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Chapter 12: His Help
Last Updated:
2025-02-24 16:51:40
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My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 13: What's the catch?
I rushed toward him, jaw clenched in frustration. “What are you doing here?” I hissed, keeping my voice low to avoid a scene.Callum didn’t flinch. He stood his ground, hands tucked into his dark coat pockets, gaze steady. “I came to check on Ryan.”I let out a humorless laugh. “You expect me to believe that?”He tilted his head, infuriatingly calm. “Believe whatever you want, Athena. But I deposited the check, and the hospital confirmed the payment.”My breath hitched, anger bubbling up. “You had no right,” I spat. “I told you I didn’t want your money!”His eyes hardened. “And I told you this isn’t about you. It’s about Ryan.”I clenched my fists. “You think throwing money around makes you a hero?”He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “You’re impossible. You’d rather let pride dictate your actions than accept help when you clearly need it.”His words stung like a slap, but I refused to back down. “You don’t get to question my love for my brother.”Callum stepped closer, presenc
Last Updated : 2025-02-26My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 14: Unacceptable
Callum's lips twitched slightly, but the humor didn’t quite reach his eyes. “The catch is just do what I say and just do the job well without being stubborn.”I narrowed my eyes, crossing my arms as I studied him. “That’s it?”“Yes,” he said simply. “Take the time off, be with Ryan, and when you come back, you do your job without pushing back on every damn thing I tell you to do.”I huffed, turning my attention back to Ryan, who was finally resting peacefully. The anger that had flared earlier still simmered inside me, but exhaustion dulled its edges. Maybe Callum was right. Maybe I did need this time off. But I hated that he had taken control of the situation without my input.Ryan stirred slightly, his fingers twitching against my hand. His face was still pale, but the tension in his expression had eased. I exhaled slowly, brushing his hair back before looking at Callum again. “Fine.”A flicker of relief crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant. “Good.”The room fell into a t
Last Updated : 2025-02-26My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 15: Food delivery
I walked out of the hospital room, my breath catching as the weight of my mother’s words pressed on me. Ryan is more important than your pride, Athena.I knew that. I’d always known. But knowing didn’t make accepting it easier.The cold air outside stung my skin, a sharp contrast to the warmth I left behind in Ryan’s room. I wrapped my arms around myself, vision blurring as tears spilled over. I hated this. Hated how Callum still had the power to shake me, to make me question everything I had rebuilt.“Athena?”I startled, quickly wiping my tears as Lia approached. Her brows knitted in concern, hands tucked into her coat pockets.“Hey,” she said softly. “You okay?”I forced a smile. “Yeah. Just... fresh air.”Lia gave me a look that said she didn’t buy it. “Athena, you’re a terrible liar.”I let out a shaky breath, shoulders slumping. “It’s just... a lot.”She nodded, tilting her head toward the small café across the street. “Come on. Let’s get coffee. You look like you could use it.”
Last Updated : 2025-02-26My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 16: Don't expect
I placed the bags on the small hospital table, my hands unsteady as I unpacked the contents. The smell of freshly cooked food filled the room—warm soup, soft bread, and a variety of dishes carefully packaged. It wasn’t just any meal. It was thoughtful. Comforting. Exactly the kind of food someone would send if they knew we hadn’t eaten properly all day.I hated how that realization made my chest tighten.My mother sat beside Ryan’s bed, watching me carefully. She didn’t say anything, but I could feel the unspoken words hanging in the air.I sighed, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. “Do you want some?”She hesitated before nodding. “You should eat too, Athena.”I wasn’t sure I had much of an appetite, but I pulled out a container of soup. As I lifted a spoonful to my lips, the warmth spread through me, comforting in a way I hadn’t expected.We ate in silence, the only sounds the occasional beeping of the monitors and the hum of the hospital outside. Ryan remained asleep, his
Last Updated : 2025-02-26My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 17: Callum's POV
CALLUM’S POVI never expected Athena to forgive me.Not after what I did.I once imagined a future with her—warmth, love, unshakable promises. I gave her a ring, a vow, a dream of something lasting. But I destroyed it.One day, I was hers. The next, I walked away.For Emilia.For a woman with weeks left to live.For a promise rooted in duty, not love.I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to stay present, but the past had its claws deep in me. Ryan’s steady breathing filled the silence, yet all I heard was my own regrets. The way I tore Athena’s world apart for something I thought was bigger than us.Emilia was dying. Fragile. Terrified of facing the end alone. She pleaded with me, begged me to stay. And then there was Richard Rhodes—her father, a man who shaped futures. Marrying into the Rhodes family meant securing a position of power few could dream of.I told myself it was right. That Emilia deserved to spend her last days without fear, that I couldn’t abandon her.But that was a lie.
