Lahat ng Kabanata ng My Ex, My Ruin: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

Elena's POVThe location looked even worse in daylight. Adrien parked three blocks away from the target location, his movements precise and controlled.The silence in the car had been suffocating, heavy with everything we said. He thought last night was a mistake. He thought I would destroy him again.Maybe he was right."Stay behind me," Adrien said as we got out of the car. His voice was clipped, professional, like a voice you use with a colleague not someone he’s been inside just hours ago."I know how to be careful," I said.We moved through the abandoned buildings in tense silence. Adrien led with the tactical precision of his military training, and I followed, watching his back the way we had done in the first warehouse. But this time, there was no natural coordination, no silent communication, just cold efficiency and carefully maintained distance.Adrien held up a hand, signaling me to stop. He peered around the corner, scanning for threats. When he gestured for me to follow,

Elena's POVThe elevator ride to Adrien's penthouse felt like ascending to my own execution. He went straight to the bar and poured himself a whiskey. Downed it in one swallow. Poured another."Adrien" I startedI stood there, watching him, and realized he was shaking enough that I could see it. His hand trembled slightly as he set the glass down.He was terrified. And trying desperately not to show it.I took a shaky breath. Then continued."Victor Kaine was my business partner," I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "When I started the marketing firm, before we got married. He approached me with capital and connections. I thought it was just business."At first, it seemed professional. He was helpful, supportive. But then he started making comments. About you. About our marriage. Little things at first like how you traveled too much for work, how I must get lonely, how he could give me more attention than you did."Adrien's jaw clenched, but he didn't interrupt."I brushed it of

Elena's POVThe morning light filtered through the guest room curtains, and for a moment I just lay there, staring at the ceiling. Last night replayed in my head Adrien coming to my room, the desperate confession, the angry sex that solved nothing, his words echoing in the darkness: After Miguel, we say goodbye. Really say goodbye this time.My body still ached from how roughly the sex went. My heart ached worse.I forced myself up and picked up something to wear. Adrien was in the kitchen, already dressed, coffee in hand, staring at his phone with a frown."Morning," I said quietly.He glanced up briefly. "Morning." His voice was natural, careful and controlled. Like last night didn't happened at all.The distance hurt more than I expected."About last night" I started."Don't." He set his cup down. "We don't need to dissect it. We move on."The words stung, but I nodded. "Okay."His phone rang. Michael's name lit up the screen.Adrien answered immediately, putting it on speaker. "W

Elena's POVAdrien and I stood across the street, watching for any sign that someone might be watching us."Clear?" I asked."As clear as it's going to be." He glanced at his watch. "We've got maybe an hour before Michael realizes we're actually avoiding him. Let's move fast."I still had Miguel's spare key. I unlocked his door, and the smell that hit me stale coffee, his cologne, the specific scent that was just Miguel nearly broke me."Focus," Adrien said gently, his hand on my back. The safe was exactly where I remembered. I knelt down and entered the combination: our mother's birthday.Inside: three external hard drives, a stack of physical files, and a burner phone."Jackpot," Adrien murmured, pulling out his bag to load everything in. "We'll go through all of this at my place"His phone buzzed. He'd turned it back on when we left his penthouse, and now he frowned at the screen."What?" I asked."Text from my assistant. The board called an emergency meeting for tomorrow morning.

Elena's POVI walked. Miles and miles through Manhattan, my phone silent in my pocket. No calls from Adrien. No texts. Nothing.He meant it when he said we were done.The realization should have hurt less than it did.I found myself in another coffee shop somewhere in the East Village, ordering something I didn't want, just to have somewhere to sit. My phone buzzed with messages from people I hadn't spoken to in years suddenly wanting to "check in."But nothing from Adrien.He was done with me. Really, finally done. And I couldn't even blame him.My phone buzzed with a new email. Unknown sender. No subject line.I almost deleted it. But something made me open it.Check your email. The truth about Adrien Sterling.Just those words. And an attachment.But my finger hovered over the attachment.Then I pressed it.Bank statements. Dozens of them. From accounts under Adrien's name. Transfers to offshore companies. Dates going back three years the entire time we'd been separated.And every