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Chapter 30: Why?
Huling Na-update:
2025-03-03 15:33:51
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My 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
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-04My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 32: Date with Daniel
The moment I left the office, I pulled my phone from my bag and dialed my mother’s number. My heels clicked against the pavement as I hurried toward my car, the weight of the day pressing on my shoulders.She picked up after the third ring. “Sweetheart, are you on your way?”I hesitated before unlocking my car door. “Mom, I—” I exhaled, gripping the handle. “I can’t make it to the hospital tonight. Something came up at work.”There was a brief pause before she responded, her voice gentle but tinged with disappointment. “I see. Ryan won’t be happy about that.”I shut my eyes for a second, guilt settling deep in my chest. My younger brother had been looking forward to my visit every night. He never said it outright, but I knew he counted on my presence to make things feel normal.“I know, and I hate to let him down,” I admitted, sliding into the driver’s seat.“But I need you to explain it to him, Mom. Just tell him it’s important, okay?”“He’s your brother. He understands, even if he d
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-05My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 33: Good night
“I think so,” I admitted.Daniel studied me for a second before nodding, as if satisfied with my answer. Then, without warning, he lay down on the grass, stretching his arms behind his head.I raised a brow. “What are you doing?”“Looking at the stars.” He patted the empty space beside him. “You should try it.”I hesitated for a moment before finally giving in, lowering myself onto the grass. The ground was cool beneath me, and as I stared up, I realized he was right—the stars were breathtaking from here.Daniel turned his head slightly toward me. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this relaxed.”I smiled, closing my eyes briefly. “It’s been a while since I let myself be.”“Well, I’m glad you did tonight.”I turned to face him, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. There was something unspoken lingering be
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-06My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 34: His Rules
As the meeting concluded, I gathered my things, preparing to return to my desk. Just as I stepped into the hallway, hushed voices caught my attention. A group of colleagues huddled near the break room, their whispers unmistakably about me."Did you see how Daniel West keeps showing up during work hours?" one of them murmured."Yeah, it's so unprofessional," another snickered. "Flirting right in the office? Doesn’t she know there are limits?"A third voice joined in. "I bet she gets special treatment because of him. Must be nice to have someone wrapped around your finger."My blood boiled. My fists clenched at my sides as their words echoed in my head. Without hesitation, I stepped forward, making my presence known."Is there a problem?" My voice was cold, my arms crossing as I met their startled gazes.They stiffened, eyes widening. A tense silence stretched between us before one of them scoffed."We were just talking," she said, feigning innocence.I let out a sharp laugh, shaking my
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-07My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 35: Hate over love
My blood boiled at Callum’s audacity. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fought to keep my composure. The nerve of this man—walking into my office unannounced, knocking over my food, and then acting as if he’d done me a favor?I straightened my shoulders, refusing to let him see how much he was getting under my skin.“Right. Because eating lunch at my desk while still working is such a distraction,” I shot back, my tone laced with sarcasm.Callum tilted his head, his cold gaze never wavering. “You’re here to work, not to entertain personal guests or indulge in distractions.”I let out a humorless laugh. “So, I suppose basic human needs like eating are now considered distractions?”He didn’t even blink. “If they interfere with productivity, yes.”Unbelievable.I exhaled sharply and shook my head. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t have the time or energy to argue with you.” I turned on my heel, ready to walk away before I said something I’d regret.But Callum wasn
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-08My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 36: Callum's Call
I stared at the phone, its vibrations buzzing relentlessly in my hand. For a moment, I debated not answering, but deep down I knew it wouldn’t matter. Callum never let me ignore him. No matter how hard I tried, he always seemed to have a way of pushing through my defenses.Reluctantly, I swiped the screen. His voice came through immediately, sharp and insistent, unmistakably demanding.“Where are you? Can I talk to Ryan? How is he?”I rolled my eyes, irritation bubbling up from the pit of my stomach. Why did he have to do this? Why was he so relentless?“I’m not in the hospital where Ryan is, sir,” I said, my voice clipped. “Why do you care so much, anyway?”“I just need to talk to him,” he replied, his tone tight. “I want to hear it from him. I want to know how he’s doing. Not from you.”His words twisted in a strange way inside me. Wasn't it strange that he wanted to talk to Ryan now, when she treated me so cold inside the company lately?The whole time I’m working under him, he nev
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-09My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 36: Jealous Ex?
As I continued to stare at Daniel, my mind reeled. His words hung in the air, surprising me more than I expected. I had never considered Callum’s actions from this perspective—never thought of him as someone who might actually feel threatened by Daniel. Callum had always been cold, distant, and professional, but hearing Daniel's take on it, I started to wonder if there was more behind his sudden interest. I’m being confused again.“Are you serious?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Daniel; it was just that the idea of Callum being jealous seemed so... out of place. Callum never seemed like someone who cared about anything beyond his work now. Yet, here was Daniel, suggesting that my former boss might actually be threatened by us.Daniel didn’t answer immediately. He simply gave me a knowing look, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and then he shifted the car into gear, pulling out onto the road. His expression, despite the underlying amus
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-11My Ex, the Widowed Billionaire Chapter 37: Obviously
The next morning, I walked into my office feeling sick to my stomach. A gnawing unease weighed on me as I settled behind my desk. The faint headache lingering at the base of my skull only added to the discomfort, and my mind refused to stop racing.The past few days had left me drained, but today felt different. Maybe it was the unresolved tension with Callum or the fact that my brother Ryan was still in the hospital. Either way, I had no energy to face anything.I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my eyes, hoping the fog would lift. It didn’t. My mind kept drifting to Callum. Why had he been so cold lately? Why did it feel like he was pulling away just when I needed him most? And yet, despite everything, I still thought about him—about the way he made me feel.My phone buzzed. Callum.I sighed, knowing what that meant. Even when he wasn’t around, he loomed over me. I didn’t want to answer, but as his employee, I had no choice.“Hello?” I said, keeping my voice neutral."You’re late,"
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-12
Pinakabagong kabanata
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
