Chapter 41Reyna's POV:I had not said a word since I woke up. I just laid on my bed, staring into space, wondering how everything had gone so horribly wrong. From finally finding some peace with Alex to this sudden chaos. How did it all go out of control? How did we get from building a happy life together to Chloe being pregnant with Alex’s child? And why is it always her? Chloe, Chloe, Chloe. It’s as if she’s destined to show up just to shatter everything I try to build.Last time, it was Chloe who broke us apart. And here we are again, standing at the edge of destruction, courtesy of the same woman.But how could I forget? Chloe had also made it seem like I was the one who had an affair with Alex's father. She didn't just ruin my relationship. She ruined me, and I lost three whole years of my life because of her lies.So what if she’s bluffing now? What if she isn't actually pregnant? Or maybe she is, but it isn’t Alex’s child. Or maybe, terrifyingly, it is. And she’s just here to
Chapter 42Reyna's POV:I watched silently from the kitchen doorway as Chloe and Alex sat on the couch, discussing baby names. Chloe's hand casually rested on Alex's arm, her laughter annoyingly soft, and for a moment, I questioned if I was even standing there. Did they not see me? Or was I now invisible in my own home?Chloe had agreed to stay without much fuss when Alex brought her in, but deep down, I knew better. She wasn’t just here to have a child — she was here for Alex. I could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him, the same way she used to look at him years ago.It had only been three days since she moved in, and yet, somehow, Alex was spending more time with her than with me. At first, I brushed it off. He was just being responsible, I told myself. He didn’t want to abandon his child, and neither did I expect him to. But soon, I started noticing things.Late-night talks in the living room while I sat upstairs, pretending to read. Shared meals where Chloe made sure
Chapter 43Reyna's POV:I could hardly believe it when Alex rushed out of the house to take Chloe to the hospital. Despite everything that had happened, despite the storm Chloe had brought into our lives, Alex still cared enough to ensure her and the baby's safety. And I... I was the one behind the wheel, driving them there like a chauffeur.Alex sat at the back seat with Chloe, who kept making exaggerated moaning sounds, resting her head on his shoulder like they were some picture-perfect couple. I gripped the steering wheel tighter than I should, struggling to keep my composure. My heart was pounding, but I forced myself to stay calm. This wasn’t the time for petty jealousy or anger. I had to be mature, or at least pretend to be.When we arrived, nurses were already waiting with a wheelchair, rushing to Chloe's side like she was royalty. Alex stayed glued to her, holding her hand, brushing strands of her hair off her sweaty face while I stood back, invisible in the chaos. As they wh
Chapter 44Alex's POV:I didn’t hesitate as I stormed through the hallway, my pulse hammering in my ears. Every step I took toward Chloe’s room felt like I was walking through a furnace. When I pushed the door open with a loud bang, Chloe shot up from her bed, eyes wide, like a deer caught in headlights.“Alex? W-what’s wrong?” She stammered, scrambling to her feet.Reyna slipped in behind me quietly, but my focus was solely on Chloe. I strode toward her, grabbed her by the arm, and yanked her up with such force that she gasped.“You tell me!” I snapped. “What the hell is going on?”Chloe’s eyes darted from me to Reyna and back. “I-I don’t understand. You’re scaring me.”“Don’t play dumb with me, Chloe,” I growled. “Who’s the father of your child?”“I told you—it’s yours!” She screamed, trembling.“Liar!” I bellowed. “Say the truth, or I swear to God, I’ll strangle you with my bare hands!”Her legs buckled, and she collapsed back onto the bed. Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched
Chapter 45 Alex's POV:The next few days had been surprisingly calm, too calm, given the storm Chloe had stirred. I didn't trust the silence. Not after throwing her out and learning of her assassination attempt. Earlier today, Reyna had gone to the flower shop early that morning while I stayed behind to finish some paperwork. As I was about to head out to the office, my phone buzzed. It was the security I had secretly assigned to Reyna."Sir, we have reason to believe there's a threat against Miss Reyna."My heart plummeted. "What kind of threat?""A man has been following her since she left the house. We suspect another assassination attempt.”I didn’t need to hear more. Grabbing my keys, I sprinted to my car.The drive to the flower shop felt endless. Reyna. My Reyna was in danger, and I couldn’t afford to lose her.I arrived just in time. As I parked across the street, I saw Reyna stepping out of the shop, a small bouquet in her hand. The man following her was already moving fast
Chapter 46As Alexander helped me into the car, he placed his hand protectively on my lower back. Today was my first official prenatal appointment, and despite the excitement, I couldn't shake the nerves twisting in my stomach.The hospital smelled of antiseptic and fresh linens as we entered, my fingers gripping Alexander’s tightly. After a short wait, we were ushered into the doctor’s office. Dr. Miranda, a middle-aged woman with a wide smile, greeted us and gestured for me to take a seat.After flipping through my file, she looked up. "First of all, congratulations," Dr. Miranda said, pushing her glasses higher up her nose. "You're one month along, which means this is a crucial time to be careful with your health. I’ll give you a list of foods to avoid, including raw fish, unpasteurized dairy, and too much caffeine. Alexander straightened, his grip on my hand tightening slightly. "Anything else?"Dr. Miranda chuckled. "I see you’re already protective, Mr. Cage. That’s good. First,
