Semua Bab Heiress Return: Revenge Of The Crippled Ex-Wife: Bab 81 - Bab 90

Julian’s POV. The numbers on the screen made no sense. I had been staring at the same spreadsheet for over an hour, pretending to care about profit margins and quarterly projections, but my mind was miles away. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing a hand over my face. Kristina’s parents had been calling nonstop — texts, emails, voicemails — all piling up. I knew exactly why they were pushing so hard, and I didn’t have the patience for it. A soft knock pulled me out of my thoughts. My secretary stepped in, her expression tense. “Good day, sir. Mr and Mrs Paulo are here to see you.” “Kristina’s parents?” My heart sank. “Here?” She nodded, her eyes darting around as though she expected them to burst in at any moment. “They’re in the conference room. They said it was urgent.” Of course, it was urgent. It was always urgent with them. They came all the way here towards the closing hours just because I had been ignoring them, but that wouldn’t change a damn thing. I thought of them p

Clarence’s POV. I glanced over at Julian, who sat slumped in the corner, his head resting against the wall and eyes fixed on nothing. I swallowed, my chest tightening. Seeing him like that did something to me. It made me feel restless and helpless. The Julian I knew was always so composed and in control. The man sitting across the room now looked lost, like he was unraveling right in front of me. I picked up the cup of instant coffee I had just made and walked over, setting it down on the table in front of him. "I know it’s not much," I said, my voice soft, "but it’s hot and full of caffeine." He didn’t respond and didn't even look up. His eyes remained distant and his jaw clenched. His hand lay on the table, his fingers loosely curled, as if even holding a cup of coffee required more energy than he could muster. I slid into the seat across from him, folding my hands in my lap. An uncomfortable silence stretched between us. I wanted to say something, anything but

Clarence’s POV. It was a joy to behold after Julian finally announced he had ended the engagement. He was able to pull it off but somehow I doubted if he was alright. So I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, trying to read his expression. “How do you feel?” Julian exhaled a long, heavy breath, leaning back against the chair. “Relieved,” he said, eyes drifting to the ceiling. “But also... restless knowing that Kristina isn’t going to let it go easily.” I swallowed, nodding. That was exactly what I was afraid of. Kristina was never the type to bow out gracefully. And now that Julian had ended things, she would only feel more desperate. “What do you think she’ll do?” I asked, my voice soft. Julian rubbed his temples, his jaw tightening. “I don’t know. But it won’t be pretty. I just need to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t try anything reckless. And... I need to keep you safe.” I blinked, caught off guard by his words. “Me?” “Clarence,” he said, his g

Kristina’s POV. I stood there in the middle of our living room, looking at my parents and unable to believe my ears. “You should let Julian go,” my father said. “You ruined everything.” I swallowed. “No, I can't,” I said, my voice trembling. “He’s the one who called off the engagement. Not me.” “He wouldn’t have if you had kept your act together,” my father shot back. “You couldn’t stay clean, could you? After everything we did for you.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he wasn’t finished. He stood up, towering over me. “Drugs, Kristina? After all the money we spent on your rehab? And now you’re dealing with lowlifes and bringing shame to this family?” “I wasn’t dealing,” I protested, but the words sounded weak even to me. “It was just once —” “Once?” he sneered. “We have evidence, Kristina. Pictures. Witnesses. You think Julian was bluffing?” My heart pounded, seeing my father in so much rage meant that it was over for me. I looked over at my mother, desperat

Julian’s POV. The call came just as I was going through the latest reports. The new brand we had partnered with was hosting a three-day retreat for the top-performing staff of our company to show appreciation for our willingness to collaborate with them, a way to foster creativity, teamwork, and, as they put it, a much-needed break from the usual grind. I knew who needed it most, it was Clarence. She has been through a lot but on the other hand, I was aware that she would definitely turn it down. She hadn’t been herself lately, always locked up in her office, drowning herself in work as though she could bury everything that had been happening. But that was exactly why she needed this. I knocked on her office door and stepped inside without waiting for her to respond. “Got a minute?” She barely glanced up. “Not really.” “Well, you’re going to make time,” I said, stepping closer. “The new brand is hosting a retreat for the top staff. Three days. All expenses paid. And you’re com