My Ex-wife is a Hidden Heiress! のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 81 - チャプター 90

Stockpile's HeartGregor’s POV~I was in the central part of my Lazareth bunker. The machines around me hissed and clicked, and vials of serum flowed from them. My heritage, my rifle, my will—compressed and packed, a row of chemical peace perfected.A smile played at the corner of my mouth while the vials rolled off the line. “Valenticia’s just a waste of life,” I muttered low, my voice nearly drowned out by the buzzing. I was wearing gray today.Vallentcia Clawford had thought she could unravel me with her shabby little leak—board contacts, buyers lists, and financials she could barely read. It was the last thing she knew she was doing.But then her voice came crackling over the command center speakers. Another episode of Galden Exposed appeared on the screen. She was broadcasting again. Loud, smugly and infuriatingly familiar.Her language made me think of Eleanor, not my friend, but my aunt. The woman who had blocked me back then, with shaking hands. “You’re a monster, Gregor,” she’

One Year LaterValenticia’s POVI parked outside the gates to Willow Creek Elderly Home, and the sun was low in the sky, and its rays made long shadows over the iron fence. I lowered my window and gave the guard my ID. He scanned it with a small machine, his expression remaining normal as he nodded and touched a button. A deep, rumbling hum of the gates sounded as they slid open.My mind wandered back over the past year as I drove through. It had been a year since everything had broken down. Galden had fallen, and Gregor’s empire stood in ruins. Drones stopped whirring lowly over Seryne, and streets were hushed. There were no more crates filled with cotton at the docks, and none of the shouting through the night.I had meant to forget, or at least I thought so. My days were now spent at the community center, where I taught kids how to code basic programs. They laughed when the colors suddenly appeared on their screens, and it seemed good and normal. But at night. I would sometimes wak

The Business Heir Pt2Valenticia's POV~We locked eyes in a moment, and he gave me a quick businesslike nod, but I saw the tiny flicker of something softer underneath it all.I sat down across from him and shook hands with his VP. "Good to see you, Rachel."“You too,” she responded with a smile. "Excited for this one."It started right away, and we went through the proposals as they came up on a screen. Helix desired the exclusive rights to our graphene sensors on their devices, and in return, was willing to give us priority shipping slots during busy seasons. My team pushed for a better deal because it seemed overly restrictive.“Exclusivity hamstrings us,” I said, stating our position. “We need the flexibility to sell to other partners as well.”Stefan drew closer with his voice never rising above the same easy pitch. “Takes some getting used to, but it gets volume for each party. What if we limit it to two years and then re-evaluate?”I thought his idea was clever, but it was still

Unwanted Invitations pt 2Valenticia's POV~We shifted to the topic of Carla’s new puppy and how it chewed up her favorite shoes, but the taunts followed me through the rest of brunch and even on the walk home. Did everyone else see what I worked so hard to suppress? That old connection we share, worn a little thin at the edges but not entirely broken. It gave me cause to briefly doubt my rejections; did I mean them as much in my heart as they sounded out loud?The pattern only kept repeating without pause, and two weeks later it emerged again at an industry mixer hosted on a rooftop bar, city lights twinkling below, live jazz band playing softly in the corner. I settled on soda in a tall glass and sat down to chat with the supplier about our bulk orders for next season’s materials when Stefan appeared at my elbow like some kind of ghost, his jacket off, sleeves rolled up like he’d be working into the night.“Valenticia, you look like a scrub as usual. Dance with me? Or at least one d

Chasing Shadows Stefan’s POV~The ballroom was noisy with music and people talking, the chandeliers above them casting a gentle light on everyone in their fancy suits and dresses. I danced with Natasha while trying to keep my steps light and smile polite enough for an industry ball. She was dressed in a red cocktail dress, and she made light conversation about a client we had recently signed at Helix. “Now they’re pushing for faster delivery,” she said, her voice clear over the slow music. “I told them we’d prioritize them next quarter.”“Good call,” I replied, nodding as we turned on the dance floor. “That account’s worth the effort.” But my mind wasn’t with her fully. It kept returning to Valenticia, every time she rejected my invitations, coffee at her apartment, dinner out somewhere, a chance to talk over a beer like we used to. Her no’s were cutting, and they hurt more than I wanted to acknowledge.Then I caught sight of her from the corner of my eye, across the room. Valentici