All Chapters of The Ex-Wife’s Mega Comeback: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Cassie stared at him like he’d suddenly grown two heads, and maybe a third for good measure. Her brows pulled together slowly, disbelief written all over her face as if she was genuinely trying to figure out whether he was joking or had completely lost his mind. “Are you even serious right now?” she asked. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried weight. The kind that came from years of swallowed pain finally finding air. “Seven years, Franklin. Seven years of neglect. Emotional abuse. Being ignored like I didn’t exist.” Her lips trembled, but she pushed through. “He almost sent me to prison.” She laughed, but there was nothing amusing about it. It came out sharp. Broken. “Frederick had the power. The money. The connections. He could’ve investigated everything properly. He chose not to. He chose to believe Sienna without question.” Pain ripped through her chest so violently she had to press her palm against her heart, fingers curling into her blouse like that alone could hold it toge

“What?”The word slipped out of Cassie before she could stop it, soft but edged with confusion. She stared at Franklin like he’d suddenly started speaking a language she didn’t recognize.It wasn’t that she didn’t understand the words. It was just that she had never looked at things that way before. Never allowed herself to.Franklin, however, looked far too eager to let her dodge it.“It’s just a simple question,” he pressed, leaning slightly forward, his eyes sharp and unblinking. “Do you love him or not?”Cassie inhaled slowly. The air felt heavier in her lungs, like even breathing suddenly required effort. She looked down at her hands, fingers twisting together unconsciously.“I don’t know,” she said honestly, her voice quieter now. “I’ve been hurt. Badly. My heart was shattered into pieces.” She let out a small, humorless breath. “Anyone who’s been through that would cage it. Lock it up tight.”Franklin didn’t soften. He was still getting to know her, still trying to understand t

“No, no, no.”Cassie refused instantly, the words spilling out in a rush, sharp and instinctive, like her body had decided before her mind could catch up.She shook her head, stepping back half a pace as if Franklin’s suggestion had physically crossed a line she wasn’t ready to touch.“I can’t,” she said again, more firmly this time. “I really can’t. I have things to do. Private things. I mean… my own life.”The idea of moving in, of sharing space, routines, mornings and nights, made her chest feel tight. Too close. Too intimate. Too easy to blur lines she’d spent years learning how to redraw after they’d been shattered.Tristan’s expression changed immediately. The excitement drained from his face, replaced by quiet worry. He reached for Cassie’s sleeve, holding it lightly, like she might disappear if he let go.“But Mom,” he said softly,

“You monster. You tricked me into this,” Cassie snapped, the words scraping out between clenched teeth as if she had to force every single one past her anger.The mask finally peeled off her face, raw and unfiltered, and she lunged for the contract on the table. Her fingers were already curling, ready to tear it into useless shreds, when Franklin calmly stepped in and plucked it away like he’d expected the move all along.“Come on,” he said lightly, as if they were discussing something harmless. “You can talk to him properly in the office. I just don’t like him calling you in the middle of the night.”His lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “After all, I’m responsible for you now. And do you have any idea how happy your adopted parents will be when they find out I’m taking such good care of you?”Cassie pushed herself up from the chair so fast it scraped loudly against the floor. Her jaw tightened until it ached, her hands curling into fists at her sides. “Monster,”

“Doctor Cross,” Franklin said calmly into the phone, his voice smooth and perfectly measured.On the other end of the line, Nathaniel answered just as casually, even a little amused.“Mr. Roth, your massive investment and the level of trust you’ve shown in my abilities honestly, it’s insane. I promise you, the returns are going to be phenomenal. And if I ever get the chance to meet you in person, dinner’s on me.”Franklin smiled slowly, the kind of smile that never reached his eyes. ‘If only you knew.’ he thought. If Nathaniel had any idea what kind of trap he was happily stepping into, he wouldn’t sound so confident.“I look forward to it, Dr. Cross,” Franklin replied smoothly.Nathaniel didn’t hesitate. “Then let’s make it this weekend.”“Yeah,” Franklin agreed. “This weekend works. I’ll send you the time and date.”There was a brief pause before Nathaniel added, “If you don’t mind, could we do it in Atherton? I have a few other business matters I need to handle there.”Franklin’s j