Seducing my Ex-husband back のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 71 - チャプター 80

GETTING OUT OF CONTROL~MONICA'S POV~I sat at the corner table of the café, my leg bouncing under the table hard enough to make my coffee ripple. I rechecked my phone. Owen was late. He was never late.The minutes dragged. Every time the door opened, I looked up expecting to see him, only to watch strangers filter in and settle at other tables. My fingers drummed against the table surface. The paranoia from earlier was still there, crawling under my skin. Richard's coldness. That unknown number texting me. Claire showing up at his office. Everything felt like it was slipping through my fingers.Finally, Owen walked through the door. The stress in my shoulders released all at once. The moment our eyes met, I stood and crossed the distance between us. I kissed him hard, desperate, like I could anchor myself to something solid if I just held on tight enough.He kissed me back but pulled away after a moment, his eyebrows raised. "Wow, where did that come from?""I've been really stresse

THE TRUTH UNVEILED~CLAIRE'S POV~I woke to silence.Not the comfortable kind that comes with lazy Sunday mornings, but the hollow kind that presses against your eardrums and makes you aware of how alone you are. My hand reached across the bed instinctively, finding only cold sheets where Alexander's warmth should have been.The apartment felt emptier than it had any right to feel.I sat up slowly, my body aching in places that reminded me of last night. The argument. The kiss that turned into something darker. The way he had looked at me afterward, like he was trying to memorize my face before something unavoidable tore us apart.That's when I saw it. A note on the nightstand, folded once, my name written in Alexander's sharp handwriting.I picked it up with trembling fingers."Claire - Something urgent came up with the Singapore situation. Had to move fast before the window closed. I'll call when I can. Don't do anything reckless while I'm gone. - A"The Singapore situation. The inf

THE OWEN STORY~CLAIRE'S POV~I pulled away from Alexander's embrace, my breathing steadier now. The panic had burned itself out, leaving something different in its place. Not quite cold rage, but something harder than the fear that had consumed me moments ago."I need to tell you about Owen Sinclair," I said quietly.Alexander shifted beside me, his expression careful. "Take your time."I stood and walked to the window, needing the distance. Not because I was afraid of his reaction, but because I needed to say this without falling apart again. Outside, the city lights blurred together, distant and disconnected."This was before the divorce," I started, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "Back when Richard started becoming distant. Cold. I didn't understand why at the time, but he'd started pulling away from me. Coming home late. Not touching me. Acting like I was... suffocating him."I heard Alexander move behind me but I kept my eyes on the window."Monica was still my

KILL FOR YOU~ALEXANDER POV~She took another bite of toast, and I watched some of the tension ease from her shoulders. The food was helping. The planning was helping. Giving her something to do instead of just sitting with the fear."This is actually really good," she said, a hint of surprise in her voice."Don't sound so shocked. I can cook when I want to.""Kitchen wizard," she teased, and there was almost genuine warmth in it now. "Who knew?""I contain multitudes." I took a sip of my coffee. "Billionaire. Chef. Revenge planner. I'm a man of many talents."She laughed, and this time it reached her eyes. "Modest too.""Modesty is overrated."We ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. I watched her carefully, noting the way she kept glancing at her phone, the way her leg bounced under the counter. The fear hadn't disappeared. It was just buried under stubbornness and dark jokes."Alexander?" she said quietly. "Thank you. For staying with me. For not... for not making me feel c

PROOF & TRUTH 1~MONICA'S POV~I couldn't think straight. The image of Claire standing on that balcony, coffee in hand, smiling like she owned the world, burned behind my eyes every time I blinked.Richard was still in his office, foggy and compliant, exactly where I needed him. But I couldn't sit there anymore. Couldn't pretend to file documents and answer calls while she watched us from across the street like we were animals in a zoo."I need to step out for a bit," I told Richard, grabbing my purse.He looked up from his computer, blinking slowly. "Where are you going?""Just need to handle something. I'll be back in an hour." I forced a smile. "Janet will handle anything that comes up."He nodded, already turning back to his screen, and I walked out before he could ask more questions.The elevator ride down felt eternal. My hands shook as I pressed the button for the ground floor. What was I doing? This was impulsive. Reckless. Everything I'd built required careful planning, not s