All Chapters of Once my Wife: Chapter 81 - Chapter 88

Jason’s fingers dug into the edge of the desk, knuckles white. Bella’s nails scraped against the marble, her heart pounding in rhythm with his.“Lila…” Jason’s voice cracked, low and jagged. “Where is she?”The screen flickered again, static hissing, and for a heart-stopping moment, a shadow passed across Lila’s empty crib. Bella’s stomach twisted.“She’s… she’s gone,” she whispered, though part of her refused to believe it. “He couldn’t… he wouldn’t…”Jason slammed his palm against the desk. “He would. He’s done this before. He’s always three steps ahead. And now… now he’s taken her to make us…” His voice faltered, choked by rage. “…to make us crumble.”Bella stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm. “No,” she said firmly. “Not us. Not ever. Dean thinks he can manipulate you, Jason. Twist your mind, break your heart… But he doesn’t know everything. He doesn’t know us.”“Don’t try to reason with him,” Jason muttered, pacing again, each step sharp, deliberate. “Every second I think, e

Bella could still feel the warmth of Jason’s touch, the closeness that had drawn them back together. For the first time in what felt like years, her heart wasn’t weighed down by grief or despair. But her mind? It wouldn’t stop racing.Seraphina’s voice haunted her like a ghost. Dean’s final masterpiece.A masterpiece. Bella knew enough about men like Dean Carter to understand one thing; every masterpiece carried its flaw. No matter how clever the plan, there was always a tell. Always.She sat hunched over Jason’s laptop, the glow of the screen casting sharp shadows across her face. The files exposing Ryan’s betrayal were still open. The timelines. The leaks. The careful staging of the Foundation’s collapse. Every word made her stomach tighten.Jason leaned against the table, silent, his jaw clenched.Then Bella’s eyes narrowed. She spotted something. A tiny detail, almost hidden, like a whisper at the edge of the code.“Wait,” she muttered, pressing her finger to the screen. “This lin

The city had changed.In the week since Jason’s defiant broadcast, New York felt alive with a new energy, a fever, a belief. The Phoenix Foundation had risen from the ashes like its namesake, not just restored but transformed. Support poured in from every corner of the globe: messages, funding, partnerships. They weren’t just surviving anymore; they were leading.Jason and Bella’s story had been painted in headlines as a modern fairy tale. Love against betrayal. Courage against manipulation. Light against shadow. The world couldn’t get enough.But behind the bright lights, behind the applause and admiration, the wounds still bled quietly.At night, Bella would sometimes wake with a start, her heart pounding, certain she had heard Seraphina’s voice whispering through the dark. Sometimes, she would flinch when Jason touched her shoulder unexpectedly, the memory of isolation and fear still fresh in her skin.Jason bore his scars differently. He was always watching now. Watching doors, wa

The chandeliers glittered like a hundred frozen suns. The annual New York Philanthropic Art Gala wasn’t just an event, it was a spectacle. Politicians, CEOs, artists, and foreign dignitaries moved through the grand hall like chess pieces, each dressed in fabrics that whispered of wealth and influence. Cameras flashed. Champagne glasses clinked. Deals were brokered in whispers behind velvet curtains.But tonight, all eyes were on one woman.Bella Quinn-Reed.She stood near the entrance in a deep emerald gown that clung to her like liquid light, Jason at her side in a tailored black tux. They were the power couple of New York, a story people wanted to watch unfold in real time.Jason leaned toward her ear, his voice low and smooth. “Every head in this room just turned. You’re the star tonight, Bella.”Bella forced a smile. “It’s not about me. It’s about the art. About the cause.”Jason’s lips curved. “You can tell yourself that. But look around….you’ve become the cause.”Before she coul