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Ethan picked up and lifted Avery high into the air, spinning her once as her giggles rang through the school yard. Her glittery face shone bright in the sunlight, little stars pasted carefully on her cheeks, and the purple dress flared around her knees like a ballerina's skirt.“Wow, look at you,” Ethan said, beaming as he settled her on his hip. “My princess. Purple’s definitely your colour. And those glitter stars, did you do that yourself?”Avery giggled, shaking her head so her pigtails bounced. “Mommy helped! But I picked the purple. Purple makes me happy!”Ethan kissed her cheek. “You’re right. You shine brighter than everybody here.”She leaned close to whisper in his ear. “Do you think the judges will like my butterflies?”“They’re gonna love them, baby girl” Ethan promised, his voice soft but firm. “Just like I do.”Jessica watched from a few feet away, her parents beside her. The warmth in Ethan’s voice twisted something inside her, but she stood straighter when he app

Last Updated : 2025-09-20

CHAMP

The buzzing of voices in the auditorium dropped as the principal stepped back up to the microphone. “Parents, teachers, and students,” he announced, his voice echoing through the hall, “thank you all for your hard work and creativity. Today has been extraordinary. But as with every competition, there can only be one winner.”The audience leaned forward in anticipation. Jessica straightened in her seat, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Beside her, Janet dabbed her eyes with a tissue, while Joseph’s arm rested protectively across the back of his wife’s chair. Ethan sat at the edge of his seat, his hands clasped together, every muscle in his body tensed as if he were the one being judged.“Third runner-up…” the principal read, pausing for effect. Cheers rose from the crowd as a small boy trotted on stage to collect his ribbon. Then came the announcement for second runner-up, and another child beamed proudly as applause filled the air.Jessica’s breath caught. Her eyes darted towar

Last Updated : 2025-09-20

LONG ENOUGH

The morning air was cold enough to sting. Dew clung to the windshield as Ethan parked across from the Johnson residence, his engine ticking softly in the silence. Avery’s doll, with its frayed yarn hair, was beside him on the passenger seat like a silent witness.He turned it over in his hands, thumb brushing the crooked smile stitched across its face. “You really forgot your favourite doll, kiddo.”For a moment, he just sat there, gripping the steering wheel as he prepared to go in. Every instinct told him to leave it with the guard, to avoid another confrontation now that Jessica’s parents were home. He exhaled, grabbed the doll, and stepped out. The gravel crunched under his shoes.When he knocked, the door opened not to Jessica, but Joseph.Jessica’s father filled the doorway in a dark sweater, his silver hair well-combed out. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were sharp enough to cut glass.Ethan forced a polite smile. “Good morning, Mr Johnson.” He held up the

Last Updated : 2025-10-06

JINGLE BELLS

The hum of orchestral music filled the air in Jessica’s studio, was alive with colour, bolts of silk spilling over tables, the scent of fabric glue and coffee blending in the air. She leaned over her sketchpad, pencil gliding quickly as she murmured to her assistant, “Tell Maya to adjust the hemline by half an inch on this dress.”A knock followed almost instantly.“Ma’am,” her assistant said from the doorway, slightly breathless. “There’s a man here. He says his name is Mr Ethan Mitchell, and he is here to see you.”Jessica froze. Her pencil paused mid-stroke. “Did you say...?”“Yes, ma’am. Mr Mitchell.”A dozen emotions formed in her chest. “Goddamn it. Send him in,” she muttered, her tone cool, clipped.Ethan stepped inside, looking oddly out of place among all the pastels and chiffon hanging around. His suit was dark, his presence heavier than the air itself. “This is a nice setup, Griselda.” he mocked, scanning the mannequins and the photos pinned to the mood board. “You’ve

Last Updated : 2025-10-08

STORM'S COMING

The evening light slanted through the half-drawn curtains, drawing gold lines across Jessica’s bedroom wall. She sat on the edge of her bed, the cream envelope resting heavy on her lap like a decision she didn’t want to make. Her thumb kept tracing the raised letters of the Mitchell name, over and over, until the motion felt like punishment.The door creaked softly. Janet, her mother, stepped in, her voice low. “Still thinking about it?”Jessica didn’t look up. “Thinking, regretting, overthinking. It’s one of them or maybe all?”Janet smiled faintly and sat beside her, the mattress dipping slightly. “You’ve been staring at that thing for almost an hour.”Jessica sighed, setting the envelope aside. “I’m scared, Mom.”“Of what?” Janet asked gently.“Not the trip,” Jessica said in a quiet voice. “Of what it means if I say yes.” She picked at the corner of the envelope. “Every time I start trusting him again, he proves and gives me reasons why I shouldn’t.”Janet watched her daugh

Last Updated : 2025-10-09

All Chapters of The Billionaire's Ex-wife is a Fashion Icon: Chapter 81 - Chapter 85

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CHAMP

LONG ENOUGH

JINGLE BELLS

STORM'S COMING