Semua Bab The Billionaire Ex-Wife’s Scandalous Revenge: Bab 31 - Bab 40

~ Aliyah’s POV~I stared at the man standing in front of me, an ice cream spoon frozen halfway into my mouth. My pulse kicked hard against my ribs as he smiled, slowly, confidently, like he’d been waiting for me.“Calm down,” he said gently, the corner of his lip curling. “No need to panic.”Panic? I was beyond panic.“Don’t tell me to calm down,” I snapped, pushing my chair back a little. “I don’t know you. Who are you?”He raised his brows, amusement flickering across his face as he slipped his hands into his pockets.“Aliyah…”“Don’t call my name!” I cut in sharply, heart pounding louder. “I said, Who are you?”People at nearby tables turned briefly, but he didn’t care. If anything, he seemed entertained.“You’re tense,” he said softly. “I understand.”“You don’t!” I shot back. “So tell me who you are before I scream.”Instead of answering, he pulled the chair opposite me and sat down with the calmness of someone stepping into his own living room.“I’m Victor,” he said. “It’s nice

~Aliyah’s POV~Clara handed me a glass of water and sat beside me on the couch, her presence warm, familiar, and steady. Her eyes were soft, patient, as though she could see all the turmoil tangled inside me without me saying a word. I took the glass with trembling hands, feeling the cool weight of it against my palms.“Okay,” she breathed, her voice a soothing whisper that seemed to reach straight into my chest, “before you explode… drink.”I lifted the glass slowly, letting the water touch my lips, tasting nothing but clarity. Each sip felt like a small, tentative anchor in a storm I wasn’t quite sure I could navigate yet. My hands shook uncontrollably, but the tremors slowly faded as I tried to focus on the simple act of drinking. My breaths, ragged and uneven just moments ago, finally began to find a rhythm.Clara nudged me lightly with her elbow, her touch grounding me. “Okay. Aliyah… listen. You’re here now. You’re safe.”The words were soft, almost casual, yet they carried a we

~Aliyah’s POV~The phone vibrated again in my hand, sharp and sudden, and I froze.I stared at the screen like it might bite me, like if I looked away for even a second, it would leap out and sink its teeth into me. The words sat there, stark and unforgiving, glowing too brightly in the dim room.> Call me now. We’re not done.My chest tightened. The message felt less like a text and more like a threat, like a hand closing around my throat. My fingers went numb, the phone suddenly heavier than it had any right to be.Clara noticed immediately. She leaned closer, her shoulder brushing mine as she peered at the screen. “Say the word,” she said lightly, though her eyes had gone serious, “and I’ll throw that phone into the sink.”I swallowed, my throat dry. The sound echoed too loudly in my ears. “He won’t stop.”The words slipped out before I could soften them. They carried too much truth, too much exhaustion.“He never does,” Clara replied quietly. There was no judgment in her voice. Ju

~ALIYAH’S POV~The moment the call ended, my hands started to shake, violent, uncontrollable tremors that rattled straight up my arms. The phone slipped in my grip, tilting dangerously, and for a split second I was sure it would crash to the floor. I sucked in a sharp breath.Before it could fall, Clara was there.She snatched the phone from my hand with quick reflexes and placed it carefully on the table, screen facing down, like it was something fragile… or dangerous. Then she turned to me fully, her eyes steady, unflinching.“You did great,” she said firmly, leaving no room for doubt. “You hear me? Great.”The word echoed in my head, but my body didn’t believe it.My knees gave out, and I sank into the couch, the cushions swallowing me as if I needed something, anything, to hold me together. My chest felt tight, like I’d just run for my life.“I feel like I just poked a sleeping lion,” I muttered, staring at the wall, my voice barely holding.Clara huffed softly. “He’s been awake t

~Dominic’s POV~The first thing I did when I woke up was reach for my phone.Not a stretch. Not check the time. My hand went straight to the screen like it had a mind of its own, fingers already swiping, already hoping. My eyes scanned the notifications quickly, then slower, my chest tightening with every second that passed.No messages from Aliyah.I frowned, refreshing the screen once, then again, even though I knew it was pointless. I had been expecting her to reach out to me, almost certain she would after the photos were released. After everything blew up. After the damage was done.She should have said something. Anything.A knot formed in my stomach, thick and uneasy. I was very certain she was in a difficult situation now, and the bitter truth sat heavy on my tongue; it was my fault. I’d been the catalyst, whether I liked it or not.My thoughts spiraled immediately, dark and relentless.Had Ronald locked her in again?The image came too easily, too vividly. Aliyah trapped behi