All Chapters of I LEFT MY EX HUSBAND AND MARRIED A BILLIONAIRE : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

~ALEX’S POV~I walked into the conference room as I adjusted my cufflinks and straightened my tie before taking my seat at the head table. My assistant, John, stood by my side holding a tablet in his hands.The conference room gleamed with quiet tension. Sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, casting fractured reflections over the polished mahogany table. A display tray of gemstones sat in the center–emeralds, rubies, sapphires and a few uncut diamonds glinting under the overhead lights.“Are they all here?” I asked in a sharp tone.“Yes, sir. Three designers. All shortlisted from the applications you reviewed last week,” John replied.“Good. Send them in and let's get started.” I said curtly.John gave a short nod and stepped towards the door. “Ms. Diane Everest, you may come in.”A slender woman walked in, confidence in her strides. She wore a crisp white blouse tucked in a beige pencil skirt, her hair tied neatly in a bun. She carried a black portfolio case and smiled po

~ELENA’S POV~I shaded my eyes with my hand and let out a soft, amazed laugh, “This… this is unreal,” I muttered.The morning sun spilled golden light across the runway as Max and I stepped off the private jet, the salty breeze greeting us like an old friend. The sound of seagulls filled the air as we made our way towards the yacht waiting at the dock, its silver hull glimmering under the Caribbean sky.Max smiled, while Steve handed over our bags to Stanley, the attendant, “You deserve it. You've been working non-stop for months. Consider this a little escape before the next big launch.”At last, our long-promised vacation was due. Max decided to give me a special treat on one of his private islands. This is an amazing opportunity to wind down and relax from stress.My hair fluttered in the wind as I turned to Max, “You really went all out, didn't you?”“Of course,” Max replied, taking my hand as we boarded the yacht, “You have earned a little paradise.”As the yacht cut through the

~ELENA’S POV~I stood over the workbench, shoulders relaxed, more at peace than I had been all week. Derek stood by me, leaning casually against the counter, his eyes tracing a half-finished necklace design.“Wow, Elena, this is incredible,” Derek said, sincerity threading his voice. “You've always had a gift, Lena, but this…” he gestured to the sketchbook, “This is on a whole new level.”I smiled. I felt a small nostalgic flutter awakening in my chest. No one has called me Lena in months now. “Thank you. I've evolved a lot since high school.”“You remember how we used to sit in the art lab until the janitor kicked us out?” Derek laughed. “You'd carve gemstones into miniature hearts, and I'd pretend I knew what I was doing with clay.”I laughed softly, “You weren't pretending. You were actually good.”“And you were brilliant,” Derek remarked, his tone deepening, “Back then, I always knew you were going to do something special with your life.”I looked at him–really looked at him. And

~MAX’S POV~The soft glow of the evening sun spilled through the window of my study, casting long gold lines across the desk. I sat motionless in the leather chair, my gaze fixed on the folder opened on my laptop screen. But I wasn't reading. My mind was replaying the way Elena smiled at Derek.It wasn't the kind of smile she gave business partners, nor the kind of smile she expressed at galas. It was deeper. Unconscious. “I'm aware they have a history together. But what makes Derek worthy of such treatment? Could it be that they were more than just friends in high school?” I was bemused.I leaned back into the chair, one hand drumming lightly on the armrest as I reflected on an earlier incident of Derek showing up at Elena's studio with pastries from a bakery he claimed Elena used to love back in high school days. And Elena was excited, her eyes lit up with nostalgia. She laughed with Derek, freely as they shared stories and inside jokes.I noticed the way Derek positioned himself sl

~MAX’S POV~I was prepared to go to work that morning, then I realized I hadn't seen Elena for a few days. So I decided to check in on her.I walked by Elena's room, and I figured her door was slightly open. I knocked on the door but didn't get a response. So, I walked in and found out she wasn't there. I strolled to her studio, and it was locked. Automatically she wasn't there also. I looked around and couldn't find her.I got to the sitting room and found Steve waiting for me. I approached him, “Any sign of Elena around the house?” I asked.“No, sir,” Steve answered. “She left very early this morning. She went for a jug.”“Oh, okay.” I resolved.After that night, Elena and I argued about Derek, and things never remained the same. We would move around the house like two ghosts bound by a routine. It's overwhelming how the same walls that once held laughter and comfortable silence now carry a tension that refuses to be dissolved. It was almost as if she was avoiding me – like she didn'