Semua Bab My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress!: Bab 21 - Bab 30

Old Scars, New DangersValenticias POV~Natasha’s smug smile burned into my mind as the boardroom doors closed, her presence made my skin crawl. She was there standing, composed.My heart raced, the hospital photo on the burner phone flaring into my memory — me, unconscious, vulnerable, caught by someone who’d been too near. The abrupt line had Natasha's written all over it. I made myself breathe and forced my shaking hands not to show as I turned to the board.She claimed to be a financial consultant, and disarm my Nexus Ventures allegations with a charm that was difficult to ignore! “Ms. Valenticia’s conclusions are worrisome, yet premature,” Natasha replied, her smile cutting. “Without authenticated sources, these claims risk defaming our operations.” Her statements sowed doubts, and I watched the board members, their eyes darting between me and her. Mr Vance, Gregor’s man, nodded eagerly, and there was a hard scepticism on all but the neutral faces. The evidence I had acquired—the

Mystery ManValenticia’s POV~The red rose rested on the library table. Back at the office, my computer screen had shown a live feed of my face, as seen from some unknown angle — maybe a camera in the ceiling or the vents. And then the image was gone as quickly as it had shown followed by a disturbing phone call: “You’re digging too deep, heiress.” It served as a reminder that nowhere was safe. Grandmother walked in, her hair catching the lamplight, face a mixture of determination and worry. “Valenticia, the security caught Dmitri. And he demands to speak with you only.”I nodded, suddenly aware of the pounding of my heart. Dmitri. What could he want now? “Let him in.”The security brought him in, and I could hardly recognize the shell of a man standing before me. His eyes were red, his finely tailored suit baggy, and it was as if guilt had carved away his insides. Memories rushed in — nights spent dreaming of a life together, his promises now ash. Rosanna stood by the fireplace,

Unveiled Valenticia's POV~I held the crumpled note in my hand, Meet me at midnight. I know Galden’s next move. The words offered information on what Victor Galden planned to do, but there was danger woven through them, a snare I could not dismiss. I was in the estate's library, the air hung thick with the odor of old leather and wax, and last night’s red rose was still sitting on the table, its thorns pointed like an unsaid accusation. I had smashed Natasha’s tracking device with my heel at the auction, but her obsession was shackling me.My grandmother's voice sharp and hard pierced through my thoughts. “Valenticia, you’re going to meet Stefan Myles tonight. Let’s talk about the contract marriage.”My heart dropped, and a familiar ache started. Another loveless transaction, like Dmitri’s betrayal, the starry promises that had turned to ash. “Grandmother, I can’t. Not another cage.”Grandmother's gaze softened but her tone was firm. “This isn’t about love, child. It’s about surviva

Blood and BondsValenticias POV~Gideon’s blood remained damp and clung to my skin. The USB drive felt like a cold lump in my hand, slick and red with his blood. I stood in the hospital’s sterile corridor, my lungs burning with that antiseptic smell, paramedics shouting as they raced Gideon into surgery. Stefan steadied me, his arm holding me up with a firm grip just as he had done back at the pier when he’d protected me from the masked attackers. That act of protection, etched my heart, marriage contract or not. The next vehicle had been police, the sirens a distant salvation, but the attackers had disappeared, leaving only Gideon’s broken body and my breaking resolve.I blamed myself. It was my search for Victor Galden that had led Gideon to that pier; his loyalty to Stefan left him losing blood that night. My hands shook. I had gone too far, and now a man was dying for it. “He’ll be all right,” Stefan said, but the tension in his jaw betrayed his certainty. “Gideon’s loyal to

Cries for RetributionValenticias POV~The video of Clara, bound and gagged, played repeatedly in my brain, Natasha’s venomous hiss, you step down, or she pays, twisting in my gut. I hesitated in the library back at the estate, the trembling in my hands worsening as I held onto my phone. It was my fault all my fault. I’d been suspended from the board, Natasha’s forged emails calling me a thief had weakened me, and now she’d hit me where it hurt most, the people who worked for us. Gideon’s USB, covered in his blood, was the only thing I had, but it was also my curse, bringing me closer to Victor Galden and the threats he carried.Grandmother's voice cut through my confusion, “Valenticia, we must act. Inform Stefan of the wedding and let him announce it to the public. It’s a shield between Natasha and Galden as they will not so readily aim at a unified Clawford and New Dream.”My heart revolted, and I counted the contract marriage as a shackle I’d slowly let be tied around my ankle.“