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CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-14 23:20:24
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TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT
088 JOANA'S POV Clinton maintained his normal posture without showing any reaction to my sudden shock. Clinton. Always the quiet storm. Without shouting, he generated dangerous tension in his surroundings. I gazed at him calmly while my heart raced. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit.” I shifted my tone to deliver the words like nothing bothered me inside. He stepped closer. He placed his right hand on my desk while keeping his left hand in his pocket as if no one else existed in the space. He made his request even more subdued this time by saying it. More certain. “We need to talk…” I nodded stiffly. “So talk.” There was a pause. The only way I could describe his gaze was through unreadable emotions crossing his pupils. He stood up and relocated behind me as he walked his way toward the chair. “I want you and the kids to move into the mansion with me.” I blinked. Once. Twice. “What? Tell me you're joking!” “I’ve already prepared rooms for Japheth, Jak
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE
089JOANA'S POVThe room remained totally quiet after I spoke.Clinton didn’t move. He stared at me without expression while folding his arms as if he expected more words. Nothing inside me wanted to speak any further. Life had taken its toll on me.He turned his body to face me and spoke his words without urgency.“There isn’t much time, Joana.”I looked up at him.“I’ve been buying time—delaying meetings, dodging questions, spinning stories for my grandfather. But it’s slipping through my fingers. He’s growing impatient.”I didn’t reply.Clinton took a step forward. “He has to respect the house rules since you stay with your children. This is my sole negotiating tool for now.”My breath caught. There it was again—the unspoken threat lingering behind every sentence. The sense that we were running out of options. And the terrifying truth was that Clinton might be right.Still, I didn’t answer him. I turned around and picked up my phone instead.“Who are you calling?” he asked.“Caleb.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER NINETY
090 JOANA'S POV The ride home took longer than normal despite all the contrary conditions. Very few cars were on the road as the light approached dusk, making the sky calm. My hand stayed on the wheel as I terminated my path home without recognizing the turning points. Driving back home, Clinton's speech played repeatedly in my thoughts. “There isn’t much time…” The idea made me angry because my thoughts were leading me in this direction. I truly disliked both Caleb and him, agreeing with each other. Above all else, I disliked that taking this step could provide essential safety to the children. The heavy burden of my choice became too heavy to bear when I parked in front of the house. I just wanted to return home without creating a false impression of things having returned to ordinary. Because it wasn’t. Not anymore. The comforting smells of my house relaxed me when I entered quietly and shut the door. Peter worked at chopping vegetables while the children watc
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER NINETY-ONE
091 JOANA'S POV Heavy air surrounded us when we entered the Gates Estate through its gates. Everyone in the car maintained absolute silence instead of their typical conversation. Japheth sat in a tense posture beside me while he observed the entrance gates move like in a whodunit movie. Jake wore earbuds as he tapped his hands while Mirabel held her teddy bear for comfort because she felt her world had nothing else familiar. And me? I was trying not to overthink. The mansion came into full view, its stone walls almost glaring in the morning sunlight. Elegant, imposing, and far too big. A place that reeked of power and old money. The entrance was already met by Clinton, who wore a black shirt and trousers that fit him perfectly. He walked over and opened the car door. “Welcome.” I stepped out, nodding curtly. “Thanks.” The kids followed, eyes scanning the place like tourists arriving in a new country. Clinton crouched to Mirabel’s level and gave her a soft smile.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-15TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER NINETY-TWO
092JOANA'S POVI marched straight up to her.“What the hell is that painting about?” I demanded, my voice colder than I intended. “Why am I in it?”She didn’t flinch. Not a blink. Not a twitch. Nothing.She ignored me completely as she passed by. “It’s nothing,” she said flatly.Our discussion grew tense as I confronted Anita. “You kept your painting of me public on display. Alone. Smiling like some prized possession. What the hell are you trying to pull?”But she merely gave me a placid smile. “Don’t overthink it, Joana. It’s just art.”Just art?We passed each other without any sign that our encounter had taken place earlier. My burning anger would not let me budge, but I stopped myself from talking. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.No, I’d get my answers another way.Later that day, I found Ciara in the east wing, cleaning the shelves.I pulled her aside. “Anything from her?.”She raised a brow. “Nothing in particular. Just…”Ciara scanned the hallway before answering in a hu
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-15TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER NINETY-THREE
093JOANA'S POVClinton's body pushed me against the floor with more weight than I had anticipated.He carried physical tiredness beyond purely just being tired. His words remained in my mind as his speech became slower and more truthful. "I miss you," he said.He slouched against me, too weak to stand still from his drunken state, which paralyzed me for a moment.He needed help because I could not let him remain on the hallway floor unattended. Despite my mixed feelings toward him and sleepless nights suppressing my old emotions, I still cared enough to help him even though my emotions for him seemed to have faded.I grabbed his arm to rest it on my shoulder, then carefully assisted him to pass through the building without attracting undue attention.Clinton muttered to himself occasionally while also trying to move nearer as if fearing I would disappear if he stopped looking at me.The room stayed dark because he pulled closed the drawn curtains while the light produced small patche
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-16TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR
094JOANA'S POV“I don’t love him anymore.”My words escaped immediately without going back.The words remained suspended between my mouth and Caleb's without finding a place to land.His eyes searched mine, desperate for truth, for something real to hold onto.But the moment those words dropped… I heard it.A sharp intake of breath—soft, but so distinct, it sliced through my skin like ice.I turned.Clinton stood in the hallway.His shirt was crumpled, eyes bloodshot but now wide open, sober and still as a statue. He had heard me. Every single word.My heart clenched, not because of guilt—but because of his face.Hurt. Raw. Silent devastation.His stare bothered me, although I made a conscious decision not to face them.Clinton’s eyes didn’t flinch. He gave up with a dark voice. “So that’s how it's going to be…”I made one step ahead without understanding my reason for talking.“Clinton—”The fake grin he gave me resembled more of a winsome face. “Don’t worry. You’ve said enough.”He
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-17TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE
095JOANA'S POV“You want me to close my business so Anita here can come save the day?” I spat, jabbing a finger in Anita’s direction. “So she can wear the crown and play the heroine while I fade into the background with the kids like some charity case?”“Joana!” Clinton rose beside me. “Stop.”But I couldn’t. Not when the truth was bursting at the seams.“You people think I’m a puppet you can position wherever it suits your legacy. But I’m not your pawn. And I will not sacrifice what I’ve built so Anita can be the family’s golden girl.”“I never asked for that,” Anita said, voice suddenly quiet.“Didn’t you?” I said coldly. “Then why have you been sniffing around Clinton? Why paint a portrait of me without telling me? Why meet with someone in secret?”Her eyes widened—just for a second—but it was enough.Mr. Gates looked between us, eyes narrowing. “What meetings?”“Nothing,” Anita snapped quickly. “It’s nothing.”Clinton frowned. Caleb sat forward finally, voice low and measured. “J
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-17
Bab terbaru
TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN
111JOANA'S POVThe soft ding of my phone got my attention. It was text.“Mission complete.”I stared blankly at the screen. Who was this person? My mind quickly went to Jason.“Jason…”Caleb and Clinton both turned to me, “What are you talking about?” Caleb finally spoke out.“The person behind the shadows was Jason,” I let out a small laugh.“How? He's in jail!” Caleb pointed out.I strode to sit on the couch, a victorious grin on my face, “Yeah, he is, but remember the secret agency he's in.”“The same agency that tried to kill him for exposing Anita…” he scoffed, “I highly doubt, maybe it's someone that also wants Anita gone.”I darted my gaze slowly to him, “apart from me, who else wants her gone? Trust me, my guts tell me that Jason did this.”The two men shook their heads and headed into their rooms.Playing with the tip of the pen, I pointed to the huge clock, “tick-tock Anita… this time, your time is up.”__The car ride was silent, a soothing silence enjoying the cool breeze
TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TEN
110JOANA'S POVThey had no shame.The confrontation had been explosive. Mr. Gates hadn’t denied it. He’d simply claimed that family should protect family—and Anita had sat smugly beside him, like a queen regaining her throne.She barely looked my way, but I felt her satisfaction and tasted it in the air like poison.Clinton finally turned from the desk. “You used your influence to override hard evidence. You know what she did. You saw the recordings. Heard the confession.”Mr. Gates didn’t flinch. “Evidence can be manipulated, Clinton. I don’t trust the words of men like Jason.”“You don’t trust facts,” Caleb spat. “You trust whatever keeps your family name clean. What kind of legacy are you trying to protect when it’s rotting from the inside?”Mr. Gates rose from his chair slowly, placing both hands on his cane. “You may not understand it now, Caleb. But one day, when you have your own family to lead, you’ll realize that loyalty matters more than any public trial.”I had enough. “Lo
TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINE
109JOANA'S POVSunlight from the arched windows entered the mansion and formed wide bands across the marble floors. I took my place on the living room sofa with a straight posture and crossed legs while I touched my tablet in silence. Instead of reading the screen, my eyes focused on distant mental work. The house stood at peace before violence broke out.The front doors opened.Footsteps echoed.Clinton and Caleb walked in together, dressed in work suits, loosened ties around their necks, carrying the usual exhaustion of a day at the office. But the moment they saw me, they stopped.I didn’t rise to greet them. Didn’t even look up."Joana?" Clinton said, his voice tinged with caution.I slowly looked up. My eyes were expressionless. Not angry. Not hurt. Not welcoming. Just... still. Stone still.Caleb moved forward first. "Is everything okay? Where are the kids?""Asleep. Upstairs. Safe," I replied, my tone flat.Clinton moved towards me from the couch to reach my position, where he
TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT
108JOANA'S POVThe mansion stood as an unspoken silent question without any reaction. As soon as Jason parked the car, he sped the tyres toward the garage, and before the engine idled, I bolted from my side to rush through the mansion's main entrance.I directed the security staff posted at the gate to inspect the area thoroughly. “Check the east and west wings—every single room. I want the kids found. Now.”The main door flew open under my hand as I stormed inside. “Where are they? Where are my children?”The maids inside froze at the sound of my voice, but one of them stepped forward immediately, wide-eyed. “We—We don’t know, ma’am. We thought they were in the greenhouse—”“Check the gardens, the poolside, the library, everywhere!” I snapped. My voice was cracking under the weight of my panic. “Clinton? Caleb?”One of the male workers appeared at the top of the staircase. “Mr. Clinton left early this morning. He said he had to meet a supplier downtown. And Mr. Caleb hasn’t returned
TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN
107JOANA'S POVHer statement lingered like a bad taste in the air, “It's only a matter of time.”I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even blink. Instead, I smiled. The smile formed on my face, and it took its time as I quietly flashed my teeth. I moved toward her across the hard table and concentrated my stare in her direction just like a hunter studies its target.“If you think, my dear, that you would be able to come out from this one,” my voice was low and soft.“It's over…” I smacked my lips.Anita's expression shifted from a thoughtful stare to clear confusion. She spoke with pronounced speed instead of interest as she probed deeper into my words.I didn’t respond.Because I didn’t need to.The heavy door creaked open behind me.Her head jerked in the direction of the sound, and in that exact second, I saw it—pure, raw panic. A flicker. Fleeting, but real. Her composure slipped like silk through shaking hands.Jason stepped in first.Dressed in plain clothes, looking more like a man who’d
TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIX
106JOANA’S POVThe morning air was heavy with silence.After breakfast, I did not talk, although Caleb offered to drive me, and Clinton asked about my plans. I left without saying anything. I made a choice to handle it on my own.The police station sat like a solemn block of stone, grey and indifferent to the lives unravelling inside it. The kind of place that didn’t care if you were a billionaire’s daughter or a nobody from the streets—it held secrets, guilt, and truth in equal measure.I signed in, gave my name, and was guided to the interrogation floor.“She’s been denying everything,” the officer escorting me said with a sigh. “Claims she’s being framed. Typical story.”I wasn’t surprised.Anita always played the victim when cornered. It was her survival tactic. But she’d run out of corners this time.Officials assigned her a space with both a long table and window cameras watched by security officers who guarded the entry. A mirror reflection revealed her corporate-style clothin
TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE
105JOANA'S POVA few moments passed.“Do the kids know?” he asked, finally looking up.I nodded. “We’ll explain more later. But for now, they know something bad happened, and they’re safe. That’s enough.”He leaned back slowly, exhaustion clinging to every movement. “What happens now?”“Now?” I repeated. “Now we wait for the storm she started to finally pass.”He gazed at me from across the room, showing emotions that fell between regret and remorse. “What will you do?”I looked toward the closed door where Anita had been taken, then toward the grand staircase leading up to where the children were playing.“I’ll protect what matters,” I said. “Always.”Caleb gave a small nod beside me. Clinton glanced at me with something warm in his eyes.And for the first time in weeks, maybe months, I didn’t feel like I was drowning in all of this. I felt grounded. Steady. In control.The silence returned, but it wasn’t heavy now. It was thoughtful. Reflective. A room breathing after holding its b
TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR
104JOANA'S POV“Joana… what do you mean?”I didn’t bother answering Mr. Gates’ question. Let him stew in the weight of those words. Let him replay them in that calculating mind of his and wonder what I meant by shadows and what I knew that he didn’t. He wanted power and leverage. But then came the real scream—the kind that made the walls of the mansion vibrate and shattered whatever illusion of peace we had managed to hold onto for a single day.It came from the living room.I froze mid-step.Mr. Gates straightened behind me, his frown now sharp and urgent. We converged toward the shock with our steps matching each other like two magnets drawn to face their end.Stepping into the living room, I saw an expected disaster happening, like a show I was used to, though it stirred up my emotions.Two officers stood at the doorpost with straight postures showing their service badges shining under the sunshine. Staring at the officers in shock, Anita's blouse lost its smoothness, and her eye
TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THREE
103JOANA'S POVThe next morning unfolded like any other. We returned to the mansion, and you’d think nothing had happened the night before—the tension, the confrontation, the near brush with tragedy. The mansion seemed too serene for its usual lively atmosphere. Bright sunshine filtered through the glass to enhance the floor's golden shine, and the children's cheerful voices made architectural echoes. They ran to their various rooms to have their own fun.But there was nothing normal about today.Clinton and I walked side by side into the living room, Caleb trailing closely behind with his usual wary eye. The children followed their regular habits by having Mirabel draw at the window seat as Jake and Japheth competed loudly at their game.During this brief moment, I halted all my activities to breathe. To hope that things might start settling.Then, like the devil knew, just when to knock, a deep voice rang out from the hallway."Joana. A word," Mr. Gates said, arms folded as he sto
