ALEX The entire room was spinning as I lost my footing and then rolled down the stairs. A sharp pain ran through my back and head, I felt something wet running down my face. It was blood but my entire body was too numb to move an inch. Everything happened so fast to comprehend. “ Chloe,” A low groan tried to leave my lips to call for help, but there was no one, and slowly, everything turned dark. **** The slight beeping sounds of a machine caught my attention. A low groan left my lips as my eyes slowly pried opened but I was forced to shut it back again due to the bright lights. "Fuckin hell," I cussed, pressing my eyes together before I blinked it again, trying to adjust my eyesight to the bright lighting. The first thing that came to my sight was the clear white ceiling then my eyes slowly darted around the room to realize I was in a hospital. How did I get here? I wondered. "Chloe," I muttered, remembering we had an argument, but what happened after that? I
ALEX Luckily I didn't have to stay in the hospital for long before I got discharged. I only sustained some injuries on my head due to the fact Chloe broke a bottle on my head, and the craziest part was during my stay at the hospital, she didn't even visit me once. "You are cleared to leave, just make sure to clear all the discharge documents." The doctor informed me, adjusting the glasses on her nose bridge. After giving some advice, the doctor left, closing the door behind her; I had a lot on my mind. I have been absent from the office for days. Although my assistant seemed to be handling things there were still some things I had to handle myself. The loud ringing tone of my phone caught my attention; I quickly reached out for it, thinking it was my assistant, Jonathan, wondering if there was an emergency at work. My brows pulled together, and I was immediately displeased to find out it was Uncle Donald. The last person I wanted to talk to right now.
REYNA I was speechless; that is exactly how he left me. I have never met someone as annoying as him. Veins popped on my forehead. ' Calm down, you have a board meeting to attend.' I chanted in my head over and over again. Reyna: Stop stalking me, Alex. Unknown: I am not stalking you all I did was send flowers to my dear wife. With the nerves he has, I took a deep breath to relax. Reyna: I am not your wife. Unknown: last I checked I didn't sign any divorce documents. . That was it; the truth was that Alex and our divorce was not finalized and what happened between Theo and I was a short-term contract, but unfortunately, he died. Why love life was fucked up? The last thing I needed was an annoying ex-husband. Reyna: Don't you ever contact me again and stay the hell away. He was still typing, and I knew whatever he was about to reply would definitely get on my nerves. I blocked his number immediately. My grip on my phone released and I muttered some calming words to
Chapter 12: Reyna's POV: Sitting across from Mr. Orlov in the stone-walled conference room, I asked. "How did you know Alex?" Mr. Orlov’s lips curled into a half-smile, the kind that gave nothing away. "From a lot of places." He replied. I waited for more, for even a crumb of elaboration, but he offered nothing. Just silence and that unsettling smile. My mind raced. Barely five people knew about my wedding to Alex. It was the most private ceremony—no grand ballroom, no paparazzi, just us whispering vows in a secluded chapel. So how did Mr. Orlov know? I forced the thought aside. I was here for business, not to dissect ghosts of my past. Alex had consumed too much of my mind lately, and I needed to break free of that. I needed to focus. "Right.” I cleared my throat, opening the black folder on the table. "As I mentioned earlier, this collaboration could benefit both our companies significantly. Your distribution channels and my firm's innovative product lines are a perfect ma
Chapter 13Alex:For days now, I couldn't find peace. It was as if my mind had turned against me, conjuring memories of Reyna at every turn. I couldn’t walk down the halls of my home without hearing her laughter echo against the walls. The kitchen still smelled faintly of her vanilla and jasmine perfume, and my bed—our bed—felt cold.It was my fault. All of it.Losing Reyna was a mistake I could never forgive myself for. I betrayed and shredded the trust that she had given to me so freely, and for what? A fleeting moment with Chloe? For days now, I have been following her. Pathetic, I know. But what else could I do? I didn’t have the courage to approach her, not after what I had done. So, I settled for watching her from afar. However, today, I finally mustered up the courage to face her. To say something, anything that might lessen the weight in my chest. And bring her back to me.I drove to her company, rehearsing apologies and explanations under my breath, but the moment I saw
Chapter 14Reyna's POV:I laughed. No, I scoffed—loudly. It burst out of me, loud and unrestrained, echoing through the empty hallway of the conference room. "Escort me home?" I mocked. "You want to escort me home like you care? Like you ever cared?" "What's this, Alex? A sudden fit of morality? A redemption arc? Do you think holding back a scumbag like Orlov makes you a hero? You pathetic little bastard." I spat the words out. "Where was this savior act when I was drowning in your lies? When I begged you to choose me, to love me, to at least see me? Oh, but no, the only thing you saw was your ambition, your precious company, and my own best friend—but never your wife."I took a step closer, watching him as I circled him like a predator. "And now, here you are, dressed in your expensive guilt, thinking a jacket over my shoulders will erase everything? Do you think I'm that stupid?"His mouth opened, but I didn't give him the chance. "Stay away from my life, Alex. I don’t need you.
