LOGINShare
143: Whiskey And What-ifs
Last Updated:
2025-02-27 23:55:03
Related chapters
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 144
[Arella]The hallway is eerily quiet, save for the occasional shuffle of nurses and the soft beeping of machines behind closed doors. The sterile scent of antiseptic clings to the air, sharp and medicinal, making my stomach churn slightly. God, I hate hospitals. The too-white walls, the artificial brightness, the way time seems to stretch unbearably long here. It all makes my skin itch."Right this way, Mrs. Sawyer," a familiar nurse from my last visit says, gesturing toward Ava's ward. I follow, though my legs feel heavier than they should. My palms are clammy, an unexpected nervousness creeping up my spine. Why do I feel like this? I’m here to take my younger sister home. This should be a relief. A victory. But something about today feels... different. Unsettling in a way I can’t quite put my finger on.The doctor’s words from just minutes ago still echo in my head, playing on an endless loop."Your sister is a fighter. I’ve never seen anyone with so much zeