Semua Bab Married to my ex-husband's boss: Bab 21 - Bab 30

Raymond’s POV The silver pen clicked softly in my hand as I sat across from the head of the Korean delegation. My focus should’ve been razor-sharp. I mean, it was a major contract, the kind of international deal that executives dream of finalizing. Months of negotiations had led to this moment. But I was distracted. Behind my composed smile and nods of approval, my mind drifted to Elle. I hadn’t seen her since this morning. She was quiet at breakfast but promised to give today a chance—her first full day back at work since everything went out of hand. I hoped she’d be okay. I hoped the staff was being respectful. And I hoped, above all, that she knew I was proud of her for even stepping into that building again. “Mr. Orlando,” one of the interpreters said gently, pulling me out of my thoughts. The lead negotiator, Mr. Kang, offered a slight bow. “It is a great honor. We believe this partnership will be fruitful on both sides.” “Likewise,” I said with a polite smile, shaking

Raymond’s POV I told myself I wouldn’t go. That I’d let her have the space she needed. That if she wanted to talk, she’d come to me. But hours passed, and the ache only got worse. I stayed in our room, lying in the bed that felt too empty without her in it. I turned off the lights, rolled onto my side, and tried to sleep. But sleep never came. Every creak in the house made me hope it was her. Every soft breath of wind against the window made me wish she’d open the door. By midnight, I gave up pretending. I stood up, walked barefoot down the hallway, and stopped outside the guest room door. I hesitated for a while, my hand half-raised, fingers trembling just enough to frustrate me. She was probably asleep. Maybe she didn’t want to see me. Maybe the words I had said earlier had landed deeper than I meant. Still, I needed to knock. I needed to see her face again, to explain how I felt and why I did what I did. If possible, to apologize too. I was just about to tap

Richard’s POV She moaned as my pace fastened. “God, Richard—don’t stop,” she breathed against my ear. Her fingers were tangled in my hair and her bare skin was pressed hot against mine. I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because just then, my phone buzzed from the nightstand. I ignored it at first, too deep in the rhythm of the moment to care—until I caught the name glowing across the screen. It was Elle. A chuckle left my lips. I guess my little package to her had done a lot for her to the point that she couldn't resist contacting me. “What is it?” the girl beneath me asked—Claudia—breathless and annoyed. I didn’t answer her. I just reached for the phone and swiped to answer, sliding off the bed with my back to the room. “Hello?” I said, my voice flat. Her voice came through steady and sharp, not a hint of hesitation. “Congratulations, Richard.” My brow twitched. “For what?” “For trying so hard to ruin me,” she said, continuing with a bunch of other stupid words. I clenc

Elle’s POV I held the photo between my fingers the way someone holds something fragile—something that might break if you looked at it too hard. The woman in the picture haunted me, not in a sinister way, but in that silent secret sort of way. The kind that crept under your skin the longer you stared. A car door slammed outside. My head jerked up, heart giving a small start. I listened as footsteps crunched across the gravel. It was definitely Raymond. I tucked the photo beneath a book on the nightstand and stepped out into the hall just as the front door creaked open. He stood there in the doorway. His coat sagged from his shoulders, his tie loosened and his hair tousled by the wind. “Ray,” I said softly, stepping toward him. He looked up, eyes tired, but they softened when they landed on me. He managed a faint smile. “Welcome back,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He kissed my forehead in return and sighed into my hair. “Long day,” he muttered. "I can see that

Elle’s POV I slammed the door harder than I meant to when I got home. My hands trembled as I dropped my bag on the couch. The silence in the house only made the weight in my chest feel heavier. I mean, I hadn’t expected much of a warm hug or tea and cookies from Raymond’s aunt—but I hadn’t expected venom either. The way she spoke to me—like I was a curse. "You’re here to ruin him." That sentence kept replaying in my head. Ruin him? I had done everything but that. I had loved Raymond. I had stood by him and supported him. So what exactly had I done to deserve that kind of hatred? Wait a minute. She also said something about me coming back into his life to destroy him—which was weird. Except I had another lifetime before this or I lost my memory in the past, I had never seen Raymond before the day he walked into the office. So why would she say that? Was she mistaking me for someone else? Or was there something else I didn’t know? Raymond had never said much about his