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CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO: BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.
Last Updated:
2025-02-23 23:38:30
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THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE: THE MIND IS STABLE BUT THE HEART IS WEAK.
AVERY'S POV:The silence in the medical room was oppressive, weighing heavily on my chest. My hands shook as I gazed at the two people I had just cared for. Axel sat slumped in a chair, his body a roadmap of old scars and fresh pain, his limbs splayed out. Ryan, on the other hand, seemed fragile, his skin pale and clammy under the harsh fluorescent lights. I felt a wave of nausea, smell of blood lingering mingling with the antiseptic scent of the medical supplies. My mind recoiled at the sight of their battered bodies. Had I really just thrown away my one chance at freedom? My pulse thundered in my ears as I pressed my hands against the counter, gripping the edge as if it could hold me together. This was it, wasn’t it? The moment I realized—no, admitted—that despite everything Axel had done to me, despite all the reasons I had to hate him, I couldn’t let him die. I was fighting to keep him alive for some reason.The irony burned, unforgiving. I'd spent every waking moment plann
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AXEL’S POV:I slowly woke from the haze of anesthesia, my mind foggy and heavy as if wading through thick molasses. The remnants of anesthesia clung to me, and my mind struggled to catch up with reality. In that blurred moment, I could barely distinguish shapes or sounds. But then, slowly, the world began to seep back in. I felt a warmth at my fingertips—a gentle, steady pressure that wasn't mine. I forced my eyes open, blinking away the fog, and, and the first sensation I registered was the gentle, warm pressure of a hand in mine. I blinked, struggling to focus on the shape beside me. Avery was there, her head resting against the back of a chair, her hand interlaced with mine. For a moment, the chaos of the night all faded into a hushed background. In that suspended moment, the chaos of the past few days melted away, replaced by an almost unbearable peace. I stared at Avery, taking in every detail: the gentle curve of her cheek, the quiet determination softened by exhaustion in her
Last Updated : 2025-02-25THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE: WHO'S DEVON?
AXEL’S POV:“I created a diversion—it looks like a daylight robbery. Let the local police handle it so neither the FBI nor SWAT gets involved. They’ll have plenty of heat on them for a while.”I smirked and quickly replied, “Good. I’ll donate five million dollars to the district responsible.”A little extra grease had to be applied to keep the sheriff's department and detectives sufficiently distracted, fed with enough scandal to keep their eyes off our operations during the investigation. A carefully crafted scandal ensured they remained focused on the wrong trail, giving our operations room to breathe. With that settled, I walked over to Devon, gently tapping his shoulder. His eyes fluttered open, and I signaled him with a curt nod, silently urging him to keep his voice low—Avery and Ryan needed their rest.“Walk with me,” I muttered, leading him out of the room and quietly shutting the door behind us.We made our way down the corridor toward the second wing that led to my offic
Last Updated : 2025-02-25THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX: A TOUGH PROMOTION.
AXEL’S POV:"My name is Devon Lugi," he declared with an edge of vulnerability I hadn’t expected. He fixed his gaze on me as if daring me to question him further. "I served in the Army—part of Blackhawk Shadow, a covert unit trained in assassination and high-risk combat." His tone dropped, reverent and raw. "Before all that, I was just a kid from the slums. My mother was dying of a disease we couldn’t afford to treat. I remember that charity event you held in our broken-down neighborhood—you, dressed so casually, laughing with the kids and comforting the old. When you were about to leave, I ran to you, desperate. Security tried to stop me, but you—God, you stopped them. You scooped me up in your arms and asked why my eyes were red. I told you, 'Mummy is going to die. Please, save her.'" He paused, the memory clearly written in his eyes. "Without hesitation, you took me by the hand, walked me to my home, and saw the state of our living. You saw my mother, bedridden, clinging to life.
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AXEL’S POV: He grunted in acknowledgement, but before I could let the matter rest, I added, “And while you’re at it, I have another request.” I leaned forward, my eyes darkening with a seriousness that brooked no argument. “I need you to hire a maid. Not just any maid—a young, virgin maid, aged between 19 and 30, with ties to the Orion lineage.”Ryan’s eyes widened, and I could almost see the disbelief etched on his face. “What? Axel, we already have Katie handling the maids. We’ve got a full roster, and they’re more than competent. Why do you need another? And why these…specific requirements?” His tone was a mix of incredulity and genuine concern as if he couldn’t fathom why I would risk adding another variable to an already volatile situation. “You’re asking for something…unusual, Axel,” he said finally, his voice quiet but steady. “I mean, if you’re in danger, why bring in someone else? And why the obsession with the Orion lineage? We’re already stretched thin.” “Don’t you dare q
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AVERY’S POV:I remember the moment vividly—the hazy recollection of awakening from my sleep. I scrambled up, searching for familiar faces. Axel and Devon were gone. Ryan lay still on the bed. I went to him, checking on his vitals but just as I finished and turned to leave, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, halting me in my tracks. I froze, my heart fluttering with surprise and uncertainty.“Thank you for saving my life,” Ryan low, trembling voice murmured. He held me gently for a few long seconds. I knew it was likely the residual effects of anesthesia making him act uncharacteristically affectionate, so I didn’t move. Ryan’s pride wouldn’t allow gratitude, especially not in a moment like this. Ryan would rather bite the bullet than say thank you. Pride wouldn’t let him show weakness, and affection was even further out of reach. Men like Ryan weren't hard to read in matters like that.I let him have his moment, awkward as it was. Just as quickly as he’d embraced me, he release
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AVERY’S POV:Their expressions showed boredom. I could see the silent judgment in their eyes. I averted my eyes immediately.Baron extended his hand to help me up. “Training’s over for now, Avery. You did well today.” I accepted his hand, rising with a limping gait.With my battered body, I made my way back into the house. As I reached the driveway, I was met by the joyful cry of Sea, who had just returned from school. “Avery!” she called, her eyes lighting up as she rushed toward me. Without hesitation, I scooped her into my arms, a warm smile softening my features as I welcomed her home. I couldn’t help but apologize for my disheveled appearance—sweaty, and likely reeking of the hard work I’d put in.“It’s okay, Avery,” she giggled, wrapping her arms around me. “You always smell nice, even when you’re covered in sweat.” Her innocence and acceptance always had a way of melting away the hard edges of my day.My stomach rumbled loudly reminding me that I’d barely eaten, just a bite of
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AXEL’S POV:We'd watched from the balcony as Avery trained. I could hardly believe it was her first time undergoing intensive training. From the way she moved, so tactically, she handled every drill with a focus that belied her inexperience. Ryan even managed a small, approving nod while I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the sight. Just as she finished, returning to the house, Sea also came back from school. I wanted to go spend time with Sea, but as I walked to her room, leaving the balcony, the faint strains of a song nearly lulled me to sleep. I paused at the door and peered inside, only to see Avery and Sea together. Avery was singing—her voice was gentle and unrestrained, blending seamlessly with Sea’s joy. It looked normal instead of being an odd scene, almost as if Avery had become Sea’s biological mother rather than someone I had a deal with. I found it both heartwarming and disconcerting because we all know she was acting. I let them be, knowing that these moments of conn
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AVERY'S POV:There was always more to Axel Blackwood. He was a maze of secrets, each one more shocking than the last. But this? This was the mother of them all. Laurent was his father. Chase, his stepbrother and Zora, the witch, his stepmother. Which meant Axel was the true firstborn. The rightful heir to everything Chase thought belonged to him. I wanted to confront him. Badly. And for once, I felt like I actually could. Probably because I was three bottles deep into a very fine wine. Maybe four. My head was fuzzy, my limbs light, and my courage… well, let’s just say it was making some very questionable choices. Ryan didn’t seem to care. He stood in the corner, arms crossed, his gloved hands tucked beneath his sleeves as he watched me with his usual unreadable expression. He had long since stopped trying to take the glass away from me. "Let's go," Axel’s voice disrupted my thinking.I barely had time to blink before Devon was at my side, steadying me before I could make a compl
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEAD.
AXEL’S POV:I turned slowly, my eyes narrowing with sorrow and steely determination. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention—the missing piece. Laurent is my father. And Zora... she was the one who orchestrated the plan to have both my mother and me killed."Memories rushed back in, reminding me why I became a kid who grew into an adult haunted by nightmares. "he tailed my mother and me until she found us. Zora paid a truck driver to crash into our lives. She's the reason I lost my eyes. They made it look like an accident, covering up her ways."I detailed everything that happened on my birthday to him. "I survived, but my mother wasn't so lucky. Everyone was against us – my mother was just a low-class maid, and Zora came from a family that was meant to rule. But once I got my resources and money, I dug up all these details and vowed to take down every one of them."Ryan's chest rose and fell with a slow, deliberate breath. His voice was barely above a whisper when he finally spoke as if he w
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT: THE FATHER WHO NEVER WAS.
AXEL’S POV:Ryan was there to bitch around.Typical. Yes, I trusted him—hell, he was my second in command. But there were lines, boundaries between what I carried alone and what I shared. Some things rotted better inside me. But lately, keeping him in the dark felt less like protection and more like betrayal. If I shut him out again, I wouldn’t just be undermining his position. I’d be spitting on our friendship.Before he could even part his lips, I cut in. "I know you're about to ask what the hell is going on." Leaning against the wall, arms crossed tight over his chest, Ryan narrowed his eyes like he was staring down a puzzle missing half its pieces. "That's right. Make it make sense, Axel. Why the obsession with the Grayson empire? Why put her in charge? And why the hell risk exposing our intel like that? You know better. Now we’re a damn target." I turned away, walking to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Afternoon sunlight poured through, casting long shadows across the floo
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN: SERVING JUSTICE.
The enmity between us was thick enough to choke on—and I could feel every single eye in the room pinned on our collision. My voice cut through the tension like a razor. "You're not my mother. As a matter of fact, I don’t think you’re even a mother. Which mother sleeps with her son-in-law?" My words thundered over the murmurs. "I should've known something was awry all those times you and that radical went on 'business trips.' They were nothing but excuses—a time and place for your adultery. You deserve to be skinned alive and tossed into a hole with the wolves. You’re a filthy whore." Before her venom could settle, she spat back, voice dripping with rage, "Just because some man is in your life, you think you're untouchable? Avery, I'll destroy you." Her threat barely had time to echo when a deep, authoritative voice interceded. "At least you got one thing right—she’s untouchable." I turned slowly toward the source, and there stood Axel. His eyes burned with fury, and his
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX: CUTTING TIES.
AVERY’S POV: As I stepped away from the murmuring crowd, the soft click of my sunglasses slipping into place was like a switch, switching off voices and opinions that threatened to consume me. The opulent room, with its lavish furnishings and subtle scent of old money, seemed to fade into the background as my mind began to reel. The question that had been bothering me finally boiled to the surface: why was Axel, the puppeteer, pulling the strings with such leniency? Oh my god, it was like he was setting me up or something! Axel had always been a master manipulator, but this was on a whole different level. He had basically handed me the keys to Grayson, a company he had funneled millions into. It was just... too easy. Axel wasn't exactly known for his altruism. He was enjoying this particular drama. There had to be a catch, right? But what if I had just been paranoid? What if he had really wanted to keep to his words. Ugh, my head had spun just thinking about it. I felt like a pawn
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE: POWER LOOKS GOOD ON HER.
AXEL'S POV:The more I tried to run from this little, 4-foot-8-inch woman, the more she dragged me in. Trapped me. Like gravity itself had shifted and Avery was now the center of it all. I've sat at tables with men who built empires and women who could make nations bend. But none of them ever made me pause. None of them ever made me watch the way Avery did. Tonight, power looked good on her. Too good. The way she stood behind that podium, shoulders square, chin tilted slightly upward as if daring the room to challenge her—God, it was magnetic. The chandeliers above across the room couldn’t outshine her. Arms folded across my chest, I observed her every move with rapt attention. She exuded power—elegant yet unyielding—and it was as if the entire room had shrunk in comparison to her presence.A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. I already knew she was going to turn this room inside out. And when she greeted Chase with, “Hello, ex-husband,”—just like that, I knew the game w
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR: QUICKER THAN EXPECTED.
AVERY'S POV:I couldn’t keep still. Every nerve in my body vibrated, adrenaline pulsing under my skin. My heart pounded so loudly it practically echoed in the back of the limousine. I kept telling myself to calm down, but that was impossible. This was it. All night, I’d gone over the documents Axel left for me. I read every word. Every clause. Every line that spelled out the downfall of my enemies especially Chase. And by morning, my decision was easy. Now, dressed in the designer outfit Axel had picked out, with diamonds on my wrist and revenge in my heart, I knew exactly how today would end—no matter what the headlines said. Because the headlines... God, the headlines were a joke. "Grayson Empire Bounces Back!""Astrid Grayson Saves Husband from Ruin!""Power Couple of the Year!" I nearly rolled my eyes. We pulled up to Grayson Empire’s headquarters. The press swarmed the front entrance. Cameras flashed nonstop. Reporters barked out questions as if Chase was some war he
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE: OVERPROTECTIVE.
AXEL’S POV: Sea would one day ask for my already dying heart, and I wouldn't hesitate to give it to her. First, she asked for a baby brother or sister while we cooked yesterday. And today, just as I settled into my home office to review the documents from my lawyers concerning the Grayson empire—my gift to Avery—Sea walked in with her usual sunshine. After wrapping her little arms around me in greeting, she made her requests. “Daddy, let’s have a family day today. I want to spend time with you and Avery. Also… I don’t like being far from Avery. I need to be close to her,” she said, pouting slightly. “Could you get her to move closer to us? Maybe into the empty room next to ours?” It was impossible to deny her. So here I was, already dressed and heading out to meet them by the car. The shock on Avery’s face when she spotted me was satisfying. No one had expected me to tag along, and I kept our security detail minimal—Devon, Baron, and five others. I didn’t want Sea to feel o
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO: THE SURPRISE.
AVERY'S POV:I lay on my bed, staring at the cracks in the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all. My throat still ached from Axel’s grip, the phantom sensation lingering like a cruel reminder. But the pain wasn’t just physical. It was in the way he’d looked at me—as if I had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed. I had taken this too far. Letting myself get comfortable in a world that wasn’t mine. I should have known better than to call Sea my daughter, even as a joke. Even as something that felt natural in the moment. But it wasn’t natural. None of this was. The flour fight, the laughter, the warmth of sitting at the dinner table like a family—it had all been an illusion. And I had let myself sink into it too easily. Like a fool. Axel wasn’t the kind of man who softened, and I had been stupid to forget that. I’d let his presence seep into my thoughts, let the accidental brushes of his touch unsettle me. And for what? A fleeting warmth that was never meant for me? For
