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Chapter 9
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-07 12:38:28
Bab terkait
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 10
Since that unexpected dinner, I hadn’t been able to keep my mind off Asher.Not in a romantic way—at least, I didn’t think so. It was more… awareness.I had spent so much time assuming he was just another cold businessman, someone who saw me as nothing more than a contractual obligation. But then he had surprised me. The detour, the unexpected moment of consideration—it lingered in my mind more than I wanted to admit.I still didn’t trust him. But maybe we could be… friends.It wasn’t a ridiculous idea. If we were going to be married, we needed some sort of foundation. Trust wasn’t something I could offer easily, but I could at least try to build something platonic with him.And that was why I found myself in the kitchen, carefully packing a homemade lunch into a sleek black bag.It wasn’t anything extravagant, just something simple. A small peace offering.The real hesitation came when I realized where I had to go.Cole Enterprises.The name wasn’t new to me. Jarem used to talk about
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 11
Jarem’s grip on my wrist tightened as I tried to step away.“Let go,” I said, keeping my voice firm even though my pulse was skidding out of control.But he didn’t.Instead, his fingers dug in deeper, and before I could react, he yanked me forward, pulling me with enough force that I stumbled.A rush of panic shot through me.This wasn’t the Jarem I used to know.Or maybe it was, and I had just never seen it before.The receptionist’s eyes widened, but she quickly looked away, pretending not to notice. Of course, she wouldn’t intervene. This wasn’t her business.“Jarem,” I snapped, wrenching my arm back, but his hold was like iron.“We need to talk,” he muttered under his breath, his expression dark.“There’s nothing to talk about.” I struggled against his grip, but it was useless. He was stronger, and he knew it.Jarem’s eyes flickered around the lobby before he pulled me sharply to the side, leading me toward a hallway away from the crowd.Panic flared in my chest.I dug my heels in
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 12
Silence filled the room, thick and suffocating.Asher stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable, but the air around him felt charged, heavy with something dark and dangerous.Jarem, on the other hand, looked entirely unfazed.His smirk hadn’t wavered, even as his fingers twitched at his sides, as if debating whether to grab me again.Asher took a slow step forward, his hands tucked into his pockets, his gaze settling on Jarem with quiet, lethal precision.“I believe I told you to let go,” he said, his voice eerily calm.Jarem chuckled, running a hand through his hair as if this was all some big misunderstanding. “Relax, boss. We were just talking.”Asher’s gaze flickered to my wrist—where bruises were already forming—before meeting Jarem’s eyes again. “That’s funny,” he murmured, tilting his head slightly. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you were hurting my fiancée.”Jarem’s smirk widened. “You think that’s hurting her?” His gaze slid back to me. “She used to lik
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 13
Time passed faster than I expected.Somewhere between that day in his office and now, Asher and I had grown… close.It wasn’t something I had planned, and it certainly wasn’t something I had expected. But little by little, we had settled into something that resembled companionship.It started with small things—the way he always seemed to notice when I needed space, the way our conversations turned into late-night talks over dinner, the way his presence no longer felt suffocating.And now, here I was, standing at the doors of a grand ballroom, wearing a wedding dress I never thought I’d wear again, about to walk down the aisle toward a man I never thought I’d end up with.A part of me still couldn’t believe this was real.The music started, and the doors slowly opened.My heart pounded in my chest as I took my first step, my fingers gripping the bouquet a little too tightly.And that’s when I saw them.Jarem. And Lili.Sitting among the guests, their eyes locked onto me.The moment I m
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 14
The moment the reception ended, I couldn't hold it in anymore.The weight of the day, the presence of them, the look in Asher’s eyes when he told me this was just the first warning—it all pressed down on me like a suffocating fog.I needed answers.As the last of the guests trickled out, I turned to Asher, my fingers still gripping the ruined fabric of my dress. “Why were they here?”Asher didn’t look surprised by my question. If anything, he had been expecting it.He loosened his tie slightly, exhaling as he gestured toward one of the private lounges in the venue. “Come inside. We need to talk.”Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten.We stepped into the room, the noise from outside fading as the door clicked shut behind us. The lighting was dim, the soft glow of a chandelier above casting shadows across Asher’s face.He sat down on one of the leather couches and gestured for me to do the same.I hesitated.Something in his expression—calm, unreadable—made me uneasy
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 15
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the unfamiliar ceiling.For a moment, I lay still, letting the soft sheets and quiet hum of the house ground me. But then, reality settled in.I was married.And this was my new home.I exhaled slowly, sitting up. The other side of the bed was empty, the sheets already cool. Asher was awake.I pulled on a robe and stepped out into the hallway. The house was silent except for the faint clink of a cup being set down. I followed the sound into the living room, and there he was.Asher sat on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, a coffee cup in hand. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a soft glow on his face. He looked effortlessly composed, like he had been awake for hours.His gaze flickered to me, and for a moment, he simply watched. Then, in that quiet, unreadable way of his, he said, “Morning.”I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorway. “Good morning.”He nodded toward the kitchen. “There’s coffee.”I hesitated
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 16
Days passed in quiet harmony.Living with Asher was surprisingly… easy.There were no fights, no uncomfortable silences, no overbearing expectations. Our relationship was exactly what I had hoped for—comfortable. We had settled into a routine. Mornings over coffee, shared meals where conversations flowed effortlessly, and evenings spent in different corners of the house, doing our own things.It was peaceful.And yet…I felt restless.I had everything I needed. A beautiful home, a stable life, and a husband who, despite his reputation, was respectful and easy to be around. I should have been content.But I wasn’t.Because deep down, I yearned for more.I had spent so much of my past life clinging to Jarem, hoping to be enough for him, only to be cast aside like an afterthought. And now, in this second chance, I didn’t want to just exist.I wanted purpose.So one afternoon, as Asher sat in his home office, typing away on his laptop, I leaned against the doorframe and cleared my throat.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 17
I should have thought this through.I should have known that walking into Cole Enterprises for a job interview meant walking straight into the paths of the two people I wanted to avoid the most.I had been so stupid for not considering it sooner.And then—“Anastasia?”That voice.The one that used to sound sweet and familiar. The one that used to belong to someone I trusted.Now, it made my stomach tighten.I turned, and there she was.Lili.Dressed in a crisp white blouse and fitted pencil skirt, her heels clicking against the marble floors as she approached me with a perfectly crafted smile.“Oh my God,” she said, her voice laced with false excitement. “What are you doing here?”I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I took a moment to study her, reminding myself not to react.Not to think about her at my wedding.Not to think about how she had smiled at me that night before spilling her drink all over my dress.I clenched my jaw and forced my voice to remain even. “I have an interv
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15
Bab terbaru
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 26
The office was shifting. I could feel it.For the past few weeks, I had been subtly exposing Lili, planting small seeds of doubt in our coworkers' minds. At first, they didn’t notice. They were too used to her sweet act, her innocent smile, her carefully crafted lies.But people weren’t stupid forever.Lili was starting to lose control of the narrative she had built so well.I could see it in the way some of our colleagues hesitated before believing her words, how they double-checked their emails when she gave them instructions, how they exchanged subtle looks whenever she made another “accidental” mistake that put me in a difficult position.She was unraveling, and she knew it.Today, her patience was running thin.“You know, Tasia,” Lili said as she leaned against my desk, smiling, “I was just talking to the manager about the quarterly report. He said it wasn’t quite right. Did you double-check the numbers?”I glanced up from my computer, already sensing her game.“Yes, I did,” I sa
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 25
The office was a battlefield, but no one else seemed to realize it except me.Lili had mastered the art of deception, wearing a mask so flawlessly that most people didn’t see the venom beneath her smile. But I did. I saw everything.She was careful, never outright cruel—at least not in ways that could be proven. Her attacks came in subtle jabs, small inconveniences that could be brushed off as mistakes, miscommunications, or even helpful corrections.But I wasn’t stupid.She was trying to make me look incompetent.And I refused to let her win.I walked into the office, the usual hum of conversation filling the space as people bustled around. The moment I stepped into my department, I felt eyes on me. Lili was already seated at her desk, scrolling through emails like she hadn’t been waiting for me to arrive just so she could start something.“Morning, Tasia,” she called out, her voice overly sweet.I gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Morning, Lili.”Her eyes gleamed as she leaned back in
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 24
By the time I got home, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin.The day had drained me—working with Lili had never been easy, but today she had gone out of her way to make things worse. The subtle sabotage, the carefully placed jabs, the way she pretended we were friends in front of everyone else—it all made my blood boil.But more than anything, it made me tired.I dropped my bag near the door and sighed, running a hand through my hair as I stepped into the living room.Asher was there.Seated on the couch, his tie loosened, the top buttons of his dress shirt undone. A glass of whiskey rested in his hand, half-finished. He looked up when I entered, his sharp gaze scanning my face.“You’re late,” he said simply.I let out a small, humorless laugh. “Yeah.”I walked over and sank onto the couch across from him, stretching my legs out as the exhaustion settled deeper.Asher set his glass down, watching me. “Rough day?”I exhaled, nodding. “You could say that.”His brows furrowed sligh
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 23
Working with Lili was exactly what I expected—a nightmare in disguise.Since she was tasked with guiding me, she took every opportunity to make me look stupid.But in front of others?She played the role of the perfect friend.A concerned mentor. A supportive colleague. A helpful senior.She was so convincing that, if I didn’t know any better, I might have believed it.Except I did know better.Because behind the fake smiles, the soft reassurances, and the friendly tone—Lili was calculating.She knew exactly what she was doing.And so did I.It started small.On my second day, I had to submit my first report—a simple summary of the team's current projects. Claire had given me a rundown, and I had worked on it all morning, making sure it was polished and professional.I sent it in, confident that it was at least decent.But an hour later, Claire called me into her office.I barely had time to sit before she sighed, sliding a copy of my report across the desk.“This is… incomplete, Anas
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 22
The following days were a blur.Dinner with Asher’s family had left me drained, and the tension between us afterward had stretched on longer than I expected.Asher was cold.Not in a cruel way, but in a way that reminded me of how he was before we got comfortable with each other. He kept his distance, retreating behind that quiet wall of indifference.And I let him.Because I still didn’t understand what had happened that night with the roses.Or why he had been so angry.The memory of his voice—sharp, cutting—lingered in my mind.Who gave you the right to touch the garden?I had tried to bring it up in the car, but he had shut me out completely, as if the topic itself was forbidden.And because he refused to bring it up, I did too.Besides, as the days passed, the coldness between us gradually disappeared.At first, it was subtle.Small things.Like how he w
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 21
The car ride was tense.I hadn’t expected it to be any different, not after the way Asher shut me down this morning. But still, I had hoped that maybe, just maybe, we could talk.That maybe he would explain.That maybe I would understand.I turned my head slightly, glancing at him. His fingers were curled loosely around the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the road, his jaw set in that unreadable way he always had when he didn’t want to show what he was feeling.I hesitated for a moment, debating if I should try.Then, finally, I took a breath.“Asher.”He didn’t respond.I swallowed, shifting slightly in my seat. “About the flowers—”“We’re not talking about that.”His voice was calm. Cold. Final.I frowned. “But—”“I said no.”His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white.I stared at him, frustration bubbling in my chest. “I don’t understand why you’re so angry—”His jaw clenched.I stopped, realizing that if I kept pushing, I wouldn’t get anything.
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 20
I barely slept that night.Not because I was scared.But because I was confused.Asher’s reaction to the flowers lingered in my mind, looping over and over like a puzzle I couldn’t solve. I had seen many sides of him—his cold indifference, his rare amusement, even his sharp anger when Jarem had crossed a line.But last night?Last night was something different.His fury had been quiet but sharp, simmering beneath his skin like it was personal.Over flowers.I turned onto my side, staring at the faint sliver of moonlight filtering through the curtains.It wasn’t like I had destroyed the entire garden. I had only taken a few roses to brighten up the dining table. It wasn’t a crime. It wasn’t something worth snapping over.And yet, the way he had looked at me—the way his voice had turned cold, controlled, almost dangerous—it unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.I clenched my jaw, my fingers curling into the sheets.I should have told him about my job offer.But after his reaction, a
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 19
There wasn’t a day that passed where I didn’t think about Jarem’s warning.Consider this a warning.His voice, his smirk, the quiet confidence in his threat—it lingered in my mind like a shadow that refused to fade.But no matter how much I tried to piece together his meaning, I couldn’t.What was he planning? How did he think he could ruin Asher and me?The uncertainty gnawed at me, leaving me restless. But today—today was not the day for worrying about Jarem.Because today, I got the call.The moment I answered and heard the HR representative from Cole Enterprises say the words Congratulations, we’d like to offer you the position…, I felt a rush of emotions all at once.Shock. Disbelief. And then—pride.I got the job.I really did.Without anyone’s help. Without Asher pulling strings.I had earned it.I ended the call, my heart racing with excitement. I wanted to tell Asher immediately, but he was still at work. So instead, I threw my phone on the couch and practically floated to th
Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss Chapter 18
The interview had gone well.At least, I thought it had.The hiring manager had asked all the expected questions—my background, my skills, what I could bring to the company. I had kept my answers simple and professional, making sure not to slip up.No one in that room knew who I was. No one looked at me as Asher Cole’s wife.And for the first time in a long time, I felt like me.It was exhilarating.I shook hands with the manager, thanked her for her time, and stepped out of the building, feeling lighter than I had in weeks.Maybe this could work.Maybe I could build something for myself here.I checked my phone and realized I had some time to kill before heading home. A wave of exhaustion hit me—not just from the interview, but from everything. The wedding, the move, the constant feeling of walking on a tightrope between my past and my present.I needed a moment to breathe.I spotted a café nearby and decided to treat myself.The café was warm and inviting, filled with the rich aroma
