All Chapters of Once my Wife: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Bella stood frozen, panicking and visible distraught, her phone still in her hand, her face was becoming white, her knuckles white also and her heart began to beat faster than ever, she was scared.“He bought land right next to her school,” she said, her voice shaking. “He’s watching her, Jason. I can feel it.”Jason stepped closer. “Bella, we’ve already got security…”“No,” she snapped, eyes wide with fear. “You don’t understand. This isn’t about business anymore. He’s using her to get to me. He’s sending a message.”She started pacing, her hands shaking. “What if someone’s already there? What if I made a mistake coming here to New York and bringing her alongside me? What if it is a mistake keeping her here? Should I send her back to Boston? What if I did and something happens and I…”Jason didn’t let her finish. He grabbed her gently but firmly and pulled her into his arms.“Hey. Stop,” he said, holding her tight. “I’ve got you. I’ve got her. You’re not alone.”Bella buried her face

The image wouldn’t leave Bella’s mind.Her mother, Martha, slipping out of Reed International five years ago with a package in hand. The footage was blurry, but the betrayal was clear. It hit Bella almost as hard as the day she walked in on Jason and Veronica. She was devastated, Her mother who gave birth to her and raised her, the one who said she loved her was part of it. Part of everything that ruined her life.Bella couldn’t ignore it. She had to get answers for herself, for Lila, and for the truth.Jason stayed behind to meet with Mark Jenkins about what this could mean. Bella booked the first flight to Boston. Her hands trembled as she packed. She barely touched her phone during the trip, just sat in silence, trying to calm the storm inside her.When she reached her mother’s brownstone, it felt smaller than before. Dimmer. Colder.Martha opened the door, startled. “Bella? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” “Where is Lila?” “Are you back for good?”“No,” Bella said qui

Dean Carter’s distraught outburst, still echoing from his confrontation with George Reed, sent a ripple of tension through the room. Bella and Jason exchanged a grim look, this wasn’t just about lies anymore. It was about people they trusted being turned against them one by one.Jason’s voice was low, almost dangerous as he took a step closer to Dean. “He told you that?” he asked tightly. “That Bella is a distraction? That Lila is a burden?”Dean shifted uncomfortably under Jason’s gaze, his shoulders hunched. “He said you were both reckless. That you were losing control. And Bella… that she brought scandal and instability. He implied the little girl would jeopardize everything you built.”Bella inhaled sharply, as if struck. Dean’s words weren’t malicious, but hearing Lila referred to that way tore through her. Still, she steadied herself, reminding herself that Dean was a pawn in a much larger, more dangerous game.“Dean,” she said gently, but firmly, “George Reed paid my mother to

The air in George Reed’s penthouse felt heavy. Not just because of the cigar smoke floating near the crystal chandelier, or the aged whiskey in cut-glass tumblers but because of the thick tension hiding behind every smile. It was the kind of atmosphere where words weren’t just spoken. They were weapons.Dean Carter adjusted his tie as he stepped into the dining room. The dining room was all gold trim and high ceilings, like something from a royal palace, but colder like the man who ruled it.George Reed sat at the head of the long, dark mahogany table. His suit was perfectly pressed, though he looked thinner than Dean remembered. Bones pushed under skin like a warning. But his eyes were sharp, and gleaming like it hadn’t aged a day. They watched everything.“Ah, Dean,” George said, his voice rough like gravel but still commanding. “I was beginning to think you’d gotten cold feet.”Olivia, seated beside George, giggled in a high, sweet voice that grated on Dean’s nerves, he could hardl

The night before the predicted snatch-and-grab attempt on Lila was a blur of frantic activity and white-knuckle tension. Bella and Jason worked tirelessly, side-by-side, their personal feelings momentarily eclipsed by the all-consuming threat. Mark Jenkins and his highly trained security team were already deployed at the fortified estate with Bella playing with Lila who was not aware of all that was going on and Jason in one the safe house far from the penthouse where they were initially , establishing multiple layers of defense."We've set up infrared tripwires, motion sensors, and silent alarms," Jenkins reported to Jason via secure video link, his voice calm amidst the impending chaos. "Every approach is covered. We have snipers positioned. Any unauthorized vehicle entering the two-mile radius will be flagged immediately. And we have a rapid response unit on standby."Bella, watching the monitors, felt a sliver of hope, mixed with overwhelming fear. This wasn't just a corporate bat