All Chapters of THE WIFE YOU LEFT: Chapter 201 - Chapter 210

AVERY’S POV:The psychiatric hospital was tucked just outside the city, surrounded by white-barked trees that looked like skeletons in the morning light. The building itself was a blend of glass and concrete. Almost like it wanted to pretend it wasn’t a place people went to lose their minds.Inside, the air was cold and dry, perfumed with bleach and artificial calm. A pair of nurses walked past me in mint-green scrubs, their expressions stiff, rehearsed. At a distant corner, a patient sat strapped into a lounge chair, rocking gently while murmuring to the air.The walls were off-white, the lighting flat. There were paintings—sunsets, lakes, flowers—all hung too precisely. This place wasn’t about healing. It was about maintaining the illusion of order.“May I help you, ma’am?” A young woman behind the front desk asked.“I’m here to see Lyra Russell.”“I’m sorry, visits—”“Tell your supervisor that Avery Blackwood is here.” I leveled my voice with finality. “You know who I am. So let’s

AXEL’S POV:The message burned into my retinas.And that text.I spun on my heel, storming out of the estate like the devil himself was on my back.“Thaddeus!” I barked. “Someone has her.”His eyes widened as he caught the look on my face. He opened the SUV door without a word. He understood what I was talking about. Inside, I didn’t waste a second.I sent the message and the image to Serena."Find this. Now."The screen blurred with how hard my hands were shaking. The silence between each second stretched like a scream I couldn’t let out.I tapped my lap like a beast chained to asphalt. My breath was shallow, hot with rage. “Come on, come on…”Then—ding."Got it. Coordinates coming in. Sending now," Serena texted."Good. Half the team secures the house. I want the rest en route to this location. Full tactical. Send it now. No delays," I instructed through a text to Baron. I looked at Thaddeus. “We’re not waiting. Also, call in everyone. It's going to be a bloodbath."He nodded once

AVERY’S POV:The city’s pulse throbbed beneath the tires of my rented car as I leaned against the window, the late afternoon blaring over the dashboard. I'd ditched my car and got a rental just to lose Axel or any of his men that would come after me.Immediately I left the psychiatric ward, I pulled strings to get answers. My fingers trembled slightly as I flipped through the dossier on my lap, the pages worn from repeated scrutiny. The name "Esmeraya Valerio" was scrawled across the top in bold letters, a name that had become an obsession.Esmeraya, the enigmatic daughter of Valerio, had been declared brain-dead following a devastating accident years ago. Doctors had given up hope, her body sustained only by machines. Then, less than a year ago, she had awakened, a medical miracle that defied explanation. The media had hailed it as a testament to hope and perseverance, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was strange.My mind was anything but at ease once I encountered h

AVERY’S POV:No. No, no, no.I stared at the screen, unsure if I could move. My food turned cold, untouched as I replayed the video once, hoping I had just imagined it.I shoved everything into my bag, left cash on the table, and ran to the car. My hands were shaking as I grabbed the wheel. I needed to get back to the house—back to Axel.No, I needed to get Sea out first.She was all that mattered now.The drive was fast, breathless. As soon as I reached the gates, I used my access to bypass security protocols. I nodded to the guard, gave a polite smile, and walked straight through as if I wasn’t unraveling inside.Sea was upstairs in her room, reading a novel.“Mama?” she looked up, confused.I didn’t have time to explain everything. I knelt beside her, brushing her hair behind her ear.“Baby, we’re going on a little adventure. Just you and me.”Her brows scrunched, the same way Axel’s did when he was skeptical. “Where’s Daddy?”“He’s busy right now. But we’re going somewhere safe, j

AXEL’S POV I couldn’t let it go."Where the hell is Sea?" I asked again, my voice jagged. My hands were clenched so tightly I felt the bones in my knuckles straining. "Did they find her before we got home?" I panicked. Oh my goodness. I have failed her.Avery flinched, but her gaze stayed on me, unwavering. “Decided to keep her away from all of this,” she said quietly. “I didn’t know what I was walking into after I saw the video. You killed our men. I didn’t know if you were being used or if you were losing it, so I made the only call I could.”Was I hearing her right? Did she take away my daughter without my consent?"You made the call?” I snapped. “Without me? Without talking to me first?”She stepped forward, her body quaking like a leaf being blown by a heavy wind. “I was protecting her—”“You think you're her real mother?” I spat. “You think you’ve got the right to act like this? How dare you make that decision without me!”Her eyes widened—like I’d slapped her—and for a second,