All Chapters of Once His Abandoned Wife Now A Trillionaire Heiress: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Alexandra stood there, letting it all sink in. “I thought he actually respected me,” she said finally, her voice quiet.“He might,” I replied. “That doesn’t mean he won’t use you. People can respect you and still use you. In fact, they respect you more when you’re useful.”Alexandra looked down at her hands. “Should I say no?”I thought about it carefully. “No. You should say yes.”“Why?”“Because it puts you right in the center of everything. Every camera will be on you. Every reporter will want to know about you. You’ll be the most visible person in that room next to Ethan.”“And that’s good?”I smiled slowly, letting the menace show just enough. “It’s excellent. Because when Juliana inevitably causes a scene and she will you’ll be the innocent one. The professional woman who was just doing her job. The one who got pulled into messy marital drama through no fault of her own.”Alexandra nodded slowly. “The media will love that story.”“They’ll eat it up,” I agreed, my voice dropp

CAD-WELL PENTHOUSE ~ NEW YORK CITY Did I hear him right? No. I must have misheard.“You heard me.” He walked toward the window. “Alexandra needs to be there as the face of the deal. That’s not me choosing her over you. That’s optics. Investors. The board.”“Ethan—”“Do you know what you did?” He turned sharply. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to this family?”My throat closed up. “I was trying to protect us—”“By hiring criminals? By attacking Alexandra Montgomery? By making us look like fools in front of the entire city?”“I did it for you!” My voice cracked. “I did it because I love you!”“Love?” He shook his head. “You call that love? You almost destroyed everything we’ve built.”He’s blaming me. All of it. He’s blaming me.I took a shaky breath. “So that’s it? I’m reduced to planning drinks and snacks? Like I’m nothing?”“That’s not what I—” He stopped himself, frustrated. Ran a hand through his hair. “That’s not what I meant, Juliana.”“Then what did you mean?”“I meant

ETHAN’S POVTHE PENINSULA HOTEL BALLROOM – NEW YORKI stood near the entrance of the grand ballroom, trying to look like I belonged there. Crystal chandeliers sparkled above like stars. The sweet scent of fresh roses filled the air. Round tables covered in white cloth stretched across the room, and a quartet played soft music near the stage.The guests arriving were New York’s most powerful people. Business owners. Fashion designers. Investors. Media executives. People with money. People who could make or break empires.Tonight was the annual Cadwell Beauty Gala.I greeted guests in my black tuxedo, forcing a smile.“Welcome.”
“Good to see you again.”
“Thanks for coming.”The words came out automatically. I shook hands. I made small talk. But my eyes kept drifting back to the main entrance.Where are you, Alexandra?I checked my watch. 7:30 p.m. The event started in thirty minutes. Still no sign of her. My chest felt tight. I hated how much I was waiting for her.“Ethan.”My mot

ETHAN’S POVTHE PENINSULA HOTEL BALLROOM ~ NEW YORK “I don’t know,” Alexandra said, frowning. “I suddenly feel strange.”Juliana’s eyes widened with what looked like real worry. “Oh my God.”She stepped forward quickly and took Alexandra’s arm. “Are you alright?”“I think so…” Alexandra replied, but her voice came out weak and shaky.She didn’t look alright at all. The color had drained from her face, and a light sweat glistened on her forehead.Then she reached for my arm, holding on tight. “Ethan,” she whispered. “I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”“You want me to come with you?” I asked, my chest tightening.She forced a small smile and shook her head. “No. I’ll be fine.”Before I could say anything more, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.I watched her walk away, my eyes following her until she slipped through the ballroom doors. Something felt seriously wrong. My pulse kicked up as worry flooded through me.Beside me, Juliana let out a soft, worried sigh.

ETHAN’S POV“Of course,” I replied immediately. “I’m not going anywhere.”I pulled a chair closer and sat right beside her close enough to feel the heat from her body.“You don’t need to go back to the gala,” I added. “We’re done anyway. The merger is complete. Harrow Capital and Cadwell Beauty are officially partners now.”She let out a faint breath, like the words were only just sinking in.“Thank you, Ethan,” she said. “I think I might’ve been allergic to something I drank or ate back there… but you stayed with me the whole time.”Her eyes held mine a little longer than usual, searching.“You’re a really good person, you know that?”A warm rush hit my chest. Without thinking, I reached out and gently brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. My fingers lingered on the soft curve of her cheek.“Thank you for saying that,” I replied softly, my voice rough. “It means a lot coming from you, especially tonight.”For a moment she just stared at me. Her br