Winning My Ex Wife のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 71 - チャプター 80

Edward’s povI just wanted to get to the elevator.That was all. Nothing fancy. Just thirty seconds of peace.But the moment I turned the corner, there he was—Oscar Monroe. Grinning like he owned the damn building.“Edward!” he called out, like we were old college buddies and not two guys barely tolerating each other for the sake of a bottom line.I stopped and looked at him for a while before taking in deep breaths.“Oscar,” I acknowledged him.“Just wanted to say—your chefs? Top tier,” he said, clapping his hands together once. “That duck confit at lunch? Blew me away.”I gave him a tight nod. “Glad to hear.”He walked up beside me, clearly not picking up on the fact that I wasn’t in the mood. “Didn’t think you had it in you to pull together something that good. Figured your kitchen would be all form, no flavor.”“Nice to know your standards are so low,” I muttered as I hit the elevator button. Harder than I needed to.Oscar laughed. “You really know how to throw a low jab huh?”“Y

Eloise’s pov“Can we not do that for now?” I smiled and kept my eyes out the window.”Oscar glanced at me from the driver’s seat, then eased a little nearer as though he couldn’t stand all that silence. “Tell me something,” he said, not unkindly. “When are you going to stop this game of who can outquiet the other and at least let me in on what’s going on in your life?”I turned my head slightly, not enough to fully look at him. “Nope. You keep talking. You’re good at it.”“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked, a bit offended at it.“I’m sorry if that showed up wrong. I just… I just meant that your stories are amazing, why stop and listen to my boring ones?”“Are you always this mysterious?”“There’s nothing mysterious about me. It’s just that I don’t want to talk. That’s all.”“Oh come on Eloise. You really need to give me something to work with here.”I didn’t say anything as Oscar was silent for a moment. I thought maybe he'd dropped it. But nope.“Fine,” he said. “You don’t want

Edward’s povThe room stunk of cigar smoke and that kind of expensive cologne that felt like it clung to the back of your throat. I had my butt perched on the arm of a deep leather armchair, an untouched whisky in hand while three senators debated tax reforms like it was a game of fucking poker or something.“So, Edward,” one of them, Senator Hale, leant forward with a smug little smirk curving his fat mouth, “what are your expansion plans? You got the city in the palm of your hands but we’re hearing whispers. New turf? International interests?”I adjusted my coat cuff and nodded slightly. “I’ve been considering several overseas opportunities. But if I’m going to level with you, it’s your export controls and licensing regulations that are keeping me on the fence.”There was a pause, just long enough for one senator’s brow, Parsons, to arch as he swirled his glass.“You think we’re the problem?” he said, his tone flat but with a definite poke.“I think old systems are the problem,” I r

Eloise’s povThe costume box was heavier than I had thought it would be. I dropped it on the floor with a muffled sound, and dust rose up around the lid as I peeled it open. It smelled like old fabric, crayons, and some form of plastic, most likely the tiara from her outfit last year. Kneeling down, my fingers tangled briefly with some sparkly wings before finding two shapes that lay flat between them: a pirate hat suitable for a large soft balloon, yellow with age marks, and next to it a princess crown of red felt. Out of this mess emerged also a much-worn princess dress in bright blue.“Selena,” I called out, “come pick something before I just take you as a confused jellybean again.”She walked out of her room – half-dressed and half-asleep– dragging her little backpack behind her as if it had insulted her ancestors.“What’s a jellybean?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.“Exactly,” I said, lifting the princess dress. “How about this?”She shook her head, made a face. “Too itchy.”“Ok

Eloise’s povWhen Sandra burst into the office, I had been slogging through invoices throughout the time I had been in the office.She looked excited as I wondered what my assistant was so enthusiastic about.“Guess what I bought?” she trilled, whacking my table with her shopping bag.I looked up from my book over the top of my glasses. “If it’s another pair of heels, I swear to god—”She grinned, riffling through her bag and pulling out something. “No heels. Promise.”I sighed and went through it as I found it was a summer dress.“Wow,” I said, tipping back in my chair at the sight of it. “That’s… cheerful.”“Cheerful?” She laughed like I’d just called her ugly. “It’s beautiful, Eloise. People will stare. Can you picture me walking in the dining hall with this dress—”“And dropping tomato soup on it.”She gasped as if I’d cursed her ancestors. “You really know how to kill someone’s buzz you know that.”I laughed. “I love being realistic. Not my fault you’re living in the wrong world.