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 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 35 Reyna's POV:The waiting was unbearable every passing second felt like an eternity. My heart had been on edge, anticipating either a devastating loss or a long-awaited miracle.And then, the call came.“We’ve found him,” The investigator’s voice was breathless. “He’s alive. We have him.”I almost dropped my phone. My knees weakened, but I forced myself to stay upright. “Where is he?” “He’s been taken to Mercy General Hospital.”I exhaled sharply. “Thank you,” I managed. “Thank you for everything. I’ll be there immediately.”I had already called Mr. Hudson earlier, filling him in about the search. Now, with trembling fingers, I dialed his number again. The call barely rang before he picked up.“Reyna?” His voice was anxious.“They found him, Mr. Hudson,” I said, my voice shaking. “He’s been taken to Mercy General.”There was silence, then a shaky breath. “My boy… he’s alive?”“Yes,” I whispered, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes.“I want to come,” He said immediately.
Chapter 36Reyna's POV:I couldn’t breathe.I couldn’t think.Theos’ words echoed in my mind relentlessly. “I fell in love with you, Reyna.”I stared at him, unable to process his words. How was I supposed to respond to that? How could I pretend that those words didn’t shake me to my very core?But before I could gather my thoughts, before I could even blink, Theos suddenly moved. Suddenly, he was on his feet.My eyes widened as he reached for me, his hand gently cupped my face, and his fingers trembled against my skin.“I missed you,” He murmured.And then, before I could stop him, before I could think—his lips descended toward mine.I gasped, frozen for a second as his breath brushed against my skin. It would be so easy to let this happen, but… I couldn’t.I pulled away. “No.”Theos froze. “Reyna?”I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look into his eyes. “I… I can’t do this.”His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I pushed them down. “I’ve moved
Chapter 37Reyna's POV:The security guard turned back to him. “Some crazy lady out here claiming she’s your wife.”I scoffed, but Theos simply smirked, tilting his glass. “Let her in.”The guard glanced between us, then finally stepped aside. I walked past him, and made my way inside.I wasn’t sure what I expected when I came here in the first place, but it definitely wasn’t this.Theos lounged back on the seat, one arm draped over the woman beside him, while everyone was worried sick about him.The moment his eyes met mine, I saw pain. But then it was suddenly masked behind a smirk as he lazily lifted his glass to his lips.The woman beside him, draped in a tight red dress, pouted. “Who’s this?”“Doesn’t concern you,” Theos said flatly before turning to her. “Leave.”She scoffed, clearly unimpressed by his tone, then stood abruptly. As she passed me, she brushed against my shoulder on purpose, clicking her tongue in annoyance. “Whatever,” She muttered before storming off.I ignored
Chapter 38Alex’s POV:For the first time in a long time, everything felt… right.Leaning back in my chair, I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, letting the weight of the past two months settle in.I never expected my life to change so drastically in such a short period. Two months ago, everything felt uncertain—chaotic, even. Now, I had Reyna back by my side, and everything was as it should be.I smiled widely as I thought about her—how she had fit so perfectly back into my life, how every morning started with her warm presence beside me, and every night ended with her in my arms.“So,” Maddox's voice pulled me from my thoughts. He was perched on the edge of my desk, arms crossed, watching me with amusement. “How does it feel now that everything is finally back to normal?”I let out a chuckle. “Normal?” I repeated, shaking my head. “I don’t think life will ever be normal, Maddox.”He grinned. “Okay, fine. Not normal, but… good. You’ve got Reyna back, the company is thriving, and—
Chapter 49Alex’s POV:I shot up from my seat, and the chair scraped loudly against the floor, silencing the room. The executives looked at me, startled, their charts and reports suddenly irrelevant."Meeting adjourned," I announced.Maddox, seated beside me, frowned. "What—"I didn’t let him finish. I turned and stormed out of the conference room."Alex!" Maddox called, but I ignored him.I made a beeline for the elevator, smashing the button repeatedly. The doors finally slid open, and I stepped in, pressing the button for the ground floor. As it descended, I felt my pulse quicken.The moment the doors parted, I stepped out, barely acknowledging the greetings from employees as I hurried through the lobby. My mind raced with questions. Was she lying? Could this really be happening?I pushed through the glass doors and into the parking lot. Without waiting for my driver, I unlocked my car and slid in. With one deep breath, I pulled out my phone and dialed Chloe’s number.She picked u
Chapter 41Alex's POV:Standing before the mirror, I knotted my tie absentmindedly. No matter how many times I adjusted it, the knot seemed to tighten around my neck. The sudden ring of my phone made me flinch. I glanced down at the vanity table, recognizing the number on the screen. I sighed, rubbing my temple. Chloe hadn’t stopped calling since yesterday’s encounter. I had ignored every single one, but the silence was suffocating me more than the calls.I knew I couldn’t keep this from Reyna forever. Chloe wasn’t bluffing. She would go to any lengths to get what she wanted, even if it meant destroying the little happiness Reyna and I had managed to rebuild after so many painful years.Swallowing the lump in my throat, I straightened my tie, sprayed cologne, grabbed my phone, and made my way downstairs. The familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee and buttered pancakes filled the air. There she was — Reyna — setting the table, a soft smile playing on her lips.Without thinking, I hug
