All Chapters of Reborn Of The CEO’s Cold-Hearted Wife: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The soft glow of candlelight flickered across the dining room, dancing shadows against the walls. Aurora Steele stood behind the small cake she had baked herself, trying to steady her trembling hands. Her lips curved into a gentle smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.” She whispered as she set the cake before her daughter. Six-year-old Elara sat at the head of the table she was turning seven, her chin propped on her tiny hands. Her big steele gray eyes shimmered beneath the candle’s glow, wide and hopeful, her silky black hair falling around her cheeks. But she didn’t move to blow out the flame. Aurora crouched beside her, brushing a stray curl from her daughter’s face. “Go on, darling. Make a wish.” Elara shook her head stubbornly, her lower lip jutting out. “Not yet. Daddy promised. He said he would bring my cake and we’ll blow out the candles together. I’ll wait.” Aurora’s chest tightened. Her smile faltered for a moment before she forced i

The hospital corridors smelled of antiseptic and fear. Aurora paced back and forth outside the emergency ward, her hands trembling so badly she had to keep wringing them together. Her legs felt weak, her breath uneven, and yet she couldn’t stop moving. Each time the doors swung open with nurses rushing in or out, her heart slammed against her ribs, hoping, dreading, that they would tell her something.Her little girl was inside, hooked up to wires and tubes because of a cake. A cake. The image of Elara gasping for air at the table, her small hands clawing at her throat, replayed so vividly that Aurora thought she might collapse.A shuffling of footsteps made her freeze. When she turned, she saw Xavier. He looked like a ghost, his face pale, his eyes hollow, his steps hesitant, as though the weight of guilt had stolen his strength. His gaze darted toward her before quickly dropping to the floor. He moved closer, slowly, almost cautiously, as if unsure whether he had the right to ev

Aurora woke to the blinding white of the hospital ceiling. The world around her was muffled, as though she were underwater. Her chest felt heavy, her throat raw, but the first thought that cut through the fog was of Elara.Her baby.She turned her head sharply, searching for the small figure that should have been curled beside her bed. Panic clawed at her chest when she saw only Cole, seated in the chair beside her, his face drawn and pale. His hand rested on hers, steady, almost too steady, as though he were holding himself together for her sake.“Cole,” she rasped, her voice hoarse. “Where’s Elara? Where’s my baby?”Cole’s expression flickered, pain flashing across his features. He swallowed hard, his voice low and careful. “Aurora…”“No.” She sat up quickly, her breath coming in shallow bursts. The IV tugged at her arm, but she ignored it, gripping his sleeve with desperate fingers. “Don’t look at me like that. Where is she? Tell me she’s fine.”Cole reached for her trembling hands

Xavier staggered back, stunned, he wasn't expecting that. Aurora was usually soft, calm and patient but right now, he did not recognize the Aurora before him. “You were in the hospital,” she seethed, her voice shaking, “with a child that isn’t yours, while your daughter needed you. While we needed you. Why do you act like Lilith is the one you married and not me huh?Do you wish you had married her instead?” Xavier’s heart lurched. “What? No!” he snapped, almost desperately. “Aurora, I love you. I chose you because I love you!” She let out a bitter laugh, tears spilling at last. “You have a strange way of showing it. Every time she calls, you run. Every time she needs you, you’re there. But when your own family begged, when I begged, you were nowhere to be found.” Xavier stepped forward, grabbing her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better. I’m here now. Where’s Elara?” Aurora shoved him off with all the strength grief could give her. Her voice cracked like glass. “Well It’s a li

“Wha…what?” Lilith stuttered, disbelief lacing her tone. She had expected compliance, obedience. She had never expected refusal.Xavier closed his eyes, his body shuddering as he leaned his forehead against the cold wall. “I can’t leave her. Not this time. Not again.” His voice broke, stripped raw of pride, of excuses. “Aurora’s in there, fighting for her life. And for once, I’m going to be where I should’ve been all along…by her side.”The line was silent, but Xavier didn’t care. His hand shook as he pulled the phone away, staring at the screen for a moment to check if she had hung up but the call was still on, his jaw trembling.For the first time, he chose Aurora.But it was a little too late.On the other end, Lilith stood frozen, her breath catching in her throat. She hadn’t caught his muttered words about Aurora, hadn’t registered the chaos around him. All she heard, all that echoed like a curse, was his refusal.“I… can’t.”Her perfectly painted lips parted, the sweetness in h