All Chapters of My CEO Ex-Husband's Regret: Chasing His Dying Wife Back : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Before I could fully process what was happening, Ares had his hand on the small of my back, guiding me through the mall entrance with the confident authority of someone who owned everything he touched."W-Where are we going?" I asked, my voice still shaky from his whispered threat."Shopping," he said simply. "You want to look like a Blackwood? We're going to make sure you look like one.""And why are you helping me?" I demanded, digging my heels in. It felt like a trap. What the fuck did he mean WE are going shopping?He laughed. "Helping you? Oh no, little birdie. I'm just making sure everything is set for the show I'm about to watch."The fucking bastard!Before I could protest, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the first store - the kind of place I'd only window-shopped at during my marriage to Alexander. Everything was sleek glass and marble, with clothes displayed like art pieces and price tags that probably cost thousands and thousands of dollars.A perfectly groomed sa

As Ares started the engine of his sleek black sports car, I gave him Maya's address through gritted teeth. The leather seat beneath me was perfectly designed, and I hated how the interior smelled like expensive leather mixed with that intoxicating cologne of his.The drive passed in tense silence, my mind still reeling from watching him systematically destroy my tires with that knife. The methodical way he'd moved from tire to tire, completely unbothered by my protests, kept replaying in my head.When he finally pulled up to Maya's modest apartment building, the contrast between his world and mine couldn't have been more obvious. But he didn't drive away. Instead, he put the car in park and turned to look at me."Why?" The word burst out of me before I could stop it, all the shock and anger from watching him slash my tires finally finding its voice."Why what, little birdie?""Why not just kill me?" My voice was shaking now, everything that had happened today catching up to me. "Why m

Maya screamed into the pillow for what felt like forever, the sound muffled but still terrifying. When she finally pulled it away from her face, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes blazed with a fury I'd never seen before.Then she started punching it.Not gentle frustrated taps - full-force punches like she was trying to beat the stuffing out of it. Her fists slammed into the poor pillow over and over while she made these growling sounds that would have been funny under any other circumstances."Maya, what the hell happened?" I asked, scooting away from her on the couch as she continued her assault on the innocent pillow.She punched it three more times before throwing it across the room, where it knocked over a lamp. The crash seemed to snap something in her because suddenly she whirled around to face me, her chest heaving."That fucking bastard!" she screamed. "That gorgeous, sexy, piece of shit bastard!"Huh? Come again say what?I blinked. "Which bastard? There are so many to ch

The elevator ride to the penthouse felt like ascending into another dimension.Maya kept pressing her face against the glass walls, watching the city drop away beneath us while I tried not to throw up from nerves. Turner stood perfectly still in the corner, hands clasped behind his back, looking like he'd been carved from stone.When the doors opened directly into the penthouse, both of us froze."Holy fucking shit, Ivy," Maya breathed.The space was massive. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped around the entire living area, offering a view of the city that made my knees weak. Everything was pristine white marble and chrome and glass, with furniture that looked like it belonged in a magazine."This can't be real," I whispered.Turner moved past us, checking rooms like he expected assassins to jump out. "Master bedroom is to the right. Guest suite to the left. Kitchen is fully stocked. Security system is state of the art."Maya was already running toward the windows. "Ivy, you can see the

The next few days passed in a blur of intensive training. Neomi drilled me on each family member's tells and tactics until I could recite them in my sleep."Catherine always attacks before dessert is served. She wants you off-balance for the rest of the evening.""Damien will try to corner you alone. Never let him.""Marcus will offer to show you the gardens. It's a trap to get you away from witnesses.""Isabella will wait until you're comfortable, then strike. Watch her hands—she gestures more when she's about to attack."By the sixth day, I was exhausted. My feet hurt, my brain hurt, and I'd started having nightmares about being torn apart by well-dressed wolves.Turner noticed."You need rest," he said one evening after Neomi had finally left. "You're pushing too hard.""I have to be perfect.""No. You have to be prepared. There's a difference." He set an ice pack on the counter like always. "Your father doesn't expect perfection. He expects you to survive.""That's a low bar.""It