Semua Bab Divorced My CEO Husband, He Came Begging: Bab 131 - Bab 140

The foundation had taken over my life—and my apartment. Two weeks after my meeting with Fiona, the dining table had vanished completely under stacks of legal documents and grant applications. My living room was now a makeshift conference area, with folding chairs arranged around a whiteboard I'd bought specifically for planning sessions. Even my kitchen counter had been conscripted, serving as a coffee station for the revolving door of advisors, designers, and potential donors that filed through daily.It wasn't just my space that had transformed. I was changing too. Each decision I made—from the foundation's mission statement to the color scheme of our logo—felt like another step away from the person I'd been with Daniel, with the Kingstons, even with Mami Lulu. Each choice was mine alone.Today's meeting was running longer than planned. Olivia had shown up at nine with bagels and a binder full of legal documents, followed shortly by Sarah Thorne who'd flown in from Paris specifically

FionaThe smell hit me first when I entered Mountain County Psychiatric—not antiseptic or bleach like I'd expected, but something oddly pleasant. Lavender. Lemon. A desperate attempt at normalcy that somehow made everything worse.I'd changed clothes three times before settling on the navy Stella McCartney dress. Professional but not severe. Expensive but not showy. The security guard at the entrance had run a metal detector wand over me, his face bored. He'd seen worse than whatever he imagined my story to be."First visit?" The receptionist didn't look up from her computer."Yes." My voice came out higher than intended. I cleared my throat. "For Daniel Russo."That got her attention. Her eyes flicked to mine, a quick assessment. "ID please."The waiting room could have been a hotel lobby, with its neutral artwork and strategically placed plants. I tried not to bounce my knee, tried not to check my reflection in my phone screen again. My last therapy session had been two weeks ago. I

AlexThe lock stuck—it always had. Even when my father was alive, he'd jiggle the key with impatience, cursing under his breath when visitors weren't around. I'd inherited his hands, long-fingered and precise, but not his tolerance for imperfection.I twisted the key again, feeling the lock finally give. The door to his study swung open on silent hinges—the one thing in this house that had always been meticulously maintained. The scent hit me immediately: leather, pipe tobacco, and the faint chemical sweetness of the cologne he'd worn for thirty years. After five years, it should have faded. Sarah's theory was that Mrs. Nora, our family's housekeeper since before I was born, refreshed it periodically. A ghost kept alive through scent.I hadn't set foot in this room since the reading of his will. Hadn't wanted to. Our brownsto

MayaMy phone vibrated against the kitchen counter while I was inhaling my first coffee of the day. I glanced at the screen and nearly choked on the scalding liquid—Caroline Kingston. The woman who hadn't attempted direct contact since I'd told her she wasn't my mother anymore.I let it ring four times, debating whether to answer. Curiosity won out. Or maybe masochism."Hello, Mother." I kept my voice neutral, betraying nothing."Maya, darling!" Her voice dripped with the artificial warmth I'd grown up before Daniel. "It's been too long."I didn't respond to the obvious bait. The silence stretched between us until she cleared her throat."We saw the announcement about Giuseppe making you his heir. Congratulations! We always knew you could achieve something like this. Your father and I always believed in you."Right. It took then this long to talk about it, and this was the same father and mother who'd called me ungrateful, stupid, and selfish. Who'd watched as Daniel slowly crushed my

The morning of the foundation launch arrived with perfect weather, because of course it did. Blue skies, gentle breeze, not too hot for the mountain setting. Like the universe itself was rolling out the red carpet for Maya-fucking-Vega.My stomach churned as I pulled into the makeshift parking area at the base of the mountain. Luxury SUVs and hired cars lined the gravel lot, ferrying the fashion elite to Maya's childhood cabin, now transformed into the headquarters of her foundation.I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror, applying another layer of concealer to the shadows under my eyes. The morning's pill had kicked in, giving my movements a jittery precision. I'd taken more than usual. But it was necessary. I needed the extra edge today.The press credential hanging around my neck felt heavy, like a millst