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234 Calm Before the Gala
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Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband 235 Gala Night
(Winona)As Jayden and I descend the grand staircase, arm in arm, I can’t help but admire the sparkling crystals hanging from the ceiling, casting shimmering reflections across the room.The place is studded with high-profile people, all dressed in their finest, as waiters expertly weave through the crowd offering canapés and champagne. The buzz of conversation fills the air, and I know there is more to come along with the red carpet entry.“Looks perfect, doesn’t it?” Jayden murmurs in my ear, his arm tightening around me.“Yeah,” I say, letting my eyes sweep over the glittering scene below us. “Almost too perfect.”He chuckles softly. “You’re still looking for Judy, aren’t you?”I laugh, but there’s no real humor in it. “You know me too well.”We make it to the bottom of the staircase, and I scan the room again. No sign of her. Maybe she won’t come after all. A part of me feels relieved, but another part—an admittedly smaller, more cynical part—knows better.Judy wouldn’t miss bei
Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband 236 Hot In Here
(Winona)Gabriel Brennan and some beauty.He’s wearing a sharp, tailored suit, his dark hair cut short with a mop of curls on top, exuding confidence with every step. There’s no denying it, he’s attractive. Dangerously so. But it’s the woman with him that really catches my attention.She’s stunning, a bombshell in every sense of the word. Slim, with short, sleek hair and a dress that hugs her curves like a second skin. The way she carries herself, the way everyone in the room is watching her... there’s something magnetic about her. Something almost familiar.I squint, trying to figure out who she is, and then Lisa jabs me in the ribs, her eyes wide with disbelief.“Holy shit,” she whispers. “That’s Cass.”I freeze, staring harder. It is Cass. What the hell is she doing?She’s practically glowing, her usual dark, baggy clothes replaced with this slinky silver number that shows off every inch of her body. A body that every male and half the females in the room wish they were escorting
Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband 237 Tempers Flare
(Winona)Jayden’s speech echoes through the grand ballroom, his voice steady and confident, but my mind is focused on the tension at our table.“Age is just a number. We’re happy together.” Cass says as she stabs at her salad with her fork and eats it.I lean toward her, keeping my voice low enough not to disrupt the speech but firm enough to make my point clear. “You’re barely eighteen, and he’s thirty. Don’t you think this is moving way too fast?”Cass doesn’t even flinch. She stabs her fork into her salad again, her tone casual but dripping with sarcasm. “I’m not a kid, Winona. I know exactly what I’m doing. You don’t have to act like you are my mother. My mother is dead.”“I’m not trying to be your mother,” I shoot back, trying to keep my cool as Jayden speaks about the Brennan Wing’s accomplishments. “I’m trying to be your sister. There’s a difference. Gabriel is way too old for you, and you barely know him. What if this whole thing blows up in your face? You don’t even know his
Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband 238 Crashing and Burning
(Winona)I watch from across the room as Cass and Gabriel saunter away, and my stomach knots up in frustration. I don’t even have to see them sit down to know where they’re headed. Judy’s table. Of course.It’s the one place they can be where I won’t go near. It feels calculated, like Judy’s pulling strings again, positioning herself as the puppet master.I let out my breath, my gaze narrowing as I try to piece together how it’s come to this. Cass was supposed to be on my side. She was supposed to be part of my family. Now, here she is, sitting with Judy, the woman who tried to destroy my life so many times.The woman who succeeded in doing that for so long.“Don’t let her get to you,” Lisa says softly, sipping her champagne. She’s trying to sound calm, but I can see the annoyance flicker in her eyes. “Judy thrives on this. You know that.”“I know,” I reply, my voice tight. “But it’s hard when she’s using Cass as a pawn in whatever game she’s playing now.”Lisa nods, clearly understa
Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband 239 Judy’s Gesture
(Winona)The night has been a success by all accounts. The Brennan Wing has a record-breaking amount of donations.“I just want to say goodnight to Henry,” he says. “This gala has been great… I’ve done what I came to do.”“I’m very proud of you. Let’s go. You’ve done more than enough tonight.”We continue toward the exit, weaving through the last few clusters of people lingering by the door. Just as we’re almost at the staircase, I catch sight of Judy, sitting at her table with Gabriel and Cass. I see her lean over, whisper something to Gabriel, and then, with a smile that feels sharp enough to cut, she does it.She touches Gabriel on the back of the head and rubs. As she does she glances over at Jayden.That damn gesture.It’s a small thing, but I see it instantly, the same subtle motion she used to make with Jayden, a quiet symbol of love she had for him. It was always her thing. A secret, silent way to say, “I’m here for you. I love you.” Only now, she’s doing it with Gabriel, an
Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband 240 Gala Pot Stirring
(Judy)I watch Jayden’s face tighten from across the room as I make the small, familiar gesture with Gabriel. A rush of satisfaction floods me. He saw it. I knew he would. It’s a tiny thing, something I used to do with him when I wanted him to know I was proud of him and I loved him.And now? Now it’s enough to remind him of what we had, of what he’s lost by cutting me out. Good. Let him stew in that for a while.Jayden was on his way over. He would’ve violated the no contact order. I wanted that. But damn Gus had to step in being a big fatherly hero and stop Jayden’s onslaught. Oh well, there’s always next time. And there will be a next time.Outwardly, I keep my expression calm and pleasant. I can’t let Gabriel or Cass, or anyone else at this table, know how much pleasure I’m getting from riling Jayden up. It’s a calculated move, and I’m already thinking three steps ahead.If Jayden still cares enough to react, then I have leverage. There’s still a chance for reconciliation, whe
Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband 241 Gus and Maria
(Judy)Gabriel watches quietly, his eyes flicking between us. He doesn’t intervene, but his presence is undeniable. His sisters start talking to each other in Spanish. I don’t speak Spanish and I have no clue what they are saying.Gabriel answers them. I assume he’s relaying what he thinks is wrong with Cass.My annoyance flares. “It’s polite to speak in a language everyone at the table can understand,” I say, trying to maintain control of the situation.Gabriel turns his gaze on me, his expression calm but authoritative. “I will speak with my sisters however I please, Judy,” he says, his voice smooth but firm. “We don’t need to explain ourselves to you or anyone else.”The power in his words hangs in the air, and for the first time, I feel a shift. Gabriel isn’t just playing a role, he’s asserting himself. I don’t like it, but I can’t afford to challenge him openly. Not yet.Cass, emboldened by Gabriel’s support, crosses her arms and looks me dead in the eye. “You’re not going to ge
Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband 242 Ghosts
(Winona)The day after the gala has been all about family, just the way it should be. Jayden and I spent the morning with Abby, Bobby, and Sarah, playing in the park and eating ice cream.The joy on their faces brought a kind of peace that we’ve both needed after everything that’s been happening. Now, as the sun dips lower in the sky, we’re in the neonatal ward, sitting beside baby Henry, watching as the nursing staff tries him on a bottle feed.It’s always nerve-wracking, watching these tiny milestones. Every time he does something new, I feel like I’m holding my breath. Today is no different.Jayden’s standing next to me, his hands clenched tightly around the edge of the crib as he watches Henry struggle to figure out how to suck and breathe at the same time.“Come on, little buddy. Take a drink.”Henry’s so small, his little body looking even more fragile with the bottle at his lips. The nurse guides it carefully, her eyes trained on him, ready to pull it away at the first sign of
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