Chapter 15Alex’s POV:Leaning back in my chair, with fingers steepled under my chin as I stared blankly at the wall of my office. The sound of my phone buzzing broke my thoughts.My assistant, Samuel's voice came through. "Sir, we received a call from Ms. Reyna’s assistant."My grip tightened around his phone. Reyna?"She had all the roses thrown out and… uh... And… there’s talk of a restraining order if you keep being ‘stubborn.’"I clenched my jaw. I wasn’t surprised, not entirely. Reyna was furious, and she had every right to be. But a restraining order? That was low—even for her."Sir? What should I—"“Cancel my meetings.” I interrupted. “I’m heading out.”I ended the call, grabbed my car keys, and strode out of the building.Soon, I was driving out of the parking lot. With one hand on the steering wheel while the other tapped a restless rhythm against my thigh.I wasn’t the kind of man to dwell on emotions, but as I drove through the streets, my mind kept circling back to her.
Chapter 16Reyna's POV:Walking out of my office, I kept my strides steady. But inside? My heart pounded loudly.Alex had tensed the moment Chelsea mentioned my visitor. The flicker of fury in his eyes was brief but unmistakable. That alone sent a twisted sense of satisfaction curling through me.Let him stew in it.If he thought he could bulldoze his way back into my life with flowers and unexpected visits, he was in for a rude awakening.What I didn't expect, however, was for Richard Fontaine to actually show up.The moment I stepped into the waiting area, my eyes locked onto him.Dark suit. Polished shoes. That same infuriatingly self-assured posture.Richard turned just as I appeared, his lips stretching into a smirk. “You’re a hard woman to track down, Reyna,” He said smoothly, as if this were some grand reunion instead of an unwelcome intrusion.I folded my arms. “I wasn’t hiding, Richard. I was avoiding you. There’s a difference.”Richard Fontaine. CEO of Fontaine Enterprises.
Chapter 34Reyna’s POV:It had been a few weeks since I moved in with Alex. Slowly, we had fallen into a rhythm, living together as if the past hadn't happened, as if we were just another happy couple figuring things out. But deep down, I knew we were still rebuilding. Some wounds don’t just vanish overnight.Then, the rumor started.Theos Hudson was alive.At first, I dismissed it as just another wild headline, a media stunt to stir up controversy. But then, a reporter—a close friend of Theos—claimed that he had received a message from Theos himself. A message saying he was being held hostage.I stared at the news in disbelief. "Theos..." I whispered, gripping my phone so tightly my fingers ached.Alex, who was sitting beside me, tensed. "Rey, don’t get your hopes up too fast. Theos' car was found in the ocean. His body never showed up, yes, but that doesn’t mean—"I shot him a look. "It means exactly that. If his body was never found, then there was always a chance he was alive."
Chapter 33Reyna’s POV:I sat frozen, staring at Mr. Hudson as his words continued to sink in.“I had many enemies,” He explained. “Most of them were waiting for the right moment to strike. They had time… but when they heard that he had a wife—one that could give him an heir—” He exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples. “They took action all at once.”A lump formed in my throat. “I—I didn’t know,” I whispered. “I didn’t know my presence in his life would—” I stopped myself, swallowing the sob threatening to escape. “I’m so sorry. If I had known—”Mr. Hudson smiled. “Reyna, you didn’t force yourself into this situation. I did.” He admitted. “My persistence and my need for Theos to carry on the family legacy pushed him into making such a decision.”"You can't keep blaming yourself for this," I said gently. "Theos wouldn’t want that.""I keep replaying the past in my head," He responded. "If I hadn’t pressured Theos into giving me a grandson...""You wouldn’t have known it would end this wa
Chapter 32Reyna's POV:"Theo hasn’t even been gone a year, so why are you making headlines with another man when you should be mourning my son?" I read the first message for the second time.Then the second message followed: “Come over, we need to talk.” Grandpa Roberto texted and my heart skipped a beat.Mr. Hudson never called or texted me. In the months I had been married to Theo, our interactions had been minimal, it was mostly a short conversation during business dinners. But now he wanted to see me?I turned to Alex, and I could see his mouth moving, but I couldn't hear him. I saw his lips moving, but the words never reached me. ‘Fuck.’ I muttered under my breath, as I shot up from the bed.“Reyna?” Alex’s voice rang out, but I didn’t stop.I rushed into the bathroom, and in less than a second, the sound of running water filled the place as I turned on the shower. My hands trembled as I tried to calm my breathing, but the heaviness on my chest only grew heavier.A loud bang o
