บททั้งหมดของ My Ex-Husband, You Will Never Hurt Me Again: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

I should have known Ryan would say no.The moment I found him yesterday, standing in the courtyard, deep in conversation with James, I knew he wouldn’t approve. But I had gone to him anyway, laid out my plan, kept my voice steady, my expression unreadable.I told him I had a way into one of Bruce’s shell companies. That I would disguise myself, pose as an investor, and dig into his business from the inside.Ryan barely let me finish before shutting me down."First," he had said, his tone flat, "I never agreed to help you."I expected that."Second," he continued, "it’s too dangerous."That part threw me off. Not the words, but the way he said them.. low, firm, almost reluctant. Like he actually cared whether I got hurt.I waved it off then. This wasn’t the time to overthink Ryan DeMarco’s cryptic tone.This fight was mine.And I wasn’t waiting for permission.*** The wig was uncomfortable.Blonde, sleek, with blunt bangs that barely brushed the tops of my glasses. The disguise was s

My head felt heavier than it had ever been.I had to get out.I’d been sitting in that damn house for too long, my thoughts eating me alive, looping over the same sick realization.. Selena wasn’t just sleeping with Bruce. She was working with him.I needed air. I needed noise. I needed to step away before I lost my mind.But sneaking out wasn’t as easy as it should’ve been.It’s been two days since the casino incident, and Ryan has been... watchful. Subtle, but watchful.He didn’t act like it, didn’t say anything outright, but I knew.The way James conveniently popped up whenever I moved from one part of the house to another. The way Isla, the quiet little nanny, always seemed to be around.And Ryan?The other day, I’d casually mentioned stepping out for a drink, and his response had been nothing short of an interrogation.“Where?”“With who?”“Why?”I’d shut up after that. I didn’t want anything to ruin the fragile understanding we were trying to build. I needed his help, and antagon

The relief should have brought me peace, but it didn’t. It was thin, frail, held together by nothing but Ryan’s assurance and a phone call I hadn’t even heard myself.I slumped against the wall, my legs weak, hands still trembling. I couldn’t stop shaking. Couldn’t stop hearing Jonas’s voice in my head, over and over, like a sick loop stuck on repeat.He was alive.And he was scared.Because of me.“You’re going to make yourself sick,” Ryan said, voice cool, edged with something I couldn’t place. Not sympathy. Something harder. Maybe frustration.I pushed myself off the wall, my vision swimming for a moment before it steadied. “You heard him, Ryan. He’s terrified. He’s my son. I have to do something.”“I am doing something,” he snapped. “Keeping you from running straight into Bruce’s trap.”“Trap or not, I have to try!” My voice rose, heat climbing up my throat, my chest. “You don’t understand. You’re not a parent. You don’t know what it’s like to hear your child begging for help and

I had planned it all out.Wake up early. Slip out unnoticed. Get what I needed and get the hell back before anyone realized I was gone.Simple.Except I hadn’t accounted for Ryan.I should have known.I should have felt it.. the weight of his watchful gaze, the silent calculation in the way he studied me.But I had been too focused on not falling apart.And now, standing in the dimly lit back hallway, with Isla hurriedly unlocking the door for me, I felt him before I even saw him.A quiet shift in the air.A flicker of movement.Then.. “Going somewhere?”I froze.Slowly, I turned my head.. my pulse pounding, my stomach twisting.. until I saw him.Ryan stood just a few feet away, leaning casually against the wall, a cigarette balanced between his fingers. The faint orange glow of the ember barely lit his face, but his eyes?His eyes cut through the darkness.Unbothered. Observant.Knowing.I swallowed, my mind scrambling for something.. anything.. to say."Er.. I was just…"Ryan inhale

The soft clink of glasses, low murmurs, the steady shuffle of cards.. everything hit me at once as I stepped into the poker lounge.The place oozed wealth and danger, the thick scent of cigar smoke heavy in the air. Red velvet curtains lined the walls, crystal chandeliers hanging overhead, throwing fractured light over the room.This wasn’t a place for tourists.It was a place for wolves.And tonight, I was pretending to be one of them.The black wig itched under my hat, the heavy diamond earrings pulling at my ears. A simple black dress, expensive heels, a look of boredom painted on my face.. Valerie DeLuca, potential investor, bored heiress with too much money and nowhere to spend it.I slid through the crowd, careful not to move too fast, careful to blend.The high-stakes poker tables were in the center, surrounded by men in suits that cost more than most people made in a year. Women draped over arms like accessories, laughter that didn’t quite reach anyone’s eyes.I spotted him