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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: THE HELP.
Last Updated:
2025-01-01 01:28:31
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THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: THE CAGE.
AVERY’S POV:As I rested my head on the couch, trying to settle into a comfortable position, my body begged for sleep. But my mind wouldn’t relent. My thoughts were like a swarm of bees, buzzing with unease. Why couldn’t I relax? This woman had been nothing but kind to me, yet the heaviness in my chest lingered. I sat upright, my heart thudding against my ribs. Where was she? And why did I feel so on edge? Maybe I was being irrational, letting my paranoia get the best of me. But the tattoo on my back gnawed at my thoughts. It had haunted me ever since I noticed it in the hospital. Could I check it here? I shook my head. "Calm down, Avery. Not everything is a conspiracy." Still, I couldn’t ignore the tension crawling up my spine. Rising to my feet, I moved toward the door. My hand hesitated on the knob for a moment before I cracked it open just enough to peek outside. There she was, standing on the porch, cigarette in hand. Smoke curled lazily around her as she stared into the
Last Updated : 2025-01-01THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: SNITCHES ARE BITCHES.
AXEL’S POV:The day started innocently enough, with my little girl and I engrossed in one of her endless imaginary tea parties. She giggled as she poured invisible tea into a porcelain cup, her laughter infectious. Then Logan called, and my mood shifted instantly. Sea’s laughter still echoed in my mind as I picked up Logan’s call, unaware of how quickly the day would shift from innocence to chaos“Turn on the news,” he said, his tone clipped but carrying a hint of satisfaction. I did as he instructed, not out of curiosity, but because I demanded loyalty and obedience from those who served me, and Logan never disappointed. His handiwork lit up the screen of my phone, a blaze of chaos wrapped in polished headlines. Avery’s face stared back at me, plastered across every channel, with fabricated accusations that would ensure no corner of the earth was safe for her. A smile tugged at my lips. Logan had played his part well. I’d told him to light the match, and he’d set the fire where
Last Updated : 2025-01-03THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: ASHES.
AXEL’S POV:"I had plans to be merciful," I said, stepping closer. "You did what those useless cops couldn’t. But for letting your tongue loose, you’ve sealed your fate. You won’t see the light of the next day." The woman froze, her curses dying on her lips as the gravity of my words sunk in. Ryan appeared beside me just then, his face calm but his voice low. "She’s been tossed in the trunk. Everything’s in place." I nodded, satisfied. I spared the woman one last glance before turning my back on her. "Clean this up," I said over my shoulder to Ryan. "I want no traces." The woman’s parting words were like a thorn under my skin, burrowing deeper with every syllable. "When you finally come to me, I'll show no mercy!"I stopped mid-stride, my hand tightening into a fist. Slowly, I turned back to face her, my voice cold as ice. "Tie her up and set her on fire. Leave the gas open so the whole place explodes."Ryan didn’t need further clarification. He gestured to two of my men, w
Last Updated : 2025-01-03THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: HELLHOLE.
AVERY’S POV:I prayed for death as I lay curled up in the cage, crammed into the trunk of the Devil’s car. Breathing my last in that suffocating darkness seemed preferable to whatever awaited me. The rage I’d glimpsed in his eyes, paired with the distant explosion that rattled the air, left no doubt—whatever came next would make death seem merciful. Every attempt to escape him had failed. I was back in his grasp, trapped like an animal awaiting slaughter. The ride stretched on endlessly. The cramped space stole the blood from my limbs, leaving them numb and useless. Every bump in the road jarred the cage, the jagged edges of the metal scraping my skin. Pain pulsed through me, but even that was better than the terrifying silence of what lay ahead. I tried to focus my mind elsewhere—on the fleeting moments of happiness I’d once known. Memories of innocence, laughter, and safety became my refuge, though they felt like they belonged to someone else entirely. Time blurred. The car
Last Updated : 2025-01-04THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: ONE LAST GLANCE BEFORE DEATH.