Chapter 31Reyna's POV:He cupped my face gently, his thumb tracing my cheek as he leaned in. But then, he suddenly pulled back and looked at me quizzically. Smiling, I leaned down and kissed him deeply. We pressed our tongues against one another, feeling each other's soft lips, then pulled back just a centimeter and let the tension between us build.And then we kiss again, more fervently, but still slowly. In the past, we were madly passionate and our lovemaking was energetic and wild. But tonight, I wanted to slow down and feel everything strongly.Gradually, we had a slow-burn night of sex and confessions. What I could last remember was Alex's last words to me before he passed out—"I love you, Reyna." He murmured with his eyes shut, cuddling me in his arms."I love you too, Alex," I confessed before I knew it and his eyes flew wide open.**** Alex's POV:I stirred, groaning slightly as my body felt oddly light. Then, I felt the softness of the sheets against my bare skin.Wait
Chapter 30 Reyna's POV: I sat on my bed, my back resting against the headboard, as fingers moved across my laptop keyboard. But my mind wasn’t entirely on my work, it was on Alex. I hated how, despite everything, my thoughts still drifted back to him. After what happened at the gala, I had sworn to be done with him, to keep him out of my mind. But over the past few days, he had shown up countless times, calling me repeatedly just to apologize and insist that he had finally learned the truth. He kept talking about how much he wanted us to work things out and how foolish he had been. Yet, I ignored him every time, acting as if I didn’t care. But here I was, unable to ignore the one question in my head: ‘How did everything circle back to me when it was Chloe who had an affair with his father?’ Sighing, I shook my head. ‘Enough, I need to move on.’ I said to myself. The sudden chime of the doorbell pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. I frowned, glancing at the time on my lapt
Chapter 29Alex's POV:I had forced Chloe to give me this tape years ago, she made me promise that I won't breathe a word about her to Reyna, and I didn't.Not because I wanted to protect her—but because I wasn't ready to face the truth and admit what my father had done.When my father died, I had lost all the zeal to bring up the topic. And now? Now, I was just waiting for something—anything—to prove that I wasn't a complete fool.Hours passed. The video played over and over again. My eyes burned from exhaustion, and my body begged for rest, but my mind refused to stop.There had to be something. A glitch, or a sign that I didn't ruin everything for nothing.But there was nothing.Nothing but the same gut-wrenching images I had seen three years ago.Suddenly, the door creaked open.Maddox walked in, rubbing his tired eyes. “Oh my God, Alex, were you up all night?” He looked around, groaning when he saw the empty coffee cups. “Did you seriously drink all this just to stay awake?”I s
Chapter 28Reyna's POV:I scoffed the moment Alex finished his little sob story. “That’s it?” My arms folded across my chest as I stared at him in disbelief.His brows raised instantly. “What the fuck do you mean by ‘that’s it’?” He shot back.I let out a chuckle. “You treated me like trash, cheated on me, and threw me out of your life—all because of a fucking video, which you didn’t even confirm was real?” My voice trembled. “Did you ever think to check if it was edited before you ruined my entire fucking life?”Alex’s jaw clenched. “What the fuck do you mean?” His knuckles turned white from how hard he curled his hands into fists. “Do you realize that I had just found out my father had a relationship with my so-called wife? Who in their right mind would stop to investigate if a video like that was real or fake?”“Someone who actually wants the full truth.” I snapped.His expression darkened. “Truth?” He repeated. “I watched that video every single fucking day, trying to make sense
Chapter 27Alex's POV: THREE YEARS AGO:“Are you still set on renegotiating the contract with Mercer Holdings?” Maddox asked, his gaze shifting from the screen to me as his fingers drummed against the desk.I exhaled, leaning back in my chair. “We don’t have a choice. If we don’t, their terms will put us at a disadvantage. The expansion project is already eating into our resources, and the last thing we need is a bad deal hanging over our heads.”Maddox nodded. “True. But you know Mercer Holdings—they’re as cutthroat as they come. If we push too hard, they might just pull out and take their investments elsewhere.”“That’s why I need to discuss this with my father.” I tapped my pen against the table, lost in thought. “He’s the one who put Mercer Holdings in our orbit to begin with. If anyone knows how to navigate their conditions, it’s him.”Maddox smirked. "The plan to expand into the European market is a great decision, but I don’t see your father signing off on it w
Chapter 26Reyna's POV:The day went by quickly, and before long, the night of the gala had arrived.But my mind wasn’t here.I smiled at the men surrounding me—middle-aged billionaires, the kind who had built their wealth long before my time. They were the type who had likely seen the world change a thousand times over and yet still clung to their outdated beliefs."You know, Mrs. Hudson," One of them, a portly man with graying hair and a cigar in hand, began. "I never thought Theos' wife would be able to manage the company after his passing. No offense, of course."I kept my smile intact. No offense, of course. As if that made it any less condescending.Another man chuckled. "We were all so worried. Hudson Corp is not an easy company to run, and we all thought, well... let's just say we expected you to struggle."I tilted my head slightly. "And yet, here we are. Hudson Corp is thriving, gentlemen."The portly man nodded, raising his glass. "You’ve done well, no doubt about it. We’r