All Chapters of Ex- husband pursuit: Winning her back: Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

Her fingers trembled around her phone.She wanted to blink and realize she’d misunderstood what she was seeing, that maybe the woman was a client, a colleague, anyone else. But the easy way Hayden smiled at her, the small familiarity in his gestures said otherwise.Her stomach twisted.She gazed away and took a shaky breath, forcing her feet to move.It was ridiculous to just stand there, waiting for an explanation that wasn’t hers to demand.Her phone buzzed again.Kristen: Don’t tell me you chickened out?Briella swallowed hard, her throat tight. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she typed quickly.Briella: Heading home. Something came up.She hit send before her courage could falter.Turning away, she forced her legs to move, each step feeling heavier than it should.By the time she reached the car stand, her chest ached like she’d run miles.Everywhere blurred a little from the sting in her eyes or the sinking in her stomach, she couldn’t tell.She pressed a hand agains

Briella stood by the door for a long moment, frozen. Her fingers hovered over the handle. She hadn’t expected to see today.When she finally opened the door, Hayden stood there. His shirt was half way bottomed and a little rumpled, eyes shadowed from lack of sleep. For a brief second, something flashed across Briella’s face like a hint of guilt but it vanished as quickly as it came.Without a word, she turned and walked back toward the kitchen.Hayden remained by the doorway, his chest tight, watching her move. He wanted to say something but every word that came to mind felt wrong. He followed quietly.When they reached the kitchen, she reached for a chopping board, pretending not to notice his presence.“Can you wait and let’s talk?” he asked finally, his voice low, almost pleading.“I’m cooking,” she murmured, not looking at him. Her throat bobbed slightly as she swallowed the tightness gathering there.“I’ll wait,” he said, pulling out a chair. He wasn’t planning to leave until the

Briella forced a polite smile, even though her instincts were already tightening.“How may I help you?”The woman at the door returned the same smile, warm, practiced, and strangely empty.“Please… may I come in?”Briella hesitated. She wasn’t expecting anyone. She didn’t want anyone. But being rude felt like giving this stranger something to hold onto, so she stepped aside and gestured her in.The woman walked in with a quiet, deliberate grace. Elegant. Composed. Terrifying in a subtle way, like someone who didn’t need to raise her voice to feel dangerous.With her black silk blouse. Tailored trousers and her hair pinned perfectly.And those eyes… dark, calm, and assessing, like she was gathering information Briella didn’t know she was giving.Up close, she was even more intimidating. Beautiful in a cold, expensive way.And suddenly Briella understood why Hayden might keep someone like her close, why anyone would. And why this woman probably walked around knowing it.“Hi, Briella,” t

California greeted Briella with a warmth that didn’t touch her skin. It was something she once associated with hope. Now it only made her chest tighten. She pulled her hoodie closer as she stepped out of the airport, trying not to look like someone running from her own thoughts.She shouldn’t have come back. She promised herself she wouldn’t return to this city unless she was ready to face everything she left behind. But then Daniella happened. Daniella with her perfect smile and velvet voice.“Stay away from Hayden for your own good.”But here she was getting closer to him.Lex’s driver found her before her mind spiraled too far. “Ma’am, Mr. Lex instructed that I bring you home directly.”Home. Such an ironic word.The drive was quiet, the street light shining behind glass buildings and tall palms. The city still moved like nothing had changed, even though Briella felt entirely different.When the gate finally opened, the house appeared modern, secluded, secure. A soft-lit sanctuary

The next morning came quietly with the silence that always seemed to follow a long night of thinking too much.Briella sat by the window for a while, coffee growing cold in her hands, before finally deciding what to do.If she was going to untangle the mess in her head, she needed grounding, and there was no better place to start than with Kristen and Crystal. They deserved to know she was in town… even if she couldn’t explain why just yet.She dressed quietly, choosing a fully covered outfit, a hoodie, a cap, long sleeves and sunglasses to hide from people and the mess she felt inside. Being covered made her feel less exposed and less readable.When she arrived at the office, the familiar scent of coffee and paper hit her first. Then came the voices, lively, overlapping until Kristen turned and froze mid-sentence.Her eyes widening. “Hold on, Briella?”Crystal nearly toppled her chair as she stood as her pen fell from her hands.“What are you doing here? Oh my God! You didn’t tell us