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Chapter 23: Her Why's
Last Updated:
2025-02-28 11:17:47
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My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 24: His Reason
Callum's grip on my wrist tightened for a second before he let go, his expression unreadable. He turned away, running a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every movement."You think I wanted to leave you?" His voice was low, controlled, but there was an edge to it—a breaking point he was barely holding back."You think I wanted to marry Emilia?"I clenched my fists. "That's exactly what it looked like. One moment, you were mine, and the next, you were someone else’s husband! And now, you have the audacity to act like I belong to you?"Callum exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening."Emilia was dying, Athena. She had an illness that left her with only weeks to live. Her father—my mentor, the man who trusted me with everything—begged me to marry her. It wasn’t about love; it was about giving her comfort in her final days. I didn’t have a choice."The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath caught as I stared at him, my mind racing."You expect me to believe that?" My voic
Last Updated : 2025-02-28My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 25: In Between
The weight of Lia’s question settled heavily between us.Was I still in love with Callum?I forced a laugh, shaking my head. “No. Never again. Especially now that I’ve seen how arrogant he is. He’s different now, and I hate it so much.”Lia studied me for a long moment, then leaned back in her chair. “If you say so.”Daniel, who had been silent, finally spoke. “So, does that mean I have a chance?” His voice was light, teasing, but there was a seriousness in his gaze that made my breath catch.I hesitated. “I… I don’t know.”“Wait. How do you know each other?” I asked Lia, trying to keep my voice steady.Lia blinked in surprise, then smiled. “Oh, Daniel’s my close friend. We’ve known each other for years. And he’s also Nica’s cousin—it’s such a coincidence, right?”A coincidence.I forced a nod, but something about it unsettled me. Of all people, Daniel had to be connected to Lia?Lia, still oblivious to my inner turmoil, turned to Daniel. “You should join us! It’s been a while since w
Last Updated : 2025-02-28My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 26: Eyes on her
“I… I don’t know.”The words left my lips before I could stop them. Lia’s question lingered in the air between us, heavier than I expected.I wasn’t closing my heart to Daniel, but I also wasn’t ready for anything. My main priority was Ryan’s recovery—nothing else mattered right now. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.Lia gave me a knowing look, her head tilting slightly. “You say that, but maybe Daniel deserves a chance. He’s kind, patient…” She smirked. “And completely into you.”I scoffed, shaking my head. “It’s not that simple.”“Doesn’t have to be complicated either,” she countered.I sighed, rubbing my temples. The last thing I wanted was to dissect my feelings tonight, but her words had already planted themselves in my mind.And suddenly, without warning, a name resurfaced.Callum.Not his voice, not his presence—just the weight of his name pressing against my thoughts, like an echo I couldn't shut out.I clenched my jaw, pushing it away. No. I wasn’t doing this.Lia
Last Updated : 2025-02-28My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 27: Jealousy
My fingers tightened around the bouquet as my pulse quickened. Callum’s gaze burned into me, his expression unreadable, yet the tension in his stance spoke volumes.Daniel, oblivious to the storm brewing just a few feet away, continued, “I hope this brightens your day a little.”I swallowed, forcing a nod. “It does. Thank you, Daniel.”Before I could say more, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I had a feeling I knew exactly who it was before I even looked.Callum: Don’t lose my patience. Come to my office. Now.I exhaled sharply. There was no avoiding him. I turned to Daniel, offering him a small smile.“I’ll see you later, okay?”Daniel’s eyes searched mine, as if sensing the shift in my mood. “Are you alright?”I hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. “Yeah, just… work stuff.&r
Last Updated : 2025-03-01My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 28: Closure
I stared at the box of food and Callum remained standing there, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.“You didn’t have to do this,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended.He tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes never leaving mine. “I did. Because if I didn’t, you would have worked yourself to exhaustion.”A mix of emotions swirled inside me—frustration, confusion, and something. A part of me wanted to reject his offering, to push him away, but another part of me… a part I didn’t want to acknowledge, was touched by the gesture.“Eat,” he said firmly, his voice brooking no argument.I hesitated, then sighed, lifting the box’s lid. Steam wafted into the air, revealing a meal that was clearly from my favorite restaurant. My chest tightened.“You remembered?” I murmured, more to myself than him.His jaw tensed. “I never forgot.”
