Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE WIFE HE BETRAYED, THE WOMAN HE FEARS: Kabanata 181 - Kabanata 190

Sofia's POVThe next afternoon, my eyes scanned the power room where every decision was always finalised.The conference room was too quiet. Eleven people sat around the table. They were here to decide if I stayed as CEO. I sat at the head of the table with my hands on the armrests and my back straight. Matteo sat next to me. He was not touching me because he did not need to, but I could feel how angry he was. His jaw was tight, and his eyes moved from one board member to the next. He was here for me!“Thank you for coming on short notice,” Mr. Smith said. His voice was weak, and his hands were shaking. “Mr. Ignacio Estaban called this emergency meeting. He wants a vote of no confidence against Miss Estaban based on new information about money problems.” He almost whispered the last part as he kept his eyes on the floor. Ignacio!He sat three seats away from me. He was smiling, with his suit perfect and a calm expression.He looked like he was doing the right thing, but I knew he

Matteo's POVCamila’s voice on the phone was broken, and I knew before she said the words. “Matteo, come now. It’s Sofia, the study, please.” Her voice echoed in my ears. I did not ask questions. I grabbed my keys and ran out, and I drove like the road was on fire. The house was too quiet when I got there, and Camila was at the door with her hands shaking and her eyes red. “She’s in there, Matteo. I can’t stop her. She won’t listen to me,” she said, and her voice cracked. I went past her without a word, and I took the hall fast. The door to Mr Estaban's study was open, and the smell of blood and broken wood hit me first. Then I saw her…Sofia was in the middle of the room, sitting on the floor with her knees up, and everything around her was destroyed. Books were torn, and glass was everywhere, and the desk was on its side with the wood split. And her hands were bleeding with blood on her fingers and on her dress, and she was not moving. She was just staring at nothing, and her

Sofia's POVThe next day, my head was heavy, and my hands still hurt, but I got out of bed. Matteo was in the living room, and he looked up when I walked in, and his eyes went to my hands. “You don’t have to go anywhere today,” he said, and his voice was soft. “I have to eat, and I am not hiding in this house, Matteo.” I said, and I tried to smile but it did not work. He did not fight me on it, and we went to the restaurant by the water, the one with the quiet tables and the view. We sat down, and I ordered tea because my stomach was still tight, and Matteo ordered for both of us, and for a few minutes it was just normal. Then the door opened, and the air in the room changed. Lucia. She walked in with her head high, her dress was red, her smile was wide, and she looked around like she owned the place. She saw us, and the smile on her face totally wiped out, then a bigger smile appeared.Perfect!She walked to our table, with her heels hitting the floor loud, and every person i

Sofia's POVThe following morning, I woke up to the banging on my room door, and my eyes jolted open to loud voices, things being moved, and my mother’s sharp voice.“Mom?” I called, pushing the blankets off, and she burst into my room before I could stand. Her face was white, and her hands shook. “Sofia, we have to go, we have an hour.” she gasped, grabbing my arm.“Go where? What happened?” I asked, confused.“Evacuation notice, they say we have to leave the mansion today. Now!” she said, and her voice broke.“What? That is impossible. This is our house, dad’s house.” I stared at her. “I know, come downstairs. Your uncle is here.” she whispered with tears in her eyes.My stomach dropped as I heard that, something must be going on for my mother to be shaken to this extent. And it just better not be what I'm thinking. I threw on a robe and followed her, my bare feet cold on the marble. The downstairs was chaos. Two men in suits stood by the front door holding papers. Boxes were al

Sofia’s POVThe night air around Matteo’s villa felt heavier than before, thick with tension and unfinished war. The fountain behind us continued to pour water in soft streams, but no sound in that courtyard could soften what stood in front of me.Santoro looked ruined. There had been a time when he dressed like a man who owned the world. Tailored suits, polished shoes, expensive watches, arrogance stitched into every movement. Now his jacket was wrinkled, his shirt hung loose on a thinner body, and his beard had grown unevenly across his jaw. His eyes looked sunken, haunted by hunger and regret. He no longer looked like the man who betrayed me. He looked like what betrayal had made of him.Matteo stood close enough beside me that I could feel the heat of his anger without him saying a word. Julian was no better. His fists were clenched so tightly that the veins in his neck stood out.My mother remained near the villa entrance, one hand over her chest, clearly overwhelmed by everyth