All Chapters of Married My Ex's Billionaire Uncle Accidentally : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Damian Pov The black Mercedes-Maybach rolled into the executive garage, and I stepped out before the driver could reach my door. The leather folder was already in my hand. I had a packed schedule ahead of me, but this needed to be handled first. I glanced at my watch and headed straight for the elevator. The doors opened, and I stepped inside. I pressed the button for the Design Department and watched the doors slide shut. The doors slid open quietly on the lower floor. Then I heard her voice. "You are an absolute lifesaver," she was saying, her voice bright, almost unfamiliar. "Thank you." I slowed as I saw Ariana standing a few paces away near the lounge entrance with a man in a tailored grey suit. He held two coffee cups, and as he handed one to her, he leaned closer, his shoulder nearly brushing hers. I stopped and looked at him. The same man from the gala. The one whose arm had been around Ariana's waist. Now he was standing in my corporate building, smiling down at

Ariana Pov I stared at my approved designs, my fingers tightening around the edge of the sketch. How was I supposed to present a collection without the raw materials to bring it to life? I returned to the sketches, studying each one as I weighed my options. The workshop had leftover gemstones and metal components from other projects. Perhaps I could use those instead. It wouldn't be easy, but I had to find a way. I gathered the sketches and headed to the storage room. After laying them out beside the available gemstones, I began comparing shapes and sizes. I picked up a deep blue stone and held it against the necklace design, but it was too bright, too bold for the original setting. I tried placing smaller stones around the centerpiece, but the result looked crowded. I rearranged them, tested another combination, and still nothing fit. "Think, Ariana,” I murmured. I rested my head against the wall, my eyes still fixed on the sketches scattered across the table. My foot tapped a

Ariana Pov Nathan slid the key into the ignition and turned it. The engine came to life with a low purr. He pressed his foot against the brake, shifted into drive, and eased off, and the car rolled forward, pulling away from the penthouse. Our luggage was already loaded in the trunk. Through the window, I watched the familiar surroundings slip behind us until the gate swallowed them. My fingers loosened in my lap, and for the first time since that afternoon, my shoulders came down from around my ears. Nathan guided the car onto the road, and a small smile tugged at my lips as I looked ahead. I had agreed to come along with Damian for the family gathering because I missed Grandpa. I hadn't seen him since the hospital incident. The thought lifted the corner of my mouth higher. I could already picture myself sitting beside him, listening to him talk, my hand resting on his. The weight in my chest eased a little, and I let myself sink back into the seat. The road was quiet beneath

Ariana Pov She reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped. She didn't fidget or hurry. Her chin stayed level, her gaze steady, and for a moment the whole room seemed to wait on her. Then she crossed the floor toward him, heels clicking once, twice, slow and certain, as though she belonged to this house more than I ever could. She stopped a few feet away. Damian stared at her. His brow drew together, his eyes narrowing as he searched her face for a memory just out of reach. Then his brow eased, and his lips parted. "Vanessa." The name left him too quickly, as though it had been waiting all along. "Yes." She laughed softly. "It's me." His arm slipped from under my hand. He stepped forward, and she met him halfway. They embraced, firm and unhurried, the way two people do when they have missed each other for a long time. I had never seen him hold anyone like that. "You're back," he said, low. "I'm back." He drew away just enough to look at her, and the corner of his

Ariana Pov Sitting across from him, I felt the irritation settle deeper in my chest. I was tired of seeing his face, tired of sharing a table with him. Whatever I had once felt for him was finally gone. But that didn't mean I had to sit there and pretend my stomach could tolerate him. I lowered my eyes to my plate. My appetite had vanished completely. I just wanted to get away from the table for a few minutes. A phone rang, breaking through the quiet. Adrian pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. "Excuse me," he said. "I need to take this." He turned to Tessa, his voice gentle. "I'll be right back." "Okay." Tessa smiled up at him. But he didn't leave right away. His eyes lifted from her and slid across the table to me. They stayed there, unhurried, with a faint curve at the corner of his mouth. Only then did he straighten and walk away. My jaw tightened. I knew exactly what that look was. He had held it long enough for me to see it, and he had done it while speak