Semua Bab After Rebirth, I Married My Ex-husband's Enemy : Bab 31 - Bab 40

**ATLAS**Sleep never came—just the steady rhythm of machines and the quiet, stubborn rise of her chest that I refused to stop watching.The first rays of sun filtered in through the window blinds, splashing over Calista's bed in slices of yellow and gold, and for a moment I sat still, eyes glued to her face for the flicker of an eyelash…anything.Nothing…just the steady hiss of the ventilator and the crushing reality that she was still trapped in there.I sat through two hospital rounds, fists clenching each time the nurses lifted the covers to clean and change her.Calista would have never let them touch her, let alone see her like that. It was haunting how limp her limbs were, how her phone sat in my pocket like a curse I could not break. My legs felt numb from sitting up all night, but my mind raced faster than the damn things, making it almost impossible to even blink.One thought ate at my brain, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not figure out the words to say to the wom

**CALISTA**The waves were wrong—no, they were right—no, they were not waves at all.They rose and fell like they were breathing—too slow, too deep—like they were waiting for something—waiting for me—but the water never touched my feet.Instead there was sand, and it tickled my toes as the warm sun warmed my face. I winced and lifted a hand to shield my face, freezing when I saw my hand.It belonged to me…the real me. My body was clad in a hospital gown, and it took the angry lapping of the water on shore to tear my attention away.A strong salty smell hit my nose, and I breathed in the ocean, waiting for the calm to crack wide open.And it did. The ocean turned frothy, waves clapping into each other. My feet stayed on the sand, but the moment I tried to step forward, the shore stepped back.My breath caught, but my limbs could not move. Not until I heard a voice clawing at my left ear. “CALI!!” I whipped around to see a twelve year old Astrid, face white as sheets, pointing at so

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” ~Kahlil Gibran**CALISTA**My hands rested in my lap, but they felt like something I had borrowed and forgotten how to return.Everything felt borrowed—my body, my thoughts, my memories—none of it made sense…except for him.I did not remember how I woke, but the doctors said that it was not a pretty sight. I died, they said, and I believed them. I did die, after all, just not in this lifetime. They also said that when I woke, there was only one name on my lips, and I did not know whether to be relieved or terrified that I would claw so fiercely for the man I tried to ruin.And what a man he was…I could not describe the heavy throb that exploded in my chest the moment I saw him in the doorway. No other words sufficed, so I said his name with all the aching in my heart, and he was by my side in a heartbeat, threading his fingers gently through my hair as I tried and failed t

**MERRICK**Losing to Atlas Kane once was an inconvenience. Twice, an irritation. The third time? A vicious flaw in the system. And I did not tolerate flaws, especially when they managed to land me in cuffs.“Mr Fairfax … are you with me?” I flashed a small smile at the blonde woman sitting across from me, wondering just how many men she fucked to put on a nice suit and call herself ‘detective’.“I'm with you.” “I apologize for the minor inconvenience, but I need to ask a few questions before we proceed.” I held up my cuffed wrists.“This is anything but minor, detective.” Her smile did not meet her eyes. “I understand. This should not take long.”I stifled another protest and tore my attention to the small stack of files lying on the desk between us.“Let's make this quick, then.” “Perfect,” her voice chirped, and she flipped open the first file and pored over it for endless seconds.A vein ticked in my jaw, and I shifted in my seat, eyes fixed on the severe bun on her head, do

**CALISTA**I could feel it in the silence around me that something about my life had already been decided, even if no one had bothered to tell me yet.‘They will stop at nothing to make sure that your heart stops beating…’Atlas's words drifted through my mind, and I shut my eyes for a long moment, seeking comfort in the darkness and finding none. My eyes fluttered open, eyes fixed on the door. I tried to tune out the roaring in my ears, to hear anything but the rapid beating of my heart.I could still hear their muffled voices, but their words fizzed out before they reached me, so I sat there bleeding, breaking, listening…Then I heard something. Three words in Ledger's strained voice;“SHE BROKE YOU…” I felt my heart pause in a vain effort to stop the damage, but it was already done—and it hurt worse that Ledger told no lies.I had stood beside Merrick Fairfax and let him use my power to sink the only man who ever looked at me with more than sexual longing. Every cheque that guar