ALEX She didn't glance back at me, not even once. All I could do was watch her leave. She had changed, she was not the same Reyna I knew. I didn't know if I hated this change or not but she made me look like a fool. That day she said she was going to leave. I thought it was a fucking joke, but she went ahead and got married to a fucking Theo. She must be delusional because I never agreed to get divorced, and her so-called marriage to Theo was a joke. I would never accept it. The cell gate clanked as the metal was pulled close. The police officer locked the gate before giving me a look of disdain and then walking away. "You can't fucking lock me in here. You have no idea who you are messing with!" I barked at him but he didn't even glance back and continued whistling. A chuckle caught my attention from inside the cell; it was a guy who had a black eye and reeked of alcohol. From my guess, he probably got into a club fight. I could not believe that Reyna locked me u
ALEX The sun was about to cross the horizon as it was very early in the morning. The weather was cold, with it biting on my skin, but the little cold bites were the least of my problems. "Please don't get me started on Chloe right now. She is a lot, and I ask myself what the hell was I thinking that day." I snapped back at him. Honestly, at times, I don't understand my actions, but the deed has been done, and I need a way to solve this problem. "Well, you fucked up, man; I don't know what to say." Maddox sighed; he walked past me, patting my shoulders. "Come on, let me give you a ride home." Releasing a sharp breath I followed after him to his slick black BMW that was parked not too far away. After taking my seat in the front passenger's seat. Maddox ignited the engine and we drove away. A lot was going through my mind as my eyes were locked on the fleeting images of the less busy street since it was very early in the morning. "Do you have an idea about what
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 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
Chapter 25Reyna's POV:I snapped my head around, to see Maddox striding toward us, his face dark with anger. Without hesitation, he yanked the thug’s hand off my arm."Who the hell are you?" Maddox demanded.The man sneered. "I should be asking you that." But his expression shifted as though he recognized him. His narrowed eyes flicked over Maddox before he added, "Weren't you with that Alex guy the first time my boys and I came here?"Maddox gave a short chuckle. "Correct. And if you don’t want me calling the police, I suggest you step the hell away from her. Now."The thug raised his hands in surrender, exchanging a quick look with the man in glasses. The latter gave me a small bow before they both turned away.Maddox grabbed my wrist and pulled me away. We were about to pass my car when I stopped, gesturing toward the vehicle."Let’s talk in here."He nodded and slid into the passenger seat while I got behind the wheel. I drove away from the curb and didn’t stop until we were far
Chapter 24Reyna's POV:After admitting Alex in the hospital and confirming that he was okay, I hailed a cab and went home. I couldn't stay back in the hospital with him. I shouldn't. Not after everything he had done to me in the past. Over the next three days, I focused on putting myself together.I kept my mind occupied with movies at home, while Chelsea handled the legal battle against Mr. Orlov and Richard. Meanwhile, Alex’s uncle fled to California the moment news of Richard’s arrest broke out. And no one had seen or heard from him since.Finally once I felt stable enough, I returned to work. But this time, I threw myself into it. Every minute was accounted for—meetings, reports, projects. Anything to keep my mind from wandering.But no matter how much I buried myself in work, thoughts of Alex still found a way in.Some nights, I stared at my call log, tempted to dial every unknown number that had contacted me in the past month just in case one of them was him. Just to hear his