บททั้งหมดของ The Rise Of The Betrayed Wife: บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 58

Callum's POV:I came home Monday evening exhausted from dealing with board meeting aftermath and found Isla and Rosie dancing in the living room.Music played softly from the speaker on the bookshelf.Rosie wore her favorite princess dress, the blue one with sparkles, and was twirling in circles while Isla spun her around carefully.Both of them were laughing, Isla's silent and Rosie's high and delighted.The late afternoon sunlight came through the windows at an angle that made everything look golden. It caught Isla's dark hair and for a moment I just stood there in the doorway looking at her.Not as my contract wife. Not as the woman helping me save my company or providing stability for Rosie. Just as a woman. A beautiful woman who was dancing with my daughter in my living room.I'd noticed she was attractive before obviously.You couldn't look at someone and not notice. But this was different. This was seeing her in a way I hadn't let myself see her before.Her smile was completely

Callum's POV:I knew I was being irrational.Duane Ashford had seemed perfectly polite, professional even. The conversation with Isla had appeared completely innocent, just friendly discussion about the literacy program and her mother.Yet something about watching another man make Isla smile like that had triggered an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.Watching her relax and engage so naturally with someone who wasn't me. Seeing how easily they communicated, how comfortable she looked signing with someone who actually understood instead of waiting for typed responses.I told myself it was concern about public perception.We were supposed to be engaged. Having Isla look too friendly with other men could damage the narrative we'd built. People might question whether our relationship was real if she seemed interested in someone else.But that reasoning felt hollow even as I tried to convince myself it made sense.The truth was simpler and more complicated.I didn't like seeing her talk t

Callum's POV:The security issue took hours to resolve.Arthur Brennan had tried to access his office building after hours, apparently attempting to destroy evidence before federal investigators could seize it.The building security had stopped him but not before he'd made it to the twentieth floor and broken into his own office. They'd found him trying to shred documents when security arrived.Now there were additional charges. Obstruction of justice. Evidence tampering. The prosecutors were pleased because it made their case even stronger, but it also created complications that required immediate attention.I spent hours on the phone with Margaret and James, coordinating with authorities and reviewing what Arthur had tried to destroy.Most of it was backed up in cloud storage anyway thanks to Patricia's meticulous documentation, but the attempt itself showed consciousness of guilt.By the time I finished and headed home, it was past midnight.I expected the penthouse to be complete

Callum's POV:The investor dinner tomorrow required convincing affection.These weren't just business contacts we could fool with rehearsed smiles and practiced touches.These were people who'd known me for years, who'd watched me navigate my wife's death and single parenthood, who would spot fake intimacy immediately.Thursday evening I found Isla in the library reading and suggested we practice.The same way we'd rehearsed before the charity gala. She looked up from her book, hesitated for a moment, then nodded and followed me to the living room.But this time the stakes felt different. The air between us was already charged from everything that had happened this week.From late night confessions and morning awareness and interview questions that had revealed more than either of us intended.“Let's start simple,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady and professional. “Basic couple touches. The kind that happen naturally when two people are comfortable together.”I moved to stand b