Semua Bab Divorced My CEO Husband, He Came Begging: Bab 111 - Bab 120

The rest of the day passed in a haze. Aldridge returned briefly to inform me that bail had been denied due to the severity of the charges and the risk that I might attempt to contact Maya again. I barely registered his words. All I could hear was Grandfather's voice: unworthy of the Russo name.That evening, I was allowed to shower again. In the metal panel that served as a mirror, I caught sight of a stranger—hollow-eyed, stubbled, hair lank and unwashed. I stared, momentarily confused about whose reflection I was seeing."That's me," I whispered, touching the cool metal surface. "That's... me."Something about the disconnection between my self-image and the reality in the mirror triggered a cascade of unwelcome thoughts. Had Maya ever loved me? Or had she merely tolerated me as the price for her career? Had Grandfather ever been proud of me? Or had I always been a disappointment he was waiting to replace?"Finish up, Russo," a deputy called. "Other inmates need to shower too."Back

The drive back to the city was a blur of mountain curves and highway monotony. My mind raced ahead to Mami Lulu. What would I say to her? What would she say to me? Every scenario I imagined felt inadequate.The woman who raised me, who taught me everything I knew about glass and art and survival, had also stolen me from my birth family. She wasn't just Mami Lulu who had rescued an abandoned child—she was Lupe Vega, once a celebrated designer who had taken calculated revenge on the people who stole her work by stealing their child.Could I hate her for that? Could I love her still? Both felt impossible and inevitable.Three hours later, I pulled into the Sunset Valley Care Center parking lot. The facility was nicer than most—I'd made sure of that when I chose it—with manicured gardens and a brick façade that resembled a New England college building more than a nursing home.Nurse Abernathy met me at the reception desk. She was younger than I expected, with intelligent eyes and an air of

The night at the cabin was a bust. Four hours of prying at stones around the fireplace in the basement, fingers raw and bleeding, only to find nothing. Whatever case Mami Lulu had hidden was either gone or I was looking in the wrong place. By the time I gave up, it was nearly 3 AM and my hands were too sore to keep trying.I crashed on the couch for a few hours before driving back to the city, arriving with just enough time to shower and change before heading to Grandfather's mansion. The place always made me uncomfortable—too many memories of Daniel, too much inherited wealth on display. But today the discomfort was different. Sharper. I wasn't walking in as Daniel's wife anymore. I was walking in as... what? The heir to what might have been stolen in the first place?The security guard recognized me, nodding as I parked. "Mr. Russo is expecting you, ma'am."No one greeted me at the door. Not unusual—Grandfather had always run a lean household staff, unlike Daniel who wanted attendant

AlexI wiped down the kitchen counter for the third time, tossed the cloth in the sink, and checked my watch again. 4:17 PM. Maya had been at Giuseppe's mansion for over two hours now. Every instinct told me to drive over there, wait outside, make sure she was okay. But I'd promised myself—promised her, really—that I'd stop the surveillance. Stop the control. Stop treating her like someone who needed saving.The apartment felt too empty. Too quiet. I'd canceled my cleaner when she'd missed her usual day earlier in the week. Now I almost wished for the company, for someone else's presence to distract me from wondering what Giuseppe was telling Maya, what revelations she was facing.I made myself a cup of coffee I didn't need, ignoring the tremor in my hands from too much caffeine already. Paced the living room. Checked my phone again. The security update showed Daniel was still safely contained at the psychiatric facility. Small mercies.When the restlessness became unbearable, I walked

MayaThree days after my meeting with Grandfather, my phone rang at 4:37 AM. I was already awake—sleep had become a luxury I couldn't seem to afford lately. Too many revelations, too many shifting pieces in the puzzle of my life.The screen showed Sunset Valley Care Center. My stomach clenched."Hello?" My voice sounded strange to my own ears."Ms. Russo?" Nurse’s voice, tight with restraint. "I'm sorry to call so early, but your mother has taken a significant turn. Her vitals are declining rapidly. The doctor thinks—" She paused. "It would be best if you came now.""I'm on my way." I was already pulling on jeans, the phone tucked between ear and shoulder."She's been asking for you." A small hesitation. "She wants to see you.'"I grabbed my keys, not bothering with makeup or even brushing my hair. The roads were empty at that hour, the city still suspended between night and morning. I drove like a robot, muscle memory guiding me while my mind raced ahead to the facility, to Mami Lulu.