Все главы WANTING MY BILLIONAIRE EX-WIFE: Глава 21 - Глава 30

Ximena stepped into the luxury restaurant, heels clicking against marble floors, every step confident and unhurried. She was dressed in black, her silk blouse tucked into a high-waisted skirt, her hair pulled into a low chignon. She looked every bit the woman who couldn’t be rattled.She gave her name to the hostess and was led through the candle-lit dining room to a corner booth.But when she reached the table, she stopped.Leandro Cruz was already seated there, wine glass in hand, the curve of a smirk dancing across his lips.“Investor had to cancel,” he said smoothly, raising his glass. “So I figured I’d save your night.”Ximena’s eyes narrowed.“You set this up,” she said.“Only partly,” Leandro replied. “He did cancel. I just happened to be in the area. Thought I’d take his seat.”She turned to leave.“Ximena,” he said, setting the glass down, “you’re too sharp to run. Sit. Let’s talk business… or enemies. Dealer’s choice.”Her heels hovered a second longer, then she slowly slid

Ximena sat at her desk, phone in hand, Miguel’s message glowing on the screen like it had for the past twelve hours. *Tell me how to fix this. Or tell me how to forget you. I can’t do both.*Her fingers hovered over the screen. She could feel the weight of the words. The honesty. The quiet desperation.But still—she didn’t reply.And she didn’t delete it either.That silence was its own message.The painting from the auction leaned against the far wall of her office, half-shrouded in its linen cover. She hadn’t asked anyone to hang it. She hadn’t moved it. But it stayed like a ghost refusing to leave.Sometimes, when she wasn’t thinking, she found herself glancing at it.Remembering.Paris.Laughter.A version of her that didn’t need to build empires to feel worthy. She kind of wondered how she managed to keep loving a man who was obviously in love with her step-sister all through their three years of marriage.A knock pulled her back to the present.Rafael entered, holding a tablet.

Ximena’s phone rang before sunrise.The shrill tone cut through her sleep like a blade. She rolled over, groaning softly, and squinted at the screen. It was her legal advisor, calling from the firm’s secure line.She sat up instantly.“Hello?”“Ms. Antonio, sorry to wake you,” her attorney said, voice taut. “You need to see this. Leandro Cruz just fast-tracked a hostile buyout offer for Ricardo Tech. The paperwork went out at midnight.”Ximena blinked. “What?”“The offer was prepared under one of your jointly-owned investment groups. It will go public in less than 48 hours unless you intervene.”“I didn’t authorize that,” she snapped.“I know. But on paper, it looks like you did.”Her heart pounded. “Email me everything. Right now.”“Already sent.”She hung up, threw off the covers, and went straight to her laptop. Her inbox was overflowing—but there it was. The buyout paperwork. Contracts. Internal memos. Leandro’s signature on every page. Her name at the top of each holding group.H

The phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.Ximena rolled over in bed, blinking at the harsh morning light. Her hand reached blindly for her phone on the nightstand, but the moment she saw the notifications, sleep left her instantly.**42 missed calls.****Over 70 new messages.****Subject line after subject line:****“Antonio Empire Built on Lies?”****“Daughter of Camila Antonio Speaks Out: Secrets, Death, and a Legacy War.”****“Blood, Betrayal, and Boardrooms—The Antonio Saga Unfolds.”**Ximena sat up slowly, heart pounding.“What the hell—”Her finger trembled slightly as she clicked the first link.There she was.**Isabela.**Perfect hair. Flawless makeup. Calm, poised, and infuriatingly convincing.The headline on the screen read: **“EXCLUSIVE: Isabela Antonio Speaks—‘My Mother Died for the Truth.’”**Ximena watched in horrified silence as Isabela detailed everything—Camila’s original will, the secret shares, and hidden documents.Then, the betrayal. “I have reason to believe Ximena Ant

The morning didn’t rise—it exploded.Ximena barely had time to sip her coffee before the first headline lit up her phone screen like a flare in the dark. **“BREAKING: Leaked Footage Ties Ximena Antonio to Antonio Legacy Cover-Up.”****“Did Ximena Know About Camila Antonio’s Disappearance?”****“Legacy Lies: Antonio Empire Under Fire.”**Rafael burst into her office seconds later, breathless and pale, holding a tablet already open to a media feed.“They’ve taken it viral,” he said. “Every outlet has it—national and international. They’re playing that manipulated footage like it’s gospel.”Ximena’s heart pounded, but her face stayed calm. That was how she’d trained herself. Feel everything—show nothing.She reached for the tablet.The video played again. Chopped-up segments from internal board meetings, removed from context. The audio distorted, her voice clipped at just the right angles to make it seem like she was complicit.Even she almost believed it.“They’re framing you, Ximena,”