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CALLUM’S POV 2I arrived at Rhodes Enterprises exactly one hour later, my suit pressed, expression neutral. The weight of Richard’s expectations sat heavy on my shoulders, but I refused to show any cracks.As I stepped into the boardroom, a dozen pairs of eyes flicked toward me—some wary, some calculating, all waiting for me to falter. Richard sat at the head of the table, his gaze impassive.“Callum,” he said smoothly, motioning for me to take my seat. “Let’s begin.”I forced a nod, suppressing the lingering headache from last night’s whiskey. This was my battlefield now. To survive, I had to play the game.The meeting was brutal. The board questioned everything—my competence, leadership, and ability to carry the Rhodes name forward. Richard stayed silent, letting them tear into me like vultures. I answered each challenge with precision, refusing to be rattled.By the time the meeting ended, I’d made one thing clear: I wasn’t just Emilia’s grieving husband. I was the man who would le
Last Updated : 2025-02-26My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 19: Affected
ATHENA'S POVDays passed, and Callum remained the same—dominant, assertive, always in control. I did everything to fulfill my role as his secretary, ensuring his schedule ran smoothly. Yet, despite my efforts to keep things professional, he continued his daily lunch invitations, making it impossible to refuse.Today was no different. As soon as the clock struck noon, his deep voice called out from his office."Let's go."It wasn’t a request—it never was.I swallowed hard, grabbed my bag, and followed. The moment I stepped into his sleek black car, silence filled the space, thick with an unspoken tension I couldn’t define.Our lunches weren’t romantic. They were businesslike—discussions about reports, future projects, and his impossible expectations. But no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, I couldn’t ignore the way his gaze lingered sometimes, the way his fingers brushed against mine when he handed me the menu.It was dangerous.Back at the office, the stares were
Last Updated : 2025-02-27My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 20: New Friend
I clutched the soft handkerchief in my hands, my breath still uneven as I stared at the man before me. He wasn’t demanding, wasn’t overpowering—just there, offering a quiet sense of comfort I didn’t realize I needed.He leaned slightly against my desk, his hands tucked into the pockets of his tailored slacks. “I’m Daniel, by the way,” he said with an easy smile. “Daniel West. New Chief Technology Officer.”My eyes widened slightly. CTO? He was an executive?I quickly straightened myself, wiping the last traces of tears from my face. “Oh. Um—welcome to Rhodes Company.” My voice was still shaky, but at least I could manage words now.“Thanks.” He chuckled, tilting his head slightly. “Not exactly the best first impression, huh? Finding you crying in your office?”I swallowed, looking away. “I—I don’t usually do this.”“I believe you.” His tone was gentle but certain. “Rough day?”I scoffed, shaking my head. “Something like that.”Daniel nodded as if he understood without needing any expl
Last Updated : 2025-02-27
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My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 80: Red ink
The morning after our nonprofit’s official launch party — a modest, unpolished affair filled with fold-out chairs, lukewarm coffee, and people who’d been bruised but not broken — I woke to the sound of Callum whispering into the phone on our apartment balcony.His voice was low but urgent, the kind of tone that pulls you out of sleep and into instinct.I slipped out of bed and padded toward him. He didn’t hear me until I was nearly at the door.“No, I understand,” he was saying. “But if she’s willing to come forward, I’ll fly out myself. No press. No exposure. Just us.”A pause. Then: “Yes. I’ll protect her. I promise.”When he turned and saw me, he didn’t flinch or scramble to hang up. He just nodded at whoever was on the other end and said, “I’ll be in touch.” Then ended the call."Another whistleblower?" I asked, arms folded across my chest, shielding myself from the early spring chill.Callum nodded, rubbing his jaw. “She worked in one of the offshore facilities. Environmental vio
