Semua Bab EX-HUSBAND'S REGRET (It's Too Late To Apologise): Bab 81 - Bab 90

Victoria woke at 5 AM.I know because I heard her moving through the penthouse—the soft click of her bedroom door, the whisper of silk against hardwood as she walked to the kitchen.I found her sitting at the counter, coffee cup in hand, staring at the pre-dawn darkness beyond the windows."Couldn't sleep?" I asked quietly.She turned, and even without makeup, even with shadows under her eyes, she looked... peaceful. "I haven't slept this well in years, actually."I poured myself a cup of coffee—decaf, since I was still nursing—and sat beside her. "Nervous about today?""Terrified." She smiled slightly. "But also... free. Does that make sense?""Perfect sense."We sat in companionable silence for a moment. Outside, Manhattan was beginning to wake up. The city that would soon know all of Victoria Sterling's secrets."Elena," she said suddenly. "Thank you.""For what?""For standing by Calloway. For being the kind of woman strong enough

Morning came too soon. Sunlight streamed through the windows, and Rosie's cries came through the baby monitor right on schedule—6 AM, demanding her breakfast. I groaned, burying my face in Calloway's chest. "Tell our daughter it's too early." "You tell her." But he was smiling as he kissed my forehead. "I'll go get her." He slipped out of bed, pulling on sleep pants, and padded out to the nursery. I stretched, muscles pleasantly sore, and smiled at the ceiling like a lovesick teenager. Last night had changed everything. We weren't playing house anymore. We weren't fulfilling a contract or maintaining appearances. We were a real family now. I got up, threw on Calloway's discarded t-shirt, and was heading to the nursery when my phone rang. Dr. Morrison's office. Rosie's pediatrician. "Hello?" "Mrs. Sterling, thi

ELENA'S POV The gunshot never came. I opened my eyes—when had I closed them?—and found Gregory still standing there, gun pointed at me, finger on the trigger. But he hadn't fired. "You know what the ironic thing is?" His voice was eerily calm now. Almost conversational. "I don't even want the money. Not really." I didn't move. Didn't breathe. Just held Rosie tighter against my chest, her screams muffled against my shoulder. "Then what do you want?" I whispered. "Sterling Industries." He lowered the gun slightly. Not enough to give me an opening, but enough to show he wanted to talk. Wanted me to understand. "Do you know what that company represents, Elena? What it's capable of?" "It's a business—" "It's POWER." His eyes gleamed with something manic. "Sterling Industries doesn't just make money. It shapes policy. It secures c

**CALLOWAY'S POV**I couldn't let go of her hand.Even as the paramedics swarmed around us, even as they cut away her blood-soaked shirt, even as they shouted medical terms I didn't understand—I held onto Elena's hand like it was the only thing keeping her tethered to this world.Because maybe it was."Sir, you need to step back—""I'm not leaving her.""Sir, we need space to work—""I SAID I'M NOT LEAVING HER!"The lead paramedic—a woman with kind eyes and steady hands—looked at me with understanding. "Then stay by her head. Hold her hand. Talk to her. But let us do our job."I nodded mutely, repositioning myself so I wouldn't be in their way.Elena's face was ghostly pale. Her lips had a blue tinge that made my stomach twist. Her breathing was shallow, rapid, wrong."BP's dropping," one paramedic called out. "Eighty over forty.""She's in hypovolemic shock. Get two

**CALLOWAY'S POV**"—your wife survived the surgery."The words hit me like a physical blow. My knees went weak. I grabbed the back of the chair to steady myself."She's alive?""Yes. But Mr. Sterling, you need to understand—her condition is extremely critical."I sat down. Not because he'd asked me to, but because my legs wouldn't hold me anymore.Dr. Harrison sat across from me, his hands folded on his lap. Professional. Controlled. But I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. The weight of what he'd just done."The bullet entered her lower abdomen," he began. "It perforated her stomach and nicked her liver. There was significant damage to surrounding tissue and blood vessels. We were able to repair the immediate injuries, but—""But what?""She lost a tremendous amount of blood. We gave her multiple transfusions during surgery, but the trauma to her body was severe. Her organs shut down temporari