The Billionaire’s Abandoned Wife Is Back のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

Elena’s POVStunned, I stared at my face, in all those pictures, staring back at me.“What in the world?” I whispered under my breath. Entering the study, I went up to the wall. The pictures were of our time together, spanning our entire marriage. Me and Lucian at the beach, my cheeks sun-kissed, a towel wrapped around my waist. Me on Christmas morning, in my jammies, sitting beside a pile of presents. Birthdays, holidays, our wedding…it was all there on full display.I was just reaching out to touch one of the photos, when I heard footsteps coming down the hall. They paused in front of the study door.Shit.Panicking, I lunged for a corner of the room and knelt down behind an armchair, out of sight, just as Lucain slowly walked into the room.With my heart racing, I watched Lucian. He went to his desk and sunk down in his chair, the wheels scratching the floor. He sighed heavily and hung his head in his hands for a few moments. Then he looked up and reached for a framed photo.Even f

Lucian’s POVThe moment I walked into my office, I knew something wasn’t right.All of my employees had strange expressions on their faces. I was exhausted from the previous night, where I’d stood outside Elena’s room all night, wrestling with the fact that I couldn’t go in. The moment I sat down at my desk though, my secretary opened the door.“What is it, Junie?” I asked. “I have a busy day.”Elena would be sending over the contract soon.“Have you…um…looked at any social media this morning?” she asked.Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. “No, Junie. I haven’t. I’ve been busy getting ready for work. Not everyone starts their day with a social media binge.”“Well, I think you probably should.”There was something about her tone that gave me pause. She was biting her lip, a concerned look on her face.So, I flipped open my phone and started scrolling.My stomach sank as I saw a viral video of Elena slapping Meredith. And then some sort of confessional where Meredith…“Elena never thre

Elena’s POVOnce again, all eyes fell on Meredith. People expressed their shock with wide eyes. No one expected that the viral, infamous ‘slap’, had a story like this behind it.The cameras all shifted and pointed directly at Meredith. She gasped, and then scurried around to the back of Vivienne, where she hid like a scared school girl.“Well done,” Leon whispered behind me.“You were so poised,” Fiona added. “I don’t know how you do it. I would have lost my shit under pressure like that.”Now that the truth was out, I expected Vivienne to finally back down.I shouldn’t have known better.Vivienne was completely non-plussed by the video I’d just shown. She stood with Lydia at her side and looked me dead in the eyes.“You seem to know a lot about a woman from our family.” She enunciated the ‘our’. Vivienne was completely calm and composed. So much so, that it made me uneasy. “Why does Meredith insulting her grandmother make you so angry?” Her words were slow and measured. “What do you

Elena’s POVFor a moment, the crowd fell silent. I watched as Lydia’s eyes grew wide and wild.My mouth fell open. Had I just heard him right? Had he just told Lydia that he wanted a divorce?I hadn’t seen that coming.“You don’t mean that,” Lydia said, furrowing her brows. Her smile faltered as her eyes flicked back and forth from the cameramen to Lucian. “I do,” Lucian snapped at her. “You’ve revealed your true colors and I can’t have someone like you associated with my company. I’m embarrassed, Lydia. You’ve embarrassed me. I want a divorce.”Lydia’s cheeks burned crimson. The reporters now had Lucian on film stating that he wanted to divorce her. She struggled to keep her cool and coy demeanor, but her eyes glistened with tears she tried to bite back.Vivienne finally made her way to the front. She glared at Lucian as she went straight for Lydia. She shielded Lydia from the crowd, turning her back to them.“Come with me,” Vivienne whispered in Lydia’s ears. Then Vivienne shot Lu

Elena’s POVLucian’s words landed hard. I felt like I’d been hit in the stomach.“What did you just say?” I asked. My entire body was trembling now. “What do you mean, the child isn’t yours?”“Ava,” Lucian replied. “Her name is Ava. And I’m not her father. Not biologically.”“That’s impossible,” I replied. My mouth was dry and my tongue felt thick. “I heard the doctor that day. In the hospital. He was…talking about the baby.”“Yes,” Lucian said. “I went with Lydia to her appointment. She begged me to take her. It was an accidental pregnancy. She…she was in a tough spot. I felt bad for her. She asked me not to tell you. She said she was embarrassed and she wasn’t ready to tell you yet. I believed her. I was only trying to help.”My mind spun.I could still see them, sitting there in that doctor’s office. Elena was wearing a red sweater, beaming from ear to ear. Lucian sat beside her, expressionless.“I don’t understand,” I said, standing up. On shaky legs I went to the kitchen. Turning