Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE WIFE YOU LEFT: Kabanata 211 - Kabanata 220

AVERY’S POV:My voice lowered to a deadly whisper.“Serve me… or become my enemy.”A pause. The message etched itself into the bones of the underworld.“You have until sunrise to decide.”I made a cutting motion with my hand. Baron ended the call.“Call Logan,” I told Baron as I wiped a faint splash of blood from my cheek.He already had the phone in hand.When Logan answered, I didn’t wait for pleasantries or an introduction. “Plant everything on Altherio. I want his entire criminal record inflated—drugs, extortion, trafficking. Every file, every raid, every trace of violence connected to him.”Logan’s tone was displeased. "And who the hell are you?" He asked with a yawn."The woman who will cut out your tongue if you speak to me in that manner agian.""You have to be kidding me," he snorted. "You—""She's Mrs. Blackwood," Baron introduced.Immediately, Logan’s voice became receptive and respectful. "I didn't know it was you, Mrs. Blackwood."I ignored him and continued speaking.“

AVERY'S POV:I woke up slumped over the desk in Axel’s home office, the stiffness in my neck pulsing like a warning bell. A file was stuck to my cheek, and my hand was still curled around a pen I didn’t remember setting down. I blinked against the pale light creeping in from the window, dry eyes struggling to focus.God, I was exhausted.My entire body ached—not just from pregnancy, but from being stretched too thin between business, grief, and strategy. But it had been worth it. Every spreadsheet, every ledger, every report… I’d devoured them through the night like a woman possessed. Because I had to be. After I left Axel, I'd returned here.Today was going to be brutal.With a deep groan, I pushed myself off the desk. My spine protested and my belly felt heavier than ever. Still, I shuffled toward the adjoining bathroom, peeling off the sweater I wore and setting my hair in a quick bun. A moment of stillness found me as I massaged warm almond oil into my belly. The baby kicked light

AVERY’S POV:I stared into the mirror—hard. My own eyes felt foreign, hollow, like they didn’t belong to me anymore. They weren’t soft or hopeful or warm. They were relentless. My reflection blinked, but it didn’t feel like me.The room behind me buzzed with too many voices, too many footsteps, too many moving bodies. Ashley and Serena huddled in the corner, heads bent over the final guest list. Serena’s phone never left her hand—cross-checking names, running background checks on every attendee. She had finally learned her place, after accepting that I was in charge. Loyalty now coursed through her like blood. Ashley, always competent, managed everything I wouldn’t. I didn’t trust her with the full truth, but that never stopped her from handling things with grace.Across the room, Thaddeus and Baron talked security. I could tell by Baron’s furrowed brows that something had gone slightly off-plan again. Cameras. Routes. Access points. Adjustments were being made in real-time. They were

AVERY’S POV:I took a final look at the garden through the floor-length window. Lights sparkled, people laughed, and soft music filled the air.Let them think it was just toys.Let them believe in the fantasy.They had no idea what I was truly building — and that was exactly how I wanted it.***The applause had faded. The lights outside the garden had dimmed to nothing but a twinkle. Even the orchestra had packed up and gone, leaving behind the kind of silence only wealth could afford.But for us, the night had only just begun.We were no longer in designer heels and charming small talk. I’d changed into black boots and a structured jacket — my hair tied back, sleeves rolled. In the quiet of the factory’s top floor, I looked nothing like the glowing CEO who had just launched a toy company to standing ovations.This was the other side.The real side.The loft now buzzed with quiet coordination. The floors had been reinforced, lined with industrial panels that led to our custom packing

AVERY’S POV:I missed Sea more than I wanted to admit. Her tiny feet, the way her eyes lit up when she saw me—even her tantrums. My arms ached for her, my chest hollow with the kind of longing that felt dangerous. I’d already made up my mind—I was going to see her the moment this shipment was wrapped.Eyes fixed on the security monitors, I stayed in constant communication with Baron. Everything was running smooth. The jet had landed in Italy without a hitch, and the cargo was already offloaded. They were now driving to the drop point before rerouting to Mexico.Baron had insisted on overseeing the entire operation himself. Said it was too important—our first shipment of this scale. He wanted to make sure every second was tight. No hiccups.“I’ll call when we’re heading out of Italy,” he’d said earlier. “I want you to be the first to know we made it.”I smiled to myself, heart light with the sense of control I’d worked so damn hard to claim.Just as I ended the call with Baron, my phon