All Chapters of The Wife He Forgot: Ashes to Empire: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

184 Chapters

The Wedding Day

POV: ISLAI woke up on my wedding day to sunlight streaming through the window and Mia shaking my shoulder."Wake up, bride. We have four hours to make you gorgeous.""I'm already gorgeous," I mumbled into the pillow."True. But today we're going for breathtaking."I sat up, blinking sleep from my eyes.My wedding day.Again.But this time…this time it was different.The ceremony was in a garden, intimate, beautiful, nothing like the cold chapel from years ago.White chairs arranged in rows. Flowers everywhere. String lights hung in the trees even though it was daytime, ready for the reception later.Twenty guests. Just the people we loved.Mia helped me get ready in a small cottage near the venue.The ice-blue dress fit perfectly. Simple. Elegant. Nothing like the traditional wedding gown I'd worn before.This dress represented who I was now: strong, whole, choosing love on my own terms."You sure about this?" Mia asked, zipping me up."I've never been more sure of anything.""Becaus

The Honeymoon Cut Short

POV: JAXONThe Maldives were perfect.Crystal blue water. White sand beaches. Complete privacy.Our villa sat over the ocean, glass floors showing fish swimming beneath us.Isla stood on the deck in a sundress, hair blowing in the breeze, looking more relaxed than I'd seen her in months."This is amazing," she said."You're amazing."She turned, smiled. "Cheesy.""True though."Two days of paradise.No threats. No danger. No Romano family drama.Just us.Newlyweds. Finally.We spent mornings in bed, afternoons swimming, evenings watching sunsets.Talking. Laughing. Planning our future."What do you want?" she asked one evening, feet in the water, my arm around her."This. You. Our family. Nothing else matters.""What about Apex?""I'm thinking of stepping back. Making you CEO officially. I want to be present. For you. For the twins. For this life we're building."She looked at me, surprised. "Really?""Really. The company will thrive under you. And I'll be there to support you. But as

Another Investigation Begins

POV: ISLAI'd thought taking down Dante was hard.Luca was worse.Smarter. More careful. More vicious.But I was better too.Years of running Vale Systems, of staying sharp, of keeping my skills current.I wasn't the broken girl who'd fled her marriage anymore.I was Dr. Isla Vale. Tech CEO and Elite hacker.And I was going to destroy the man threatening my family.We set up a command center in the safe house basement.Multiple laptops. Encrypted connections. Secure communications.Jaxon worked with his FBI contact and Catherine to build the legal case.I worked on finding the evidence.Clifford coordinated security and surveillance on Luca's movements.It was exhausting. All-consuming.But necessary."Got something," I said on day three, pulling up financial records. "Luca has shell companies in the Cayman Islands. Money moving through them weekly. Large amounts."Jaxon came to look over my shoulder. "Can you trace where it's going?""Working on it."I pulled up transaction histories

Their Trap

POV: JAXONWe had one shot at this.One chance to end Luca's threat permanently.The FBI agent, Special Agent Drew, laid out the plan in our safe house basement."We leak information that you'll be at a specific location," he said. "Alone. Vulnerable. Meeting with potential investors for Apex.""Bait," I said."Exactly. Luca wants you dead. He's made that clear. If he thinks he has an easy opportunity, he'll take it.""And when he shows up?""We'll be waiting. Full tactical team. We arrest him, his associates, everyone. And this time, with attempted murder charges, he won't make bail."Isla grabbed my hand under the table. "It's too dangerous.""It's the only way," I said. "We can't keep hiding. Can't keep running. This ends it.""What if something goes wrong?""It won't.""You don't know that."I turned to her. "I know that our children deserve to grow up without fear. That you deserve to live without looking over your shoulder. This is how we get that."She didn't look convinced, bu

The News

POV: ISLATelling the twins about the baby was both terrifying and wonderful.We waited until Jaxon was home from the hospital, just a graze, they'd said, but seeing him bandaged made my stomach turn.He could have died.Again.But he didn't. And Luca was behind bars. Dante was in prison. The Romano threat was finally, truly over.We could breathe.Sunday morning, we gathered the twins in the living room.They sat on the couch, looking curious and a little nervous."Are we in trouble?" Rowan asked."No, baby," I said, sitting beside them. "We have something to tell you. Good news.""What kind of good news?" Nova asked.Jaxon sat on their other side. "How would you feel about being a big brother and big sister?"They stared at us blankly."Mommy's going to have a baby," I explained. "You're going to have a little brother or sister."Silence.Then Nova's face lit up. "A BABY?!""Yes, sweetheart. A baby.""When?!" Rowan asked, excited now."In about seven months.""SEVEN MONTHS?!" Nova l

