All Chapters of Tangled Desires: Ex Husband Wants Me Back : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

AVA MAXWELL.I stepped into the elevator with a sharp inhale, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins after the intense board meeting. James, her father’s trusted secretary, stood beside me, clutching a folder tightly, while Helen, my own assistant, adjusted her glasses nervously. The tension between the three was palpable, though no words were exchanged.The meeting had gone exactly as I planned—or nearly so. I'd walked into that room ready for a fight, and Autumn’s smug expression upon my arrival had only fueled my resolve. I was determined to protect my father’s legacy and wasn’t about to let my scheming step-sister or her entourage of compromised shareholders ruin what he’d spent decades building.The elevator doors slid shut, but the silence in the small compartment couldn’t drown out the echo of my pounding heart. I replayed the confrontation in my mind, the way Autumn’s confident smirk had faltered when I pulled up the damning footage.“You think you’re untouchable, don’

AVA MAXWELL. The crisp autumn air had begun to chill, the sun’s gentle warmth barely cutting through the encroaching cold. Two months had passed since my world had unraveled, and in that time, I had thrown myself entirely into work, into solving the endless puzzles my father’s absence had left behind. I had made progress—substantial progress—but no matter how many problems I managed to tackle, a lingering sense of unease clung to me like a shadow. Hope was my lifeline. Every time I visited my father in the hospital, I told myself that he would wake up. His strong hands, once so full of life, lay still now, but I imagined them moving again, gripping mine. That hope carried me through sleepless nights, through whispers of scandal that refused to die down, through the cold indifference of a step-sister who had yet to make another move. Autumn’s quiet had unnerved me more than her scheming ever did. And then there was Jerome. That tugging feeling at the back of my mind persisted—like

AVA MAXWELL POV.I quietly changed into my clothes which had been dry cleaned and handed back to me.Helen would be picking me up shortly so I'd be ready.I was struggling to pull my zipper up when I felt a hand gently pull up my zipper.I turned around to find Jerome standing right there with a calm expression.“You can stay with me if you want.” He muttered without taking his eyes off me and I looked away immediately.“Thank you for your generosity, Mr Parker but I can take it from here.” I cut him off before he could say anything further.“In that case a car will take you to your apartment.” He added and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him.“You do not have to worry about that, Helen will be picking shortly.” I muttered as I walked towards the door immediately.Every second around him felt suffocating and my stupid heart wouldn't stop beating so loudly.“Suit yourself.” He whispered just loud enough for me to hear but I couldn't be bothered with him as I descended down the s

AVA MAXWELL.The soft, rhythmic beeping of the machines filled the air as I sat beside my father’s hospital bed. I had been here every day for over a month, praying, hoping, and willing him to open his eyes. I refused to accept the doctors’ grim outlook. I just couldn’t. He was my father, my only family. And I believed, with everything in me, that he would come back to me.I sat cross-legged in the chair, my laptop perched precariously on my knees, working on a report that should have been done days ago. My mind wasn’t in it, not fully. Every few minutes, I glanced up at his pale, lifeless form, silently pleading for a sign—a twitch of a finger, a flicker of an eyelid. But there was nothing.It was eerily quiet, save for the hum of machines and the occasional shuffle of nurses in the hallway. I didn’t realize how heavily I was immersed in my work until the loud, jarring beep of my father’s monitor yanked me back to reality. My heart dropped as I saw his body tremble violently, the onc

AVA MAXWELL.“Why are you avoiding me now?”The air in the parking lot felt heavy, almost suffocating, as I hurried towards my car. I hadn’t seen Jerome coming—didn’t hear him approach—but his voice hit me like a sudden storm.“Ava.”I froze mid-step, my fingers curling around my car keys. It wasn’t the first time today I had heard his voice in my head, but this time it wasn’t my imagination. His voice was right there, inches behind me, pulling at a thread of dread I couldn’t ignore.I spun around sharply, my heart pounding. There he stood, his tall, confident frame illuminated by the dim overhead lights. Jerome Parker, the man who once meant everything to me, and now, a walking reminder of betrayal and broken trust.“What do you want, Jerome?” I snapped, my voice colder than I felt.He tilted his head, his expression unreadable. “I should be the one asking you that. Why are you avoiding me?”“Why wouldn’t I?” I said bitterly. “Considering I can’t seem to get away from you no matter h