All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Convenient Ex-Wife : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Day OneThe Van Alston conference room had been transformed into something that looked like a cross between a military command center and a serial killer's obsession wall.I stood in the center of it all, surrounded by chaos that somehow made perfect sense to me. Financial charts covered every inch of the mahogany-paneled walls. Red string connected photographs, newspaper clippings, and acquisition timelines like a spider web of corporate destruction. Three whiteboards displayed profit margins, stock prices, and employee numbers in different colored markers that corresponded to my growing understanding of Marcus Blackstone's preferred hunting methods."This is either brilliant or completely insane," Jules said from the doorway, balancing a tower of coffee cups and takeout containers. "I'm not sure which.""Both," I replied without looking away from the timeline I was constructing. "The best plans usually are."It was six in the morning, and I'd been here since four. Sleep felt like a

Day Three"Le Bernardin at one o'clock," I said, ending the call with Blackstone's assistant. "Public enough that he can't try anything stupid, private enough for real conversation."Dominic looked up from his laptop where he'd been coordinating what looked like a small military operation. "You're sure about this?""Absolutely not," I said, settling into the chair across from him. "But that's never stopped me before."The war room had evolved overnight. Sarah's team had turned it into something that looked like NASA mission control, complete with multiple screens showing stock prices, news feeds, and social media analytics in real time. The energy was electric, everyone moving with the focused intensity of people who knew they were part of something bigger than themselves."Alright," I said, addressing the room. "Here's what we're going to do. By the time I sit down with Marcus Blackstone tomorrow, Van Alston Industries needs to look like a company in free fall."A few people exchange

Day SixHell arrived at nine in the morning, delivered by every news outlet in America.I stared at the wall of monitors in the war room, watching my reputation get torn apart in real time. CNN was running a segment about "inexperienced heiresses destroying family legacies." Fox Business had financial analysts calling Van Alston Industries "a cautionary tale about nepotism." The Wall Street Journal's headline read: "Van Alston Empire Crumbles Under Weight of Family Drama.""This is different from what we planned," Sarah said quietly, her fingers flying across her keyboard as she tried to track the source of the attacks. "These aren't the controlled leaks we orchestrated. Someone else is feeding information to the media.""Blackstone," I said, watching a particularly brutal segment where a business professor I'd never heard of explained why companies like Van Alston should be "put out of their misery before they drag down the entire market."But the media assault was just the beginning

The boardroom felt different this time.Maybe it was because Marcus Blackstone was sitting in a federal holding cell instead of plotting my destruction. Maybe it was because the Van Alston stock price had soared thirty percent overnight once news of his arrest hit the markets. Or maybe it was simply because I walked in knowing I belonged here.Twelve faces looked at me with expressions ranging from admiration to resignation. Even Maeve couldn't quite manage her usual hostility, though she was clearly trying."The vote is straightforward," Richard Morrison said, consulting the documents spread in front of him. "Victoria Van Alston's will specifies that upon proof of identity and demonstration of competency, her granddaughter inherits full controlling interest in Van Alston Industries.""Along with all subsidiary holdings," Catherine Mills added, pulling up financial projections on her tablet. "Twelve companies across six countries, with combined assets valued at approximately 2.8 billi

I stared at him, seeing the fear behind the question. The same fear I'd felt earlier when he'd sent me to face the board alone. The fear that power might be more important than want."You really don't know, do you?""Know what?"Instead of answering, I kissed him. Hard and desperate and full of everything I couldn't quite put into words. When we broke apart, we were both breathing heavily."I need you," I said against his lips, "because you're the only person in the world who knew exactly who I was before I had any power at all.""Scarlett—""I need you because you believed in me when I was nobody. Because you stood by me when everyone else wanted me gone. Because you carried me to safety when I was broken and helped me become strong enough to fight back."My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer. "I need you because you're the only person who's ever looked at me and seen something worth protecting instead of something worth using.""You don't need protection anymore.""No, I