AVERY’S POV:Finally, we stopped. The cage crashed onto the floor of an empty cell with a heavy clang, the vibrations rattling through my body like an electric shock. One of them unlocked the door and yanked me out, their grip rough and uncaring. Pain ripped through me, every bruise and cut roaring back to life. My legs wobbled, half-numb and trembling after the cramped ride, the blood returning to my limbs in a fiery cascade. I bit down hard on my lip to stop myself from crying out, the taste of iron filling my mouth. I crumpled. My knees gave way, and I hit the floor, curling in on myself instinctively. But they weren’t done. “Up,” barked one of the men, his voice sharp and impatient. He grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet, the movement sending a fresh wave of agony coursing through me. My legs refused to hold me, but they didn’t care. They dragged me to the wall and clamped cold, heavy chains around my wrists and ankles, binding me in place. The chains left me spread out,
Last Updated : 2025-01-05THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER THIRTY: A TASTE OF FEAR.
AXEL’S POV:Now, her real story begins. We’ve been playing this game of hide and seek for far too long, her scurrying around like a rat while I stood as the hunter, patient yet relentless. But the time for games was over. It was time she learned what made me infamous—a name whispered in fear, a shadow cast over the weak and the rebellious alike. When she spat, “Get it over with, moron,” it ignited a fire in me. I felt the pull of my gun, the itch in my finger to press the trigger and let go. A single, clean bullet to her forehead could end this charade in seconds. But no. A rebellious little bitch like her didn’t deserve the grace of a quick death. Mercy was for the deserving, and Avery...she was far beneath it. She had to be reminded—taught—the meaning of fear, of pain. Breaking her, piece by piece, was mine to savor. I circled her, watching her battered form like a hawk studying prey. Cuts and bruises marked every corner of her skin. Her face showed exhaustion—dirt smeared
Last Updated : 2025-01-05THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: THE REBELLION.
AXEL’S POV:Her muscles tensed under my touch, and I smirked at the reaction. “Who knew you’d be tatted up, darling? With that innocent face, I’d have pegged you as squeaky clean. But this—” I pressed my fingers harder against the inked skin, watching her flinch, “—this tells me there’s more to you than meets the eye.” Her silence was deafening, her shallow breaths the only response. “What does it mean?” I asked, my tone deceptively calm. “A lover’s name? A mark of shame? Or is it something darker—something you earned in prison?” I leaned closer, letting the threat simmer between us. “You’ll tell me, one way or another.” She said nothing, only moving her back away from my touch like it burned her, trying to twist it in a different direction from my eyes. Her silence only heightened my curiosity. I stretched my hand and pressed harder, letting my fingers dig into the symbols. “Answer me,” I demanded. Still, she remained mute. My frustration boiled over, and I lashed out, the cha
Last Updated : 2025-01-05THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: THE BLONDE.
AVERY’S POV:The moment the door slammed shut behind him, I exhaled the breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding. It was as if every ounce of air had been trapped in my lungs since the moment I was dragged into that cold, soulless room. My body trembled, my chest rising and falling in sharp, shallow gasps. And then, I broke. Tears spilled over, hot and relentless, streaking down my face as I crumbled. The strong exterior I had painstakingly constructed in front of Axel shattered into a thousand irreparable pieces. My hands shook, and my shoulders sagged as the weight of everything I had endured pressed down on me. Yet, through the sobs that racked my body, I felt a sliver of pride. I hadn’t let him see this. I fought to keep my head high in front of Axel because breaking down in front of him was a defeat I couldn’t afford. It was a vow I had made to myself the moment I became his prisoner: "Don’t let him see you break. Don’t let him see you weak." And even though I was crumblin
Last Updated : 2025-01-11
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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
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE: CROSSING THE BRIDGE.
AXEL’S POV:Avery’s body kept brushing against mine. It wasn’t deliberate, I knew that much, but I still noticed every single time it happened. Like when she reached past me to grab something from the counter, the warmth of her arm grazing mine. Or when she bent down to pick up a spoon and stood too fast, bumping straight into my chest. She’d gasped, startled, and I’d felt the soft press of her back against me before she quickly stepped away. It wasn’t just me. Sea, being the little menace she was, decided to start a flour fight while we were cooking. One handful in Avery’s direction, then one at me, until all three of us were caught in a mess of white dust and laughter. Avery had fought back, smearing flour on Sea’s cheeks, and Sea had squealed, darting between us like a tiny whirlwind. At some point, I’d lost track of how it happened, but I ended up on the floor with Avery sprawled on top of me, and Sea collapsed onto her back, giggling. It didn’t feel awkward. It didn’t feel
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SEVENTY: THE OTHER SIDE OF ME.
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
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE: THE MOOD IS RUINED.
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