Last Updated : 2025-03-02My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 29: Callum's POV 3
CALLUM'S POVI drove like a madman through the city streets, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. The sound of my own heartbeat thundered in my ears, drowning out everything else. Richard was in the hospital.My father-in-law. A man who, despite our differences, I still respected.The moment I pulled into the hospital parking lot, I barely took the time to turn off the engine before pushing the door open and rushing inside. The harsh, sterile scent of disinfectant filled my nostrils as I strode to the reception desk."Richard Rhodes. What room is he in?" My voice was sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care.The nurse behind the desk glanced up at me, her expression calm but wary. "Are you family?""I'm his son-in-law," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "Callum Winter Stone. Now tell me where he is."She nodded, flipping through her records before answering, "Room 298. He’s unconscious."I turned on my heel and made my way down the hall.
Last Updated : 2025-03-03My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 30: Why?
ATHENA'S POVThe ride home felt endless. My mind kept replaying the scene—Callum’s tense posture, the urgency in his voice, the way he shut me out. None of my concern. The words echoed painfully, stabbing at my heart with every repetition.When I arrived at the hospital, I saw my mother laughing with Ryan while he lay in the hospital bed. Their smiles were bright, their conversation lighthearted, and for a moment, it felt like the weight on my chest lessened. I forced a smile and greeted them, pushing aside my own turmoil.“What are you two talking about?” I asked, trying to keep my tone cheerful.Ryan grinned. “Callum promised to buy me a car when I recover.”My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Callum? I hadn't expected that. He rarely made such promises. But instead of questioning it, I played along, nodding encouragingly. “That sounds amazing, Ryan. You better recover quickly, then.”My mother chuckled, brushing Ryan’s hair back. “He’s been talking about it all afternoon. It’s really
Last Updated : 2025-03-03My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 31: Chance
The moment I stepped out of Callum’s office, I felt the weight of my decision settle heavily on my chest. My legs moved on their own, carrying me down the hallway, past the rows of employees who were too engrossed in their work to notice the turmoil raging inside me. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else.I shouldn’t have come to his office.I shouldn’t have let myself believe—just for a second—that he would be different this time. That his words, the ones he whispered so fervently when he pulled me back into his life, actually meant something.I had been a fool.With every step away from that office, I reinforced the walls around my heart, brick by unforgiving brick. He wanted distance? Fine. I would give him exactly what he asked for. I wouldn't beg, and I wouldn't fall apart.But damn it, it hurt.I reached my office and shut the door behind me, exhaling shakily as I leaned against it. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palm. Callum S
Last Updated : 2025-03-04
Latest chapter
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
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 71: Crossing the line
The first time I found the photo, I thought it was a mistake.It was tucked into my coat pocket—an old picture of me and Daniel at his sister’s wedding. My dress was too tight, his tie was crooked, and we were laughing like the world didn’t know how to hurt us yet. I hadn’t seen that picture in years. I didn’t even remember it being taken.But Daniel did.He was making a point. This wasn’t about nostalgia.It was about control.I burned the photo in the sink that night. Watched the edges curl and blacken like the past finally giving up.Callum stood behind me, silent, his hand resting at the small of my back.“He’s crossing lines,” he said.“I know.”“We should call someone.”I turned. “What would we even say? ‘My ex is acting weird and persistent’?”Callum’s jaw clenched. “He’s not just being persistent. He’s stalking.”I exhaled shakily. “Then we gather proof. We do it smart. He wants a reaction. I won’t give him one.”But I felt it. That old, familiar fear, creeping in like a draft
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 70: Daniel
