TRAPPED AS THE CEO'S ex-wife

Lena's POV “You useless woman!” The force of Xander's kick slammed into my stomach, sending a sharp wave of pain through my entire body. The air left my lungs instantly, and I collapsed to the cold marble floor, clutching my abdomen as I struggled to breathe. The room spun. My vision blurred with tears. “How dare you?” he shouted again, his voice echoing across the luxurious bedroom that once felt like heaven to me. Another blow landed. And another. Each hit felt heavier than the last, like my body was slowly shutting down, surrendering to the pain. I curled into myself, trying to protect what little strength I had left. I could not fight back. Even if I wanted to, I had no energy. My body was already at the edge of passing out. “I gave you everything,” Xander continued, his voice filled with cold fury, “and yet you dare accuse me?” His polished shoes struck my ribs, and I cried out, my voice trembling and broken. My screams filled the mansion, but deep down, I knew no one w

Lena's POV “What is what?” Xander’s brow furrowed, his tone defensive. His eyes flashed with impatience, but I didn’t care. My heart pounded in my chest, anger and disbelief warring with the remnants of hope I had been clinging to. “Take off your shirt, Alexander,” I said, my voice tight and trembling, though I tried to keep it steady. He looked at me as if I’d asked him to fly. “Why?” he asked, his tone a mix of confusion and annoyance, as though my demand were absurd. “Take it off, or do you want to sleep with it on?” I snapped, frustration bubbling over. His eyes narrowed, but he slowly, deliberately peeled the shirt from his shoulders. I snatched it from him and held it up, pointing to the unmistakable lipstick stain across the collar. “Are you deliberately doing this?” I asked, my voice shaking, tears threatening to spill. Every sign was there—the scent of perfume clinging to him, the hesitation in his touch, the strange tension that had been building for months. All of it,

Lena's POV Today, I wanted to impress Lucian. That thought sat heavy in my chest as I stepped out of the elevator and into the buzzing hallway of the executive floor. People moved with purpose around me—heels clicking, low conversations overlapping, the faint scent of coffee and expensive cologne lingering in the air. Everything here screamed importance. And for the first time in a long time… I wanted to be part of it. Lucian had been kind to me since I resumed. Not the fake, dismissive kind of kindness some bosses wore like a badge, but the quiet kind. The kind that asked if I’d settled in okay. The kind that remembered how I took my coffee. The kind that didn’t look at me like I was fragile glass after my divorce. My broken marriage. My failed forever. Being here—working, focusing, learning had helped. It kept my mind off the past. Off Alexander. Off the way my life had shattered so neatly in his hands. I adjusted the folder in my arms and inhaled deeply. Today mattered. A

Lena's POV Lucian noticed my discomfort before I could even say anything.He glanced at my chest, then quickly looked away again, clearing his throat. “I have something you can wear,” he said calmly. “If you’d like.”Relief washed through me so fast I almost laughed.“Yes,” I nodded immediately. “That would be great. Thank you, sir.”He disappeared into his bedroom and returned a moment later with a neatly folded black T shirt. It smelled faintly like him. Clean. Expensive. Comforting in a strange way.I took it from him with a quiet thank you and went back into the bathroom to change.When I pulled the shirt on, it fit better than I expected. Slightly loose around my waist, soft against my skin. Still, the fabric clung just enough to betray me. I glanced at my reflection and sighed softly.Of course.The black T shirt did absolutely nothing to hide the fact that my nipples were still pointed from nerves and embarrassment. But at least I was covered. At least I was decent.When I step

Lena’s POVParis at night looked unreal.The city lights shimmered through the tinted glass of the car as we drove from the airport to the hotel, everything glowing softly like a dream I wasn’t sure I belonged in. Lucian had been right. Everything was provided. The hotel was luxury wrapped in elegance, the kind of place people only saw in magazines or movies.And here I was. Elena Miller. Former wife. Newly divorced. Personal assistant to Lucian Valentino.Nothing about my life made sense anymore.After checking in, Lucian handed me a slim folder.“These are the final documents,” he said calmly. “Bring them to my room. We’ll submit them ourselves in the morning.”I nodded, professional mask back in place. “Okay, sir.”His room was a few doors down from mine. I knocked once, twice. He opened the door almost immediately, sleeves rolled up, jacket gone, hair slightly undone like he’d finally relaxed after the long flight.“Come in,” he said.The room was warm, softly lit. A massive window