Lahat ng Kabanata ng Divorced My CEO Husband, He Came Begging: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

AlexI watched Maya's reflection in the office window until it disappeared around the corner. The professional mask I'd worn slipped, just slightly, as I pressed my forehead against the cool glass. Below, the city sprawled like a glittering promise - the same view I'd fought so hard to earn.My fingers found the small scar at my temple, usually hidden by my hair. A souvenir from my stepmother's diamond ring, from a time when I'd dared to speak at dinner without permission. Strange, how certain memories stayed fresh no matter how many years passed.The pendant Maya wore today had caught the light during the lobby confrontation. Those beads - so similar to the ones I'd been turning over in my mind since our first meeting. The same intricate patterns, the same way of catching light...The memory rose unbidden, as it often did in quiet moments.I'd been twelve, though I looked younger - all knees and elbows and hunger that went deeper than missed meals. The mountain resort had been my fath

Maya's POV"DESIGNER EXPOSES SISTER'S BETRAYAL: The Truth Behind 'Eden'"The words blurred as I stared at James' phone screen. Behind Fiona's perfectly orchestrated tears, I could see my sketches - the raw, unfinished versions of what would become "Eden." Drafts I'd left scattered across my bed that day, right before everything went dark."You okay?" James' voice seemed to come from far away. "You look like you've seen a ghost.""I need to make a call." My voice sounded steadier than I felt. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"I barely registered his concerned nod as I stepped into what could have been my new kitchen. My fingers shook slightly as I dialed Olivia."Please tell me you're seeing this." The words tumbled out before she could speak."I am. Maya, listen - Fiona's name isn't anywhere in the competition records. I've checked three times. She never even submitted an entry."Something cold settled in my stomach. "She doesn't want to win. She wants to make sure I lose.""Maya-"

Daniel’s POVThe scotch trembled against my fingertips as I rewatched the press conference footage. My empty chair in the background spoke volumes - a visible gap in the carefully crafted image we'd built. Amateur mistake, leaving Fiona to flounder alone."What were you thinking?" I kept my voice measured, the same tone I used in board meetings when someone had spectacularly failed. "Did you even consider the implications before staging this little performance?"Fiona perched on my office sofa, her designer dress wrinkled from hours of damage control meetings. "Danny, I was just trying to-""To what?" Ice clinked as I set the glass down. "If it had been any other designer, we could have handled this. Money talks. NDAs exist for a reason." I studied her tear-streaked face, seeing it clearly for the first time. "But Maya? You chose to publicly attack the one person whose silence we actually needed?""I thought-""No." I kept my voice soft, final. "You didn't think. You acted on emotion,

MayaThe key clicked in the lock, and I pushed the door open with my hip, balancing a box labeled "Kitchen Shit" in my arms. The apartment smelled of fresh paint and new beginnings."Home sweet home," I murmured to myself, setting the box down on the bare hardwood floor.The space wasn't much—a modest one-bedroom with high ceilings and windows that actually opened—but it was mine. No marble countertops. No designer furniture. No husband dictating which corner I could exist in. Just four walls that didn't feel like they were closing in on me."Is that the last one?" Olivia called from the kitchen, where she was unpacking my mismatched collection of mugs and plates."Two more in the car." I stretched, feeling the satisfying pop in my lower back. "Who knew freedom would be so fucking heavy?"Olivia appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on her jeans. Her usually perfect hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and she'd swapped her Thorne Designs blazer for an old t-shirt. "Worth every p

I made my way carefully through the wreckage, avoiding stepping on broken glass and torn fabric. Olivia kept talking, her voice a lifeline as I cataloged the damage. The bathroom mirror was shattered. My bed had been stripped, the mattress slashed. Even the cheap set of plates I'd bought at a discount store had been smashed against the kitchen floor.A knock at the door made me jump."That's probably the police," I told Olivia, making my way back to the entrance.But it wasn't the police.Alex stood in the hallway, concern etched across his features, his normally perfect suit slightly rumpled as if he'd rushed over. For a moment, we just stared at each other."Olivia called me," he said finally, answering my unspoken question.I pressed the phone back to my ear. "You called Alex?""Of course I did." Olivia's voice was unapologetic. "You need someone there now, not in forty minutes when I can fight through traffic. Plus, he's got resources."“You didn’t think to tell me?”Behind Alex, t