All Chapters of Mr CEO Your Ex-wife Is Back: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

AVAThe vibration on my nightstand yanked me from a shallow, dreamless sleep. Gray light pressed against the curtains like it had something to say but couldn’t be bothered to speak clearly. 7:12 a.m. My phone screen glowed with a single message from an unknown number I already knew belonged to Viktor.Neutral ground. The Shard, private lounge, noon sharp. Come alone.I stared at the words until they blurred. My thumb hovered over the keyboard. Last night’s argument with Daniel still burned behind my ribs.I gave it thirty seconds of thought… staring at the ceiling crack that looked like a crooked smile and typed back: The Shard lounge. Noon. Public section, not private. I pick the table. You come alone or the deal dies before it starts.Send.I swung my legs out of bed, the marble floor ice-cold against my bare feet. A quick shower, black coffee from the machine that still tasted faintly of the bottled water I now trusted more than the taps. I pulled on a charcoal cashmere coat, the o

AVA The Harrington Foundation Annual Charity Auction glittered inside the Savoy’s grand ballroom like a jewel box built on lies. Crystal chandeliers dripped light over silk gowns and black tuxedos. The air smelled of expensive perfume, fresh orchids, and the faint sweetness of vintage champagne. I moved through the crowd in my emerald gown, the fabric whispering against my skin with every step, my clutch heavy with Viktor’s matte-black USB. Conversations flowed easily around me…soft laughter, polite smiles, subtle competition hidden beneath elegance. Everyone here was playing a role. Sienna caught my eye from across the room, radiant in silver, one hand resting lightly on her growing bump. She let out a mischievous smile which unsettled me. I held her gaze for a second longer than necessary, then turned away first. I slipped away during the heated bidding for a 1940s Rolex. The private study off the main hall was quiet, lit by a single brass lamp. I moved quickly, Behind the

AVAThe rain hammered the roof of the car like frantic fingers trying to warn me back. My headlights were off, the black SUV crawling forward through the Docklands maze of shipping containers and broken streetlights. The address Viktor sent burned in my mind. I had no idea what waited inside…what exactly Viktor is planning, what traps, whether Daniel was even still breathing. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking on the wheel.I had met Rafe, a ghost from my past who owed Elena more favors than he could count…and he helped me with a gun and the layout of how that place actually is.I didn’t know if going alone without a strong backup was a wise or foolish decision but Daniel’s life was on the line and I couldn’t afford loosing that one person that made life feel whole for me.I parked behind a stack of rusted containers and sat there for ten seconds, breathing hard. The emerald gown from the auction was still stuck to my skin, wet and cold. I slipped the gun Rafe had given me into my coat poc

AVAMorning light seeped through the edges of the blacked-out curtains, soft and gray, the kind of London dawn that promised nothing. I woke first, tangled in Daniel’s arms, my bare leg thrown over his, his steady breathing warm against my neck. The memories of last night hit me all at once… the desperate way I had moaned his name, the scratch marks I’d left down his back, how completely I had fallen apart under his touch. Heat rushed to my cheeks. I felt suddenly shy, almost embarrassed, like the woman who had begged him harder wasn’t really me.I tried to slip out of bed without waking him, but his arm tightened around my waist.“Don’t,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep. He pulled me back against his chest, pressing a slow kiss to my shoulder. “Stay right here.”I turned in his arms, hiding my face in the crook of his neck. “I can’t believe how… loud I was last night,” I whispered, mortified. “I’ve never been like that before.”Daniel chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through

AVAThe freezing water had hit me like needles, soaking through every layer of my clothes. I stood under the icy spray fully dressed until my mind finally went quiet. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I turned off the tap, wringing out my soaked blouse and jeans.I stepped out of the bathroom still dripping, clothes clinging to my skin, hair plastered to my face. The moment I entered the living room, I froze.Daniel was sitting on the edge of the sofa, elbows on his knees, watching me.“Shit—” Panic flared. I spun around and darted back into the bedroom, slamming the door behind me.I stripped off the wet clothes as fast as I could, grabbed dry leggings and an oversized sweater, and ran a towel through my damp hair. Taking a deep breath, I stepped back out.Daniel was still there, a faint amused smile on his lips. I crossed the room and sat in the armchair across from him.Before I could speak, he said quietly, “I don’t like when we argue, Ava.”I exhaled slowly. “Same. We’ve survived