately softening. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I just… I need this right now. Let me handle breakfast.”Her shoulders dropped in a slight nod. “Alright. Then I’ll take Mr. Blackwood’s coffee to him—”“That won’t be necessary,” I cut in. “I’ll make another one for him.”“It’s okay, Avery,” came a voi
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY-SIX: FILL ME IN.
AVERY’S POV:When I finally woke up, my body groaned in protest.Sleeping on the ottoman had twisted my spine like a corkscrew. I shifted and stretched, every joint aching as I planted my bare feet on the cold marble floor—only to feel a tight, stabbing pressure in my left leg.I looked down.It was swollen. Badly.Puffy from the ankle to the knee, tender and discolored in some spots. My stomach dropped.“I need to go to the hospital… or see Cedric,” I muttered.I peeled off the crumpled sleep clothes and changed into a flowing emerald gown that gathered around my legs and swept the floor. The fabric was light and loose—strategically chosen. No one would notice my limp, not right away.I paused at the closet door. My heart thudded against my ribs.Please don’t be outside. Please let him be gone.I unlocked it slowly, inching the door open. The room was still. Quiet.Axel wasn’t there.Relief flooded my chest like a tide.My eyes flicked to the clock on the nightstand.7:03 AM.A new d
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY-FIVE: SILENT NIGHT.
AVERY’S POV:Sleep had finally wrapped its arms around me, heavy and dreamless. The sheets tangled around my legs, and the weight of exhaustion from the day made my body sink deeper into the mattress. For once, I wasn't overthinking. I wasn't haunted by what I had seen on that balcony or the blood Axel had ordered spilled.But suddenly—I couldn’t breathe.My throat clamped shut as if someone shoved cotton down my windpipe. I jerked, trying to swallow, but there was no space for air. Only panic.I coughed. Thrashed. My lungs screamed for oxygen as my eyes flew open.And that’s when I saw him.Axel.Hovering above me like a shadow, his hand wrapped tight around my neck. His grip was brutal—his thumb pressed into my windpipe, fingers digging into the sides of my throat like he meant to snap it clean off. His body pressed over mine, pinning me down, suffocating me."A—Axel," I choked out, barely a whisper.His eyes were hollow. Not just blank—hollow. Like something had scooped the soul ou
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & SIXTY-FOUR: SETTING AN EXAMPLE.
AVERY’S POV:I rested for a while, my head spinning with thoughts I couldn’t pin down. Something about Axel felt... off. Distant. Like he’d taken three steps back from a war he was the one who started. This was his world—his creation. So why did it feel like he was trying to unmake it?With a long breath, I sat up and forced myself to move. Each step toward the bathroom made me wince—an intimate reminder that he'd been inside me not long ago. Whatever storm was brewing in his head, one thing hadn't changed: his need for control. For me.After washing up and pulling on a soft robe over a tank and shorts, I padded down the hallway. I needed to check on Sea. That girl was tougher than she had any right to be. Just like her father. Resilient. Quietly fierce.I nudged her door open and heard her soft, even breathing. She was fast asleep, arms flung wide over the blanket, mouth parted, utterly at peace.But when I reached to close the door, I realized I was gripping the knob too tightly.I
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