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 79: Fall of a Tycoon
The world was quieter now.Or maybe it just felt that way because the noise inside me — the fear, the anger, the constant thrumming of adrenaline — had finally dulled to a low, steady hum.Richard Rhodes was finished. Officially.The headlines blared it like a victory anthem:FALL OF A TYCOON: RICHARD RHODES INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHARGES.We should have been celebrating.But surviving wasn’t the same as winning.Not when the scars still felt so fresh.Callum and I sat in the tiny apartment we’d rented under fake names, peeling paint on the walls, a view of a crumbling alley below. Nothing like the sleek penthouses or boardrooms we used to know.And yet, somehow, it felt more real than anything that had come before.Will was there too, tapping away at his laptop, coordinating with journalists and watchdog groups to make sure the full truth about Rhodes Industries stayed in the public eye. Even with Richard gone, his cronies were scrambling to cover their tracks, rewriting history while t
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 78: Injunction
The injunction came faster than we expected.By sunrise, court orders were in motion, and Richard’s lawyers — a small army of them — filed enough paperwork to drown us twice over. They were demanding retractions, apologies, gag orders. They threatened to freeze all of Callum’s remaining assets and sue me personally for “libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress.”It was brutal. It was overwhelming.And it was exactly what we had planned for."We need to counter," Will said, his voice hard as granite. He tossed a stack of papers onto the kitchen table where Callum and I sat, barely holding it together. "We knew he'd react like this. Now we make sure it buries him."“How?” I asked, my voice hoarse.Will leaned in. "By making sure the truth is bigger than the lie."Callum’s hand found mine under the table, squeezing tightly. I knew what that squeeze meant — Are you ready for this?I squeezed back. Always.We couldn't stay at the cabin anymore. Will said it was too dangerous
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 77: Fallen Titan
The emergency injunction arrived the next morning, delivered by a courier who didn’t bother to hide his discomfort when he handed it over. Will took the thick envelope from him without a word and shut the door firmly.We gathered around the kitchen table, the injunction spread between us like a bomb no one wanted to touch.“They’re accusing you of deliberately leaking confidential information,” Will said grimly, flipping through the dense legal jargon. “And slander, emotional damages, conspiracy—Jesus, they're throwing the whole arsenal at you.”I clenched my fists in my lap. “But we told the truth.”Will met my eyes. “That doesn’t always matter.”Callum leaned forward, his gaze razor-sharp. “How bad is it?”Will hesitated. “Bad. Richard’s aiming to bleed you dry with legal fees alone. Tie you up in court for years if he can’t crush you outright.”I looked at Callum, searching for fear in his expression. I found none. Only a burning, relentless focus.“We expected this,” he said. “Let
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 76: Report
The police officer stood in the living room, boots leaving wet prints across the hardwood floor, examining the broken glass and the threatening note like it was just another Tuesday.“We’ll file a report,” she said, slipping the evidence into a plastic bag. “But off the record?” She looked between me and Callum. “You should seriously consider leaving town for a bit. Maybe somewhere quiet.”Callum crossed his arms over his chest. “If we run, he wins.”The officer gave a small, tired shrug. “Depends on whether you value pride over breathing easy.”After she left, the house felt different — heavier, smaller. Even with the glass swept up, even with the windows boarded over, the air was poisoned.“Come with me,” Callum said suddenly.I looked up from the couch where I sat, wrapped in a blanket that didn’t quite stop the shivering.“Where?”“Somewhere he can’t touch us. At least for a while.”He was serious. It wasn’t fear in his eyes — it was calculation. A man who knew he was still standi