Chapter 47Alex’s POV:The sound of my phone ringing cut through the silence and jerked me out of sleep. My brows furrowed, as my hand sluggish from exhaustion, reached for the device on the nightstand. Who the hell is calling this early?“Yeah?” I answered.“Mr. Cage,” A stern voice crackled through the speaker. “This is Officer Matthews from the NYPD. Chloe Bennett escaped from prison last night.”The words punched the sleep right out of me. My body stiffened, and my fingers tightened around the phone. “What?”“She broke out around 9:15 p.m. We’re currently tracking her down, and we assure you, she won’t be free for long.”How the hell did Chloe escape under the watch of several officers? Wasn’t she in maximum security? And more than that—how did a pregnant woman manage to pull off a prison break?But then it hit me.She wasn’t pregnant anymore.She lost the baby months ago.The realization sent shivers down my spine. I exhaled sharply, gripping the phone. “Find her. I don’t care w
Chapter 48Alex's POV:An idea flashed across my mind, as I grabbed my keys, dialed the police officer, and sprinted out of the house.The car roared to life as the officer picked up."I'm so sorry, sir," He said immediately. "We still haven’t tracked Chloe’s location."I gritted my teeth, steering out onto the road. "Forget about that.”The officer's silence stretched for a second before he asked, "Your wife—has she returned home?”"No," I snapped. "Chloe just called and threatened to kill my wife if I don’t marry her in twenty-four hours.”He stayed silent for a few seconds, then he said b"I have a plan. Just come over.""I'm on my way," I said and ended the call.As I sped out of the house, my hands were locked around the steering wheel, and my thoughts were a mess. Hold on, Reyna. Just hold on.When I arrived at the station, the officers were already waiting for me,. Inside, a small team was gathered around a laptop, various tracking devices set up."We have an idea," Officer Mat
Xavier's POV People behave annoyingly most times. That is why I keep my distance from people in order to avoid forming unnecessary bonds. The relationship I had with Caithlyn in the past was as a result of family friendship. Miss Howard, her aunt, used to be friends with my grandfather. We were mostly a couple in the eyes of the public. In private, I made sure that the boundary was clear. We had nothing going then and not now. She was too fake for me then, and I mostly could not deal with her. But right now, I'll definitely deal with her. “Mr Xavier, it's good to have you around again. Who would you like to see? Or do you want me to call Miss Caitlyn?” A man in the art gallery, whom I feel is a curator, asked me. “Miss Caitlyn please.” I said to him curtly. Looking around the place. There were a few people here and there. And I could not miss the way they were stealing glances at me. I'm sure that there were paparazzi amongst them. The stony expression I had on will not allow an
Morgana's POV I pressed my hand to my forehead in the hope to alleviate the headache that I was having at the moment. This was why I hated drinking. My hangover is always bad. “Here is the coffee you asked for.” Sasha, my assistant said, placing my favorite mug cup in front of me. “Thank you Sasha.” I muttered as I gulped down the first one. “Careful. It's h…hot.” But I was already almost done with it. “Oh.” “Yeah, oh. I had a bad night the other day.” “It's obvious. You don't need to say much. Hope you didn't do this in public? You're a public figure right now whether you like it or not.” She pointed out.“You don't need to say. I know. Even if it's something I don't want.” I said bitterly. “We cannot always choose what we want. You of all people should know that.” She said in her strict no nonsense tone. As if telling me to get myself together. “Yeah.” I muttered to myself. I closed the folder in front of me and handed it over to her. “Take that to the HR. They know what to
Xavier's POV “Fuck.” I muttered, slipping my hand through my already disheveled hair. I need to blow off some steam. If I don't, I'd do something I'm not meant to do. Like blowing off the head of that bastard. How did this even happen? I've been in love with that woman for years now and did not do anything about it. So, why now that her good for nothing ex showed up? Why am I feeling as though if I don't end him by myself, I won't feel at peace? “Hey man.” I raised my head up to see Derek's annoying face in front of me. “What's up?” I asked. “I've been here for a couple of minutes now, but you seem to be in your own world. Care to tell me what's got your panties in a twist?” I stared at him like he had two heads. “Is that even an expression that you're meant to use for a fellow man?” I asked him in a bored tone, leaning back into my chair. “As long as you understand what I mean. I'm good. So, please, tell me what's up. As much as I don't like you, I don't want a bestie that w