Athena’s POVI should’ve known peace never lasts.It had been a year since Ryan whispered my name in that hospital bed. A year since Callum came back into my life and refused to leave. A year of healing, slow mornings by the water, shared laughter over burnt pancakes, and kisses that melted every last memory of heartbreak.We had a rhythm now. A life. Something we didn’t dare imagine before.But I should’ve known that the past has a habit of clawing its way back. Especially when it’s wearing a three-piece suit and a smile that never quite reaches his eyes.His name is Daniel Grant.And once upon a time, he was the man I almost married.—The first time I saw him again, it was like my lungs forgot how to breathe.I was in town, picking up fresh flowers for the little café table Callum and I had dragged home from a garage sale. It was a small thing, but it made breakfast feel like something sacred.The florist was tying twine around a bouquet of wildflowers when I heard his voice.“Athe
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 69: Whisper
The day Ryan whispered my name was the same day the sun finally broke through a week of gray clouds. I stood at the hospital window, watching light spill over the parking lot like a quiet promise, while inside, my brother blinked slowly at me, his lips dry, cracked—but alive.“You came back,” I murmured, tears gathering fast.His throat worked, but he couldn’t say much else yet. Still, it was enough. That one word—my name—was everything. And when I held his hand this time, I could feel the strength slowly returning beneath the fragile skin.I sent a voice message to Callum. I didn’t trust myself to talk without sobbing. “He said my name,” I whispered. “Callum, he said my name.”He called me back immediately, and when I answered, I could hear it in his voice—he’d stopped whatever he was doing. “I’m on my way.”“No,” I said quickly, though my heart clenched at the thought. “You have work.”“Screw work. I told you, I’m in this. I’ll catch the next flight. Just… stay with him. I’ll be the
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 68: Struggle
The storm between us quieted.He didn’t say anything else for a while, and neither did I. The only sounds were our breathing and the tick of the wall clock, each second reminding me that peace like this wasn’t promised—it was chosen, earned, fragile.Callum's fingers curled around mine slowly, deliberately. A silent act of truce.I leaned into his shoulder, resting my forehead against the curve of his neck. He smelled like sun-warmed cotton and faint traces of my lavender soap. I’d missed this. Not just the feel of him—but the safety of him. The softness that still existed beneath the sharp edges life had carved into both of us.“I didn’t mean to ruin this morning,” I murmured.He sighed. “I know.”We sat like that for minutes or maybe hours—it was hard to tell. The past still hummed in the corners of the room, but something new was blooming too. Fragile, but real.Eventually, he spoke again. “What if this doesn’t work out?”I pulled back slightly. “Us?”“No,” he said, shaking his hea
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 67: Come back
He stepped closer, not touching me, not demanding anything—just close enough that I could feel the heat of him in the chilled wind.“You’ll find her,” he said softly. “I know you will.”His voice was full of something reverent. Like belief. Like hope. Like he saw a version of me I hadn’t fully stepped into yet but he already loved anyway.We stood there like that for a while, the waves crashing far below, the clouds slowly drifting across a sky painted with late afternoon gold. And then I did something I hadn’t planned.I reached for his hand.It felt like stepping off a ledge—but instead of falling, I found solid ground.His fingers threaded with mine instinctively. Familiar. Easy. And when I looked up at him, something shifted. Deep and quiet and real.“Come back with me,” I said.His brows lifted slightly, surprise flickering behind his eyes.“Just for tea,” I added quickly. “Don’t make it weird.”He grinned, and for a moment, we weren’t two broken people trying to figure out how t
My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 66: His Choice
They say closure is a myth. That healing doesn’t come in clean arcs, but in spirals—circles that loop back on themselves when you least expect it. I used to believe healing was about moving forward, about choosing growth. But what they don’t tell you is sometimes healing means looking backward, straight into the eyes of what broke you, and asking if maybe… just maybe… you still want it.Callum was standing in my kitchen.He moved like a man walking through a dream, unsure of what was real and what he’d only imagined during the countless sleepless nights I suspected we both had. The air between us was thick—heavy with memories, words left unsaid, and the quiet pull of things unresolved.He hadn’t shaved. A small thing, but for Callum Hastings, that was a kind of confession.“You look tired,” I said quietly, unsure of what else to say.“I am,” he admitted, his voice rough. “But I’ll sleep better if you hear me out.”I nodded and poured him a cup of coffee, not because I had to, but beca
