Semua Bab The Wife He Forgot: Ashes to Empire: Bab 41 - Bab 50

POV: JAXONI was falling apart.Three days since Isla confirmed who she was. Three days of trying to work, trying to focus, trying to pretend everything was normal.But nothing was normal.I couldn't focus on anything.Sat in meetings and heard nothing. Stared at reports and saw only her face. Her cold eyes. Her cruel smile."You'll wish you'd loved me when you had the chance."The words haunted me.I pulled up old files. Old emails. Old code.Everything from our marriage, but looking at it with new eyes.She'd built Apex. Not "helped with some coding" like I'd told the board. She'd built the entire thing. Every system. Every feature. Every line of genius that made me a billionaire.The timestamps were all there. 2 AM. 3 AM. 4 AM.While I slept, she worked.While I cheated, she coded.While I destroyed her, she built my empire.How had I not seen it? How had I been so blind?I found emails I'd sent her during our marriage."The authentication system is failing. Fix it."Not "please."

POV: JAXONI hired a private investigator on Tuesday.I needed to know. Needed to understand what Isla had been doing for the past years. How she'd transformed from the broken woman I'd divorced into Dr. Isla Vale, the most powerful person in my life.Where did she go? How did she build Vale Systems? What had she been hiding all this time?The investigator's name was Kevin Brown. Former FBI. Discreet and really expensive."I need you to find out everything about Dr. Isla Vale," I told him."The new COO? I saw the press release.""Yes. Where she's been for the past three years. What she's been doing. Who she's been with. Everything."Kevin raised an eyebrow. "This is personal.""Very.""That'll cost extra.""I don't care what it costs."He came back one week later with a thick file.We met at a coffee shop away from the office. Away from anyone who might recognize us."You were right to be curious," Kevin said, sliding the file across the table. "Dr. Vale is... interesting.""Tell me."

POV: JAXONI couldn't watch anymore.Isla on the dance floor with Vincent Reid. His hand on her waist. Her laughing at something he said. Looking at him the way she used to look at me.No. That was wrong. She'd never looked at me like that. She'd looked at me with desperate hope. With need. With pain.This was different. This was easy. Comfortable. Like they knew each other well.The jealousy was irrational. Consuming.I drained my scotch and headed toward the dance floor."Jaxon, where are you going?" Vivian grabbed my arm."To talk to my COO.""She's clearly busy.""I don't care."I pulled away from her and crossed the room.The song ended just as I reached them. Vincent still had his hand on Isla's waist. Possessive and Intimate."Dr. Vale," I said, my voice harder than I intended. "We need to discuss the quarterly projections."She looked at me coolly. "Now? It's 10 PM at a gala.""It's important.""I'm off the clock, Mr. Romano.""And I'm your boss.""Actually," Vincent interject

POV: JAXONThe system breach happened at 9 PM on a Friday.Critical security failure. Client data potentially compromised. The kind of crisis that could destroy the company if not handled immediately.I was still in the office. So was Isla.Of course she was. She practically lived here now."We have a problem," David said, bursting into my office. "Major security breach. We need all hands on deck.""Get the team together.""Most of them have gone home. It's Friday night.""Then call them back.""Dr. Vale is still here. She built the original security protocols. She might be able to fix this faster than anyone."I called her office. She answered on the first ring."Dr. Vale, we have a situation."We worked side by side for hours.The office empty except for us. The city lights glowing through the windows. The hum of servers and typing the only sounds.Isla was brilliant. Watching her work was like watching an artist. Her fingers flying over the keyboard. Her eyes scanning code faster t

POV: JAXONKevin called on Sunday afternoon."I have an update," he said. "But you're not going to like how I got the information.""I don't care how you got it. Just tell me.""I accessed some medical records. It wasn't exactly legal""I said I don't care. What did you find?"A pause. Then: "Dr. Vale gave birth after your divorce was finalized."The world stopped.I'd suspected. The investigator had mentioned children. But hearing it confirmed, hearing the timeline made it real.Three months after the divorce.Which meant she was pregnant when I divorced her."Are you sure?" My voice came out strangled."Positive. I have the hospital records from Seattle. She was admitted for premature labor at thirty-two weeks."Premature. She'd been alone. Stressed. Probably terrified.And I'd been celebrating my freedom with Vivian."The children. Tell me about them.""Twins. A boy and a girl. Born at thirty-two weeks but both healthy. They stayed in the NICU for six weeks before being released."