The Threat

POV: JAXONClifford traced the message within hours."It came from inside the prison," he said, showing me his laptop. "Specifically, from Dante's cell block."My blood ran cold. "How?""Smuggled phone. Happens more than you'd think. Guards get paid off, visitors bring them in. Your father still has money, still has connections.""So he's reaching out from behind bars.""Looks like it."I stared at the threatening message on Isla's phone.Congratulations on the pregnancy. Would hate for something to happen to you or the baby.My father. Still terrorizing us. Still trying to control me.Even from prison."What do you want to do?" Clifford asked.I knew exactly what I wanted to do."I need to see him. Face to face."Isla was against it."Don't give him the satisfaction," she said. "He wants to get in your head. That's what he does.""I know. But I need to end this. Completely. As long as he thinks he has power over us, he'll keep trying.""And you think visiting him will help?""I think

Isla's Breakdown

POV: ISLAIt hit me three days after Jaxon visited Dante.We were unpacking boxes in the new house. The twins were running through the halls. Jaxon was assembling furniture in the nursery.Everything was perfect.And then I couldn't breathe.My chest tightened. My vision blurred. My hands started shaking.I sat down hard on the bedroom floor.What's happening to me?A year of fear. A year of running. A year of threats and danger and nearly losing everything.It all came crashing down at once.The revenge plot. The custody battle. Dante's kidnapping. Luca's threats. Getting shot at. Jaxon almost dying… Twice.The pregnancy.The constant, crushing weight of trying to keep everyone safe.I couldn't breathe.Couldn't think.Could only feel the panic rising like a tidal wave."Isla?"Jaxon appeared in the doorway, took one look at me, and was on the floor beside me instantly."Hey, hey, look at me. What's wrong?"I couldn't answer. Could only gasp for air that wouldn't come."Panic attack,

Family Therapy

POV: JAXONDr. Mitchell suggested family therapy with the twins."They've been through a lot too," she said. "Moving between safe houses. Being scared. Not understanding why. They need a space to process.""They're only four," Isla said. "Will they even understand?""You'd be surprised. Children are remarkably resilient. But they also internalize stress. Better to give them tools now than wait until problems develop."So we scheduled a family session.Age-appropriate. Play-based. Nothing scary or clinical.Just us and the twins and a kind therapist who specialized in children.The twins were nervous at first.The therapy office had toys, games, art supplies. Dr. Sam, the child therapist, was warm and friendly."Hi Rowan, hi Nova," she said, sitting on the floor with them. "I'm Dr. Sam. Do you know why you're here today?"They shook their heads."We're going to talk about feelings. And play some games. And make sure everyone in your family is doing okay. Sound good?"Nova nodded cautio

The Announcement

POV: ISLAAt three months pregnant, I couldn't hide it anymore.The bump was there. Small but visible."We should announce it publicly," Jaxon said one morning. "Before someone else does.""Publicly?""Controlled narrative. On our terms. Professional photos, tasteful announcement. We control the story instead of letting tabloids speculate."He was right. We'd become public figures, me as a successful CEO, him as a reformed businessman. People were interested in our lives whether we liked it or not."Okay," I agreed. "But nothing over the top. Just simple. Us and the twins.""Perfect."We hired a photographer, someone Mia recommended. Professional but warm.The photoshoot was at our new house. Natural light. Casual clothes.The twins were excited to be part of it."Are we going to be famous?" Nova asked."You're already famous to us," Jaxon said, making her giggle.The photographer positioned us in the living room. Jaxon and me on the couch, twins between us, his hand on my belly."Per

The Email

POV: ISLA"What is it?" Jaxon asked, taking the phone from my shaking hands.I watched his face as he read.Confusion. Then shock. Then horror."This isn't real," he said immediately. "Isla please, this isn't real.""Then what is it?"He scrolled through the documents. Text messages supposedly between him and an unknown number. Dated weeks before Dante kidnapped Mia.Messages that suggested he knew. That he planned it. That Mia was "collateral" but "necessary.""Did you know?" I asked, voice breaking. "Did you know Dante was going to take Mia?""No!... no! I would never""Then explain this!" I grabbed the phone back. "These timestamps. These messages. They look real, Jaxon!""Because someone is trying to make them look real. Someone is setting me up.""Who? Who would do this?""I don't know! But Isla, you have to believe me. I didn't know about Mia. I would never let anyone hurt her. Or you. Or anyone you love."I wanted to believe him.Desperately wanted to believe him.But the evide

...

8 9 10 11 12

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP