Chapter 71James stood there, frozen—felt as though someone had punched all the air out of his lungs—as he stared down the street after Lily's disappearing car. This couldn't be happening to him. One minute it was all so fine; the next, his world came crashing down around him.His eyes fell on the folder lying on the floor, full of evidence against him pertaining to crimes he never committed. This was a setup, a twisted attempt to sabotage his life and destroy his marriage. But by who? And why? His mind raced as he tried to figure out whose sick game this was.One thing was certain - he had to fix this, and fast. He couldn't let Lily slip through his fingers over some psycho's deranged lies. Snatching up the folder, James rushed inside and dumped the contents on his desk. He started examining every document with an eagle eye, looking for any clues or inconsistencies that could unravel this plot.Hours ticked by as the sun set outside, but James barely noticed. He was a man possessed,
Chapter 72Two days later, Lily stared listlessly out the window of her dad's beach house, hugging her arms tightly around her middle. The picturesque seaside vista spread out before her normally filled her with serene tranquility. But not today. Today, the crashing waves and windswept dunes only seemed to mirror the turmoil raging inside her heart.She felt hollowed out, numb. Like someone had carved out her very soul, leaving a gaping emptiness in its wake. No matter how tightly she tried to hold herself together, invisible fissures kept splintering wider with each passing hour apart from James.God, just thinking his name made her want to shatter into a million pieces.How could the man she loved more than life itself have done this to her? Maintained such a profound, insidious deception for so long? Lily kept revisiting that awful folder filled with evidence of his betrayal, searching in vain for some hint she'd missed, some explanation that could make it all make sense.But ther
Chapter 73A few days later, Lily sat facing the waves of the ocean on the patio, nursing her mug of chamomile tea. She hoped this soothing ritual might help to quell her shaken nerves, but her mind was still running on agonizing spinning wheels.She couldn't fathom how James—her James—could have perpetrated such comprehensive deception year after year. Yet the evidence in that damning folder made it impossible to go on deluding herself much longer. Lily didn't know which was worse - the sickening realization that her marriage had been a mirage, or the nagging voice that wondered if she was just being naive again, desperate to cling to the man she loved no matter his sins.A soft sound made her look up to see James approaching hesitantly. Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze drank in his haggard appearance - the rumpled suit, the dark circles under his eyes, the entire aura of a man pushed to the brink. ""Hi," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. It was a very un
Chapter 74They clung together like shipwrecked souls amidst the roiling tempest of their crumbling world, seeking shelter in the one Safe harbor they had left - their profound, battered love.When the intensity finally ebbed and they drew apart, foreheads resting together, Lily felt a modicum of the ice encasing her heart begin to thaw. She had no guarantee this wouldn't all end in further devastation, no assurance that the trust could ever be rebuilt once the whole truth finally saw daylight.But she did have this moment at least - a chance to grab the lifeline James was offering and make one last, valiant effort to navigate them through the storm. To save them both from going under amidst the swirling wreckage."Okay," she murmured shakily, cradling his face between her palms. "Show me, James. Demolish every lie and innuendo until there's no doubt left in my mind about who you really are."He turned his head and brushed a tender kiss across her inner wrist, the warmth of it searing
Chapter 75The next morning, James was spending much-needed quality time with Ava in the backyard playroom. Indeed, his small girl's contagious giggles while driving her toy cars around on the rainbow mat did replenish this battle-weary soul.For some small, fleeting moment, he could persist in the illusion that the world wasn't shredding apart at the seams all around them—that he didn't have to be the inhumanly indomitable James Watson, corporate CEO and high-stakes combat master. He could just bask in Ava's pure, unconditional love.Of course, this was a fleeting second of peacefulness. James' phone began buzzing on the side coffee table, caller ID blinking with his assistant's name. He found himself really not wanting to break the peaceful bubble that was around his daughter.But Louis wouldn't keep hounding him unless it was important. With a weary sigh, James scooped up Ava and settled her in his lap before answering."This is James." "Sir, I apologize for interrupting your time
After ending the call with his grandmother, James took a moment to gather himself, chest heaving with barely restrained fury. The idea that his own flesh and blood was being forced to question his integrity because of this vendetta...it drove home just how insidious and far-reaching Calum's smear campaign could become if left unchecked. Well, James would be damned if he let it spread any further and engulf the two people most precious to him - his daughter and wife.Speaking of which...Lily chose that moment to hurry through the patio doors, anxious eyes sweeping the room until they landed on him and Ava. Her shoulders sagged minutely with relief, but the tautness around her mouth remained."There you two are," she exhaled shakily, moving to join them on the playmat. Up close, James could see the faint smudges under her eyes, the pinched lines of stress etched around her lips. It was painfully clear she'd been beating herself up over this steadily imploding situation too.God, how h
Chapter 77James tries to calm himself down before stepping out of the car . Cameras flashed everywhere. Reporters shouted questions. It was chaos."Mr. Watson! Is it true you've been cooking the books?""James! Did you really steal from your investors?"He ignored them all. Head high, he walked straight to the office doors. Security guards made a path through the crowd.Inside, it was quieter. But James could feel eyes on him. His employees looked worried. Some whispered as he passed.Louis met him at the elevator. "Boss, it's bad. The stock is tanking. Investors are panicking."James nodded. "Let's go to my office. We need to plan."The ride up felt long. James' mind raced. How could he fix this mess? In his office, the team was waiting. Lawyers, PR people, board members. They all looked stressed."Alright," James said. "What's our first move?"Sarah from PR spoke up. "We need to make a statement. Fast. People are believing these lies.""Agreed," said Tom, the head lawyer. "But we
Chapter 78James hung up the phone. His hands were shaking. The SEC guy had sounded serious. Really serious."What did they say?" Louis asked.James ran a hand through his hair. "They're coming tomorrow with a whole team."Louis nodded. He looked scared. "What do we do?""We get ready," James said. "Call the lawyers. Tell them the early bird thing. Get everybody working on those files. We are going to be organized."As Louis hurried out, James slumped into his chair. His mind was racing.The SEC. The heart attack. Lily and Ava.His entire world appeared to be spinning out of control.His phone buzzed. A text from Lily:"Where are you? We need you here."James felt a pang of guilt. His family needed him. But if he walked out now.He texted back:"I'm so sorry. Can't leave yet. Tell Gran I love her. I'll be there as soon as possible."Lily's reply came fast:"James. She's asking for you. Please hurry."He stared at the message. Tears pricked his eyes.But he couldn't go. Not yet. Unless