All Chapters of Ex wife’s return: Claiming the billionaire’s crown: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

The rooftop lounge overlooked nearly all of Manhattan.Rainwater still clung to the glass railings from the earlier storm, reflecting the city lights below in blurred streaks of gold and white. The air carried that cold post-rain chill that made everything feel quieter than usual.Scarlett sat across from Cassian near the edge of the terrace, one leg crossed over the other as she absentmindedly stirred the drink in front of her.Neither of them had touched their food much which said enough already.Cassian leaned back in his chair slightly, his dark coat folded neatly beside him. His eyes remained fixed on the city ahead for a long moment before he finally spoke.“You know,” he said calmly, “we’ve both become terrible at this.”Scarlett glanced up. “At what?”“Our little revenge strategy.”A faint laugh escaped her. “That’s dramatic.”“It’s accurate.”She studied him carefully now,there was no mockery in his tone.No criticism.It was just an observation which somehow made it feel mor

The sound of porcelain cracking against marble echoed sharply through the dining room.Diane flinched as a thin stream of coffee spilled across the pristine white tablecloth, dripping slowly from the overturned cup before one of the maids rushed forward in panic.“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Ashbourne-”“Leave it.”Christine’s voice was calm.Too calm.The maid froze instantly before retreating with a quiet apology.Diane sat stiffly in her chair, her fingers tightening beneath the table as she watched Christine dab delicately at her hand with a napkin like nothing had happened at all.Meanwhile, Grant watched everything in silenceAnd somehow this past week ,that silence had become the most suffocating thing to Diane in his presence lately.Outside, Manhattan disappeared beneath heavy gray clouds, the storm from the night before still lingering in the air. The Ashbourne estate felt cold and darker because of it, shadows stretching across the enormous dining room while untouched breakfast sat g

Scarlett barely remembered how she made it down the hallway.The restaurant around her had blurred into fragments after that-voices melting into noise, the clinking of glasses too sharp against her ears, the scent of coffee suddenly nauseating.All she could see was Diane.Diane beside him.Diane carrying his child.Her heels hit the marble flooring too quickly as she pushed through the narrow hallway leading toward the restrooms, her pulse thundering painfully beneath her skin. The elegant warmth of the restaurant disappeared back here, replaced by quieter lighting and muted gold walls lined with framed black-and-white photographs of old Manhattan.She reached the bathroom door and shoved it open harder than intended.The silence inside hit immediately.Scarlett gripped the edge of the sink, lowering her head as she tried to breathe.But breathing suddenly felt difficult.Humiliatingly difficult.Her reflection stared back at her from the oversized mirror-perfect makeup, composed hair, e

The smile on Theodore’s face still lingered in Grant’s mind as they slowly walked back toward the dining area.His son’s tiny hand had somehow found its way into his own, and Grant had found himself unconsciously slowing his pace,as if walking slower meant delaying the inevitable.Theo swung their joined hands happily.“Daddy?”Grant smiled down at him.“Hmm?”“Are you eating with us?”The question was so innocent.So hopeful.It made something painful tighten inside Grant’s chest.Beside them, Scarlett lowered her eyes immediately.Even Roxy pretended to be interested in the paintings on the wall.None of them wanted to hear the answer.Grant crouched down.“No, buddy.”Theo blinked.“No? Why?”Grant forced a smile.“Daddy has somewhere important to be.”The little boy’s face fell immediately.“Oh.”The disappointment was immediate and unfiltered.“When will you come back?”Grant’s throat tightened.“Soon.”“Soon-soon?”Grant chuckled softly.“Yes.”Theo thought about it seriously.“Promise?”

Night had a way of stripping Manhattan bare.The city was still awake, still moving beneath the darkness, but from the thirty-eighth floor of Blackwell Enterprise, everything below seemed strangely distant. The traffic that usually felt chaotic had been reduced to thin streams of headlights winding through the streets, while neon signs reflected against the rain-slicked roads in fractured ribbons of color. The occasional flash of lightning illuminated the buildings in the distance, followed by the low, lazy rumble of thunder that seemed to roll between the skyscrapers.Cassian barely noticed any of it.His office had been quiet for hours. The overhead lights were off, leaving the room illuminated only by the brass lamp on his desk and the faint glow of the city filtering through the enormous windows behind him. His jacket had been discarded over the back of his leather chair, and his tie was loosened slightly around his neck, the only visible evidence that the hour was beginning to we