All Chapters of A Ruthless Revenge: the Billionaire's Ex Wife Is Back: Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

Celeste’s POVI opened my mouth. The words were already there, trembling on the edge of my tongue.“I need to tell you something—”Theo’s phone rang.Not the usual tone. A sharp, formal chime—the one he reserved for business. He glanced at it, grimaced, then gave me an apologetic look.“I’m so sorry,” he said, already reaching for it. “It’s my grandfather’s office. I have to—”Of course. It was always his grandfather.I nodded, trying not to let the flash of disappointment show. “Go ahead.”He took the call just a few steps away, his back turned, voice low and professional. I watched him pace near the window, gesturing slightly as he spoke in quick, clipped tones. A familiar ache settled behind my ribs.This was what it was like—being with Theo meant sharing him with his family’s empire. With boardrooms and meetings and impossible expectations. He’d always made time for me, until he didn’t. Until moments like this.I turned away and padded softly to the bathroom. Splashed cool water o

Celeste’s POVI sat stiffly in the passenger seat of the sleek black Mercedes, hands clenched on my lap, trying not to press too hard against the seatbelt. We’d just left the private airport, the city far behind us now, trees blurring past the window as we cruised along a countryside road that looked like something out of a dream.No, not a dream. A painting.Michael glanced at me from the driver’s side. “You okay?”I bit my lip, nodding. “Mm-hmm. Just… taking it all in.”He didn’t press. He just offered a small smile and refocused on the road.But I wasn’t fine. Not really.I was in France. For real.Not on vacation. Not for a quick getaway.This was going to be my life now—for the foreseeable future.The thought made my chest feel tight. Like I’d leapt out of something burning and landed in a fog, not knowing what would emerge next.Michael had taken care of everything. The flights. The documents. The long list of logistical things I didn’t have the mental energy to understand. I ha

Damien’s POVBy the time I returned to the estate the next day, the sun was already high—too bright for the kind of mood I was in.But I needed to see Levi for myself. Maybe talk to him and just try to catch him with his own words. As I stepped out of the car, the muffled thump of music grew louder. Bass-heavy, arrogant, and completely wrong for the estate’s usual stillness.I followed the sound around back—and froze.There he was. Half-drunk, shirtless, and holding court by the pool like some teenaged king. Girls lounged on deck chairs, laughing at nothing. A circle of boys—no older than twenty, some looking like they barely shaved—clinked beers and passed around a bottle of something expensive they clearly didn’t buy.The place looked like a high school party that had vomited all over my father’s legacy.Levi spotted me immediately.“Yo! Damien!” he called out, waving a bottle in the air like a trophy. “Didn’t think you’d show up, bro!”I didn’t answer. Just kept walking forward, s

Celeste’s POVMy hands were covered in dirt, my nails practically ruined, and I still hadn’t figured out how to get rid of the annoying little bugs crawling over the zucchini leaves—but I was laughing. Laughing hard, shoulders shaking, head tilted back as Michael tried (and failed) to uproot a stubborn weed that had taken over the edge of the vegetable patch.“You’re pulling the watering hose,” I told him between breaths, trying not to fall over. “That’s not even a weed, genius.”He let go, scowled at the tangled green mess, then looked up at me with mock betrayal. “You know, you could’ve told me that ten minutes ago.”I shrugged, still grinning. “Where’s the fun in that?”Michael gave me a crooked smile and flopped onto the grass, arm thrown over his eyes. “I give up. Nature wins.”I flopped down beside him and looked up at the sky. Light blue. No clouds. No helicopters. No dark shadows. Just peace.After a week in hiding, it was starting to feel like this might’ve been a good decisi

Celeste’s POVIt was my first time out since arriving in France. The breeze was gentler here. Cooler, cleaner. It carried hints of lavender and pine, dancing through the cobblestone streets like something from a memory that wasn’t mine.I kept my hood up, even if I knew no one here recognized me. Not that I was alone.Michael had insisted someone trail me. “Just in case,” he said.So somewhere behind me—never too close, never making it obvious—a bodyguard lingered. I didn’t know his name. I barely glanced back. But I knew he was there.And strangely, I didn’t mind.The hospital sat on a quiet hill overlooking the sleepy town. I made my way through the familiar halls, smiling politely at nurses who had started to remember my face.When I stepped into Auntie Eleanor’s room, the quiet settled around me like a soft blanket.She was still as ever, her chest rising in the slow rhythm of sleep, but today her color looked better. Her fingers twitched once while I watched. I chose to believe i