บททั้งหมดของ STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Dominic's POV The wine glass glowed amber in the dim light of my study, the bourbon-spiked red blending gradually in my hand like a fuse burning in slow motion. I'd poured it too strong, but I needed it that way- needed the weight, the heat, the diversion. The lights of the city outside sparkled against the darkness like a distant, indifferent galaxy. Miles Davis crooned low from within the speakers, something slow, sax-heavy, and mellow enough to stave off the rage from rising too soon.I needed stillness. Some semblance of peace to quiet the volcano bubbling just under the surface. Ever since Liana’s name started making rounds again, since that cursed gala night, when everything I’d buried started clawing its way back to the surface, I hadn’t slept more than three hours a night.The fireplace spoke in hushed tones, casting shadow puppets across the dark wood paneling and the leather spines on the shelves. I closed my eyes, letting the armchair's buttery leather envelop me. Letting

Liana's Pov I did not head home straight away. My hands kept shaking on the steering wheel, my heart racing like a war drum. Who was the man in the hooded sweatshirt on the pavement? Was Dominic spying on me now?I pressed the speed dial. "Leo, I need you. Now."There was silence. "Liana? What's going on?""I cannot tell you on the telephone. But it's bad. Really, really bad. I have some information and I think someone is trailing me. Do you have time to see me this afternoon?“For you? Always. Conference room, 3 p.m. Bring everything.”I ended the call, exhaled deeply, and turned the wheel hard toward ZCore HQ.This wasn’t just corporate sabotage anymore. This was war.………..The minutes crawled toward 3pm like molasses. I had barely lifted my lunch, anxiety curdling tight in my chest. When I arrived at the private meeting room, the storm within me had distilled to something else. I was guarded. Focused.Jonathan was already seated, his head back in his chair, his eyes scanning the

Dominics PovThe envelope simply sat in the middle of my desk, unmarked and silent, as though it had always been there. No name. No address. No fingerprints, at least none that I could see with the naked eye. Just a plain, ordinary paper envelope. But it was the one word that was inside that took the wind out of me.LOSER.In tattered letters, as though whoever penned it had slashed it with anger.I stared at it too long. It just sat there, looking back at me like an accusation. My mind seethed like a storm — fast, ruthless, confused. My entire body tensed.Who the hell had been in this place?More importantly, how did the person do it?This wasn't my office where people came and went and files passed through a hundred times a day. This was my study, my sanctuary, deep within the estate. The door was closed at all times unless I opened it. There were only two people who had access to this house: me… and Serena.I rose from the leather armchair, my tension-strung body locking into plac

Serena's POVThe moment the front door clicked shut behind Dominic, a thick, suffocating silence fell over the house like a burial shroud. I sat on the edge of our bed, the mattress barely giving beneath my weight, my fingers twisted tight around the hem of my sweater. The cotton was damp from my palms, sticky with the sweat of a fear I couldn’t name aloud.I quietly counted one to three and then came the ignition. A low, throaty growl sounded from the driveway, humming through the floor. The engine roared to life, then subsided as the car backed out, taillights dwindling into darkness.I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding, my chest rattling with the force of it. My fingers finally unclenched, releasing the bunched fabric as I leaned over and reached beneath the nightstand. My hand brushed against cold metal—smooth, matte. I needed the burner phone.Its screen lit up weakly. I placed my thumb over the call button. Then I pressed it.It rang once. And on the second ring, sh

Dominic’s PovThe hotel room was dark. Choking.I huddled at the bedside, elbows and back bent into knees. The thin wall lamp pulsed and buzzed above me like a dying insect. The folder Langley gave me was heavier than any gun I had ever seen. My thumb ran along the rim of the paper. For the hundredth time in two days, I unfolded it again.Liana. Serena. That flash drive.There was a soft photo of Serena snapped in the cafe, catching her passing what looked like data. It wasn't high-definition, but the shape of her face, the tilt of her head, I didn't need crystal clarity. I knew her like I knew my own heartbeat.A tear slipped down my cheek. I didn't wipe it away. Didn't stand up. Just sat there and let it brew, grinding my teeth until my jaw ached.I trusted her. She comforted me in the evenings. Cooked meals in my kitchen. Spent time with me when I raged through the war Liana was waging. All the while… she was feeding the devil."You idiot," I growled into the silence. The words bou