บททั้งหมดของ DATING MY DAUGHTER'S EX: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

ELLIE'S POVThe drive home was different. The heavy silence that had filled the car on the way to the event was gone. In its place was a quiet hum of energy, a new, sharp focus. The perfect weapon was not in a file or on a computer. It was a secret, and it was now in my hands.Daniel had sent the divorce papers to my phone before I even reached the mansion. A PDF document, official and final. The proof was real. Giselle was not the powerful, untouchable queen she pretended to be. She was a divorced woman hiding her truth to look strong. This was her weakness. I knew how to use it.When I got home, a strange joy filled my chest. It was not happiness. It was the fierce, cold joy of a fighter who has just found the enemy's weak spot. I walked into my big, quiet house, and for the first time in weeks, the silence did not feel like it was crushing me. It felt like a space to plan.I went straight upstairs to my bedroom. I pulled off the expensive dress, the jewelry, all the armor I had wor

ELLIE'S POVI was in the middle of a wonderful dream. In it, I was laughing with Leo. We were in a sunny field, and he was holding my hand. It was simple and happy. I hadn’t felt that light in years.The ringing of my phone tore me away from it. The sun in the dream faded, replaced by the gray morning light of my bedroom. I reached for the phone on my nightstand, annoyed. I checked the time first. It was already 8 AM. I had slept later than usual.I looked at the caller ID. Giselle.A cold feeling replaced the last bits of the dream. I answered.“Morning, Ellie,” Giselle’s voice was sweet, like poison sugar.“What’s up this morning?” I asked, my voice rough with sleep. “We are not on any terms that require us to be calling each other early in the morning. Those are the old days.” I was angry. Angry she had called, and angrier that she had pulled me out of a dream with Leo in it.Giselle laughed on the other end of the phone. It was a sharp, unpleasant sound. “I just want to ask you a

LEO'S POV It was so heart-breaking that Maya interrupted us. That night could have been the best night for me. Seeing Ellie step out of the shower was not something I planned when I broke into her mansion. I just wanted to see her face, to know she was okay. But when I saw her... no one would ever know she is fifty with that kind of body. For some women at fifty, their breasts would have fallen, their skin would be loose. Not Ellie. Hers were standing proud, her waist was small, her skin looked soft. She was beautiful. But that isn't the reason why I love her. I just love her. The woman inside. Her strength, her tired eyes, her sharp mind. The body is just a bonus. That night, after Ellie told me to leave, I walked out of the mansion feeling a strange mix of hope and sadness. I had seen her. She had touched my face. She had asked me to stay. That meant something. I was about to start my truck when Maya appeared from the shadows. She might had ran towards me without me noticing.

ELLIE'S POV Not long after Daniel left my office, I felt a strong need to get out. I had a full day planned— meetings with designers, sketches to approve for the new collection. But the walls of my office felt like they were closing in. The silence was too loud. And then, the thought of Leo came. It was a constant pull, a quiet tug in my chest that I could not ignore anymore. I grabbed my bag from the desk. I did not tell my assistant where I was going. I just walked out. In the lobby, Gideon was waiting by the elevator, as always. "Miss James, are you heading somewhere? I will get the car," he said, stepping forward. I did not turn to face him. "No, Gideon. Not today. I have already ordered a car. I will go alone." I could feel him wanting to press further, to insist on his duty. But he knows me. He knows when my mind is made up. I heard him take a slow breath behind me, but he said nothing else. Outside, the car I had booked was already waiting. A plain, gray sedan. Ano

ELLIE'S POV Because of Leo's problem, I had to reschedule my 8 PM meeting to 10 PM. I had to see Jack before the deadline he gave Leo. If I didn't, Jack would do something terrible. I knew he would. Leo insisted on coming with me. "It's my problem," he said, his face tight with worry. "No," I said firmly. "You and Cara will go straight to my mansion. Wait for me there. Gideon will make sure you get in." At least there, behind the gates and the security cameras, he would be a little bit safe. No one was ever truly safe when Jack was involved, but my home was a fortress. I had seen Jack grow from a small-time guy in the Tulsa underworld to the man who owned every corner. He had police and judges in his pocket. He was a king who ruled from the shadows. I called Gideon to pick me up from Leo's apartment. In less than two minutes, his black SUV pulled up to the curb. "You are kind of fast," I said, getting into the back seat. "The distance between the office and this place is ab