Lahat ng Kabanata ng My CEO Ex-Husband's Regret: Chasing His Dying Wife Back : Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

ARES"What the hell is going on?" Maya demanded, stepping forward despite being a foot shorter. "What did you do to her?"Ivy stirred in my arms, mumbling incoherently against my chest.I kept my expression neutral. Unthreatening. People like Maya needed to believe they had power in situations like this.Plus, I had no time to coddle anyone.Anyone that wasn’t Ivy, my brain said but I ignored it."Nothing happened," I said calmly. "She's drunk. I'm bringing her home.""Drunk?" Maya's eyes narrowed, but I caught the slight tremor in her hands. She was afraid. Smart. "She doesn't get drunk. And why is she wearing your shirt? Where's her dress?""In my penthouse. She said it was uncomfortable.""So you undressed her?" Her voice rose but she didn't step closer. Self-preservation warring with loyalty."She undressed herself. I gave her my shirt because the alternative was inappropriate." I shifted Ivy's weight. "Now open the door."It wasn't a request.Maya's jaw tightened. She wanted to r

I woke up alone.The room spun slightly when I opened my eyes. My head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it repeatedly.Where was I?My own bed. My own penthouse. The morning light streaming through the windows hurt to look at.How did I get here?I pushed myself up slowly, my body protesting every movement. That's when I noticed what I was wearing.A black shirt. Way too big. Definitely not mine.Shit… it’s Ares's shirt.Memories hit me in fragments. The gala. Vincent's announcement. The reporters. Ilias leading me away. The limousine. Ares waiting in his penthouse with that predatory smile.Wine. Too much wine. His chest. Bare skin under my hands. His voice in my ear saying things that made my skin burn.Then nothing. Just black.My stomach dropped. What happened after that?I looked down at myself. The shirt fell to mid-thigh. My dress was gone. Completely gone.Panic started climbing up my throat.Think, Ivy. Remember.But I couldn't. Everything after drinking his second gla

"Hello?"I tried to sound normal. Awake. Not like someone whose head was pounding and whose stomach was churning."Ivy! Thank God." Vincent's voice was tight with relief. "I've been trying to reach you all morning. Are you alright?""Yes, just tired from last night. It was overwhelming."That was the understatement of the century."I know, and I'm sorry I had to leave you alone. My mother was... difficult." He sighed. "But Isabella really came through."My stomach sank.Here it comes."She went to see you this morning, didn't she? With gifts?" Vincent's voice was warm now. Happy. "That woman has the biggest heart. She's been so supportive through all of this."I looked at the four boxes on my coffee table. The trap laid out in silk and designer labels."She did. Just left actually.""Good. Good." I could hear the smile in his voice. "When I told her about you, about Maria's daughter being alive, she cried happy tears. She said she'd love you like her own."Every word was a knife slidi

The Blackwood estate looked perfect.White tents set up on the lawn. Tables arranged just so. Flowers in crystal vases. Staff moving efficiently through the space making final preparations.Vivienne had outdone herself. As always.I stood at the window of the main house watching the preparations. Watching my husband direct the staff. Watching my mother-in-law inspect every detail with her critical eye.Today was important. Today would determine everything.Behind me, the door opened. Vincent walked in looking distracted."The DNA results arrived this morning," he said. "Dr. Morrison will present them at two o'clock.""That's wonderful." I turned from the window. Arranged my face into appropriate warmth. "You must be relieved."Stupid man. Still clinging to the ghost of a dead whore."I am. Though I never doubted." Vincent smiled. That soft smile he only used when talking about Maria or Ivy. "She looks exactly like her mother."Of course she does. Same cheap features. Same common blood

I stared at Elena's phone.At my face on the news. At the attack. At everything that had just happened an hour ago now broadcast across every major outlet.What?How?We'd hired fake paparazzi. Random people Maya found who needed cash. They'd thrown water and eggs and yelled insults and then disappeared.There were no real journalists. No actual media.So how was this on the news?My mind spun back to this morning. To the plan Maya and I had executed perfectly.Three Hours EarlierI'd stepped out of the penthouse wearing Isabella's trap. The crystals caught the light. The designer label screamed from every angle.Maya stood ready with her phone. Recording."You sure about this?" she'd asked."No. But we're doing it anyway."The people we'd hired were waiting outside the building. Five of them. Dressed like paparazzi with cameras. Looking aggressive and ready.The moment I stepped outside, they'd swarmed."Ivy Martinez! Is it true you're a gold digger?""How does it feel stealing from