Morgana’s POV I didn't mean what I told him earlier, but there was no point in him knowing the truth. Since this is us trying to hurt each other, I might as well up my game at doing it. I've made a lot of bad decisions in my life before and this will not be the last one. Sitting back in my chair, I wiped the tears that fell from my eyes angrily. These days, I wish we went back to the days where we didn't have any issues and lived cordially with one another. I mean, we lived together for the past five years without any hitch. And I won't agree that all this is happening because of the fact that I wanted to show myself in public. There was a knock on the door that jolted me out of my thoughts. “Come in.” My assistant walked in without any worry in the world. I rolled my eyes internally at the act. “Ma'am, I looked through the new partnership, and checked through all the portfolios of the investors, there is nothing out of the ordinary there.” She said in her firm voice. I raised
Chapter 14Morgana's POV:“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped.Simon leaned back in the chair like he belonged there, like the past didn't happen, like I didn't crawl out of the grave he helped put me in.“I missed this fire,” He said with a nostalgic smile that made my stomach churn. “You always lit up a room when you were mad.”I took a step forward, fists clenched. “I said, what are you doing here?”“I came to talk.” He shrugged. “You know, clear the air. Things didn’t end well between us—”“You mean you didn’t get to finish destroying me? Is that what you’re here for now? To finish the job?”His smile didn’t falter. “Relax. You’re doing well for yourself. I just thought… with everything going on, maybe you’d want someone who understands.”I scoffed. “Understand me? You never even tried to. And if you think I’ll let you mess with my life again, you’re more delusional than I thought.”Simon stood up slowly, walked around my desk, and perched on the edge like he used to ba
Chapter 13Morgana’s POV:I stirred awake to the faint buzz of my phone vibrating on the nightstand. It was still dark in the room, because the glow of the sunrise barely passed through the edges of our drawn curtains.My fingers blindly reached for the phone, and the moment I unlocked it, headlines filled the screen.“Netizens Want Xavier and Caitlyn Back Together?”“Old Flames or Just Business Partners? Caitlyn and Xavier Spotted Together Again.”“#Xaitlyn Trending Again as Fans Fuel Reunion Rumors.”My eyes widened, and the back of my throat burned as if I'd swallowed acid. My eyes darted to the side of the bed instinctively. Empty?Of course, it was. He had probably already left—early, as usual—off to the office to meet Caitlyn.Again.I sat up slowly, clutching the phone in both hands as if the force of my grip could erase everything I just read. The en-suite bathroom door clicked open, and I looked up to see Xavier walking out, towel around his waist, water dripping down his
Chapter 12Simon's POV:I paced near the window, with a glass of whiskey clenched tightly in my hand, its contents barely touched. The ice had long since melted, much like the patience etched on Marilyn's face as she stood with arms crossed."Simon." Marilyn began. "This has to stop. Ever since Morgana resurfaced and we discovered she's married to Xavier, you've been... different.”I scoffed, downing the lukewarm liquid in one gulp. "And whose fault is that, Marilyn? Every time I turn around, you're there, reminding me of what Morgana did to you, how she 'almost killed' you. It's like you enjoy playing the victim."Marilyn's eyes narrowed. "Playing the victim? Simon, she pushed me down a flight of stairs! I was hospitalized for months! Or have you conveniently forgotten that?"I slammed the empty glass onto the windowsill. "Of course, I haven't forgotten! But dredging up the past every time we have an argument isn't helping.""It's not the past if it's still affecting our present," S
Chapter 11Morgana's POV:For five years, Xavier and I had maintained a marriage that was more of an alliance than a romantic union. Our interactions were cordial, and our conversations centered around business and Noah. Intimacy was a concept we both seemed to sidestep, perhaps out of self-preservation.However, as we began collaborating more closely on company projects, an unexpected shift occurred. Late nights in the office led to shared dinners, where discussions of quarterly reports seamlessly transitioned into stories from our pasts. I found myself laughing more, the sound foreign yet comforting.One evening, as we wrapped up a particularly grueling meeting, Xavier leaned back in his chair, studying me with an intensity that made my pulse quicken. "Morgana.” He began. "There's an art exhibition this Friday. Would you accompany me?"Surprised, I met his gaze. "Are you asking me on a date, Xavier?"A wide smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Perhaps I am."The evening of th
Chapter 10Morgana’s POV:I could feel everyone’s eyes burning into my skin, waiting, wondering how I’d react. But I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction—not yet.Before I could clap back, her voice rang out again. “But isn’t it strange?” She asked. “That you sold off your ex-husband’s empire?”Someone cleared their throat, and chairs shifted slightly.Strange?What was strange was how deeply invested she seemed to be in something that had nothing to do with her.I glanced at her—well-dressed, with heavy pearls sitting proudly at her throat. She looked like the type of woman who lived for charity luncheons, gossip cloaked as “concern,” and scandal disguised as curiosity.I bit down on my inner cheek, trying to steady my breathing.BInstead, I turned to Xavier.His gaze was already on me, and I didn’t have to say a word. He knew. I needed him to handle this—for both our sakes.Xavier cleared his throat, then turned to her. “That’s enough, Mrs Howard.” He said, his voice calm but e