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 41Alex's POV:Standing before the mirror, I knotted my tie absentmindedly. No matter how many times I adjusted it, the knot seemed to tighten around my neck. The sudden ring of my phone made me flinch. I glanced down at the vanity table, recognizing the number on the screen. I sighed, rubbing my temple. Chloe hadn’t stopped calling since yesterday’s encounter. I had ignored every single one, but the silence was suffocating me more than the calls.I knew I couldn’t keep this from Reyna forever. Chloe wasn’t bluffing. She would go to any lengths to get what she wanted, even if it meant destroying the little happiness Reyna and I had managed to rebuild after so many painful years.Swallowing the lump in my throat, I straightened my tie, sprayed cologne, grabbed my phone, and made my way downstairs. The familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee and buttered pancakes filled the air. There she was — Reyna — setting the table, a soft smile playing on her lips.Without thinking, I hug
Chapter 49Alex’s POV:I shot up from my seat, and the chair scraped loudly against the floor, silencing the room. The executives looked at me, startled, their charts and reports suddenly irrelevant."Meeting adjourned," I announced.Maddox, seated beside me, frowned. "What—"I didn’t let him finish. I turned and stormed out of the conference room."Alex!" Maddox called, but I ignored him.I made a beeline for the elevator, smashing the button repeatedly. The doors finally slid open, and I stepped in, pressing the button for the ground floor. As it descended, I felt my pulse quicken.The moment the doors parted, I stepped out, barely acknowledging the greetings from employees as I hurried through the lobby. My mind raced with questions. Was she lying? Could this really be happening?I pushed through the glass doors and into the parking lot. Without waiting for my driver, I unlocked my car and slid in. With one deep breath, I pulled out my phone and dialed Chloe’s number.She picked u
Chapter 38Alex’s POV:For the first time in a long time, everything felt… right.Leaning back in my chair, I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, letting the weight of the past two months settle in.I never expected my life to change so drastically in such a short period. Two months ago, everything felt uncertain—chaotic, even. Now, I had Reyna back by my side, and everything was as it should be.I smiled widely as I thought about her—how she had fit so perfectly back into my life, how every morning started with her warm presence beside me, and every night ended with her in my arms.“So,” Maddox's voice pulled me from my thoughts. He was perched on the edge of my desk, arms crossed, watching me with amusement. “How does it feel now that everything is finally back to normal?”I let out a chuckle. “Normal?” I repeated, shaking my head. “I don’t think life will ever be normal, Maddox.”He grinned. “Okay, fine. Not normal, but… good. You’ve got Reyna back, the company is thriving, and—
Chapter 37Reyna's POV:The security guard turned back to him. “Some crazy lady out here claiming she’s your wife.”I scoffed, but Theos simply smirked, tilting his glass. “Let her in.”The guard glanced between us, then finally stepped aside. I walked past him, and made my way inside.I wasn’t sure what I expected when I came here in the first place, but it definitely wasn’t this.Theos lounged back on the seat, one arm draped over the woman beside him, while everyone was worried sick about him.The moment his eyes met mine, I saw pain. But then it was suddenly masked behind a smirk as he lazily lifted his glass to his lips.The woman beside him, draped in a tight red dress, pouted. “Who’s this?”“Doesn’t concern you,” Theos said flatly before turning to her. “Leave.”She scoffed, clearly unimpressed by his tone, then stood abruptly. As she passed me, she brushed against my shoulder on purpose, clicking her tongue in annoyance. “Whatever,” She muttered before storming off.I ignored
Chapter 36Reyna's POV:I couldn’t breathe.I couldn’t think.Theos’ words echoed in my mind relentlessly. “I fell in love with you, Reyna.”I stared at him, unable to process his words. How was I supposed to respond to that? How could I pretend that those words didn’t shake me to my very core?But before I could gather my thoughts, before I could even blink, Theos suddenly moved. Suddenly, he was on his feet.My eyes widened as he reached for me, his hand gently cupped my face, and his fingers trembled against my skin.“I missed you,” He murmured.And then, before I could stop him, before I could think—his lips descended toward mine.I gasped, frozen for a second as his breath brushed against my skin. It would be so easy to let this happen, but… I couldn’t.I pulled away. “No.”Theos froze. “Reyna?”I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look into his eyes. “I… I can’t do this.”His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I pushed them down. “I’ve moved
Chapter 35 Reyna's POV:The waiting was unbearable every passing second felt like an eternity. My heart had been on edge, anticipating either a devastating loss or a long-awaited miracle.And then, the call came.“We’ve found him,” The investigator’s voice was breathless. “He’s alive. We have him.”I almost dropped my phone. My knees weakened, but I forced myself to stay upright. “Where is he?” “He’s been taken to Mercy General Hospital.”I exhaled sharply. “Thank you,” I managed. “Thank you for everything. I’ll be there immediately.”I had already called Mr. Hudson earlier, filling him in about the search. Now, with trembling fingers, I dialed his number again. The call barely rang before he picked up.“Reyna?” His voice was anxious.“They found him, Mr. Hudson,” I said, my voice shaking. “He’s been taken to Mercy General.”There was silence, then a shaky breath. “My boy… he’s alive?”“Yes,” I whispered, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes.“I want to come,” He said immediately.
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