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 75: Public scandal
The next morning, I woke to the vibration of my phone against the nightstand. Not a message this time—a call. Unknown number.I hesitated.Then answered.“Hello?”A pause, and then: “You really told him no?”Callum.His voice was rough, low, and there was something brittle beneath it.“You talked to him,” I said.“Of course I did,” he said. “He didn’t mention the twenty million.”“I figured he wouldn’t.”Silence stretched.“He had no right,” I said, voice cracking just a little. “To do what he did. To offer that. To talk about Emilia like she—”“He’s desperate,” Callum cut in. “That’s what this is. A final swing. But it’s not about you or me. It’s about guilt. His, mine…”I closed my eyes. “And hers.”“I loved her, you know,” he said softly. “Just… not the way I should have.”“I know.”“I told her about you. Before we got married. She said she didn’t care. That she’d rather have part of me than none of me at all.”Tears pricked the back of my throat.“She wasn’t wrong,” I whispered. “
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 74: Richard Rhodes
The sky outside the kitchen window was a dull, overcast gray—clouds sagging like they carried secrets too heavy to keep. I stood by the sink, phone in hand, staring at the message I’d read over and over again.“I need to speak with you. Today. In person. – Richard Rhodes.”The name alone sent a knot curling in my stomach. Richard Rhodes—father of the late Emilia Rhodes, ruthless tycoon of Rhodes Industries, and the man who made sure I lost my job the moment my relationship with Callum went public. He’d always been a shadow in the distance. Now he was calling me into the light.I didn’t tell Mom or Ryan about the message. My mother was folding laundry in the living room, humming an old tune under her breath. My brother Ryan was sprawled on the couch, eyes glued to his phone, earbuds in. Peaceful. Ordinary.I didn’t want to worry them. Not when things were already tight. I’d been unemployed for weeks. The severance package had been insulting, and my name had been quietly dragged through
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 73: It was over
We thought it was over.The trial. The sentence. The fire pit where we burned his letter. We thought that would be the end of Daniel's reach—that prison bars could hold obsession the way they hold people.We were wrong.Because Daniel didn’t want me back. Not really. He wanted to destroy the version of me that lived without him.He wanted to ruin what he couldn’t own.He started small again—he always did. A new Instagram profile that followed both me and Callum, no posts, no bio. Just a name I recognized from a story we once told together. A callback, like an inside joke only we would get.I blocked it. Thought that would be the end of it.Then Callum started getting emails.At first, they were harmless. Vague phrases like, “Do you really know who she is?” or “Ask her what she isn’t telling you.”Spam folder stuff. Cowardly.But then came the photos.Old ones of me and Daniel. Ones I never remembered being taken. Private ones. Intimate. A weaponized version of nostalgia designed to tw
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 72: Real love
It was a Tuesday when I realized Daniel hadn’t stopped—he had simply changed tactics.The gifts started small. A bouquet of roses on the hood of my car, no card. A song request on the local radio station—our old song, of course—dedicated to “the one who got away.” A flash drive in the mail containing nothing but footage of us from years ago. Silent videos. Muted laughter. Kisses preserved in pixels like relics from a war only one of us was still fighting.He wanted me to remember, but all he did was remind me why I left.The police were sympathetic, but careful. “Until he breaks the order, we can’t make a move,” they said. But Callum’s friend, Miles, was less restrained.“He’s escalating again,” Miles told me one night over coffee and code. “You’re his fixation. He doesn’t care if he gets caught—he just wants you to see him.”“And if I won’t?” I asked, already knowing.Miles leaned back, lips tight. “Then he’ll try to make you.”—It was the podcast that changed everything.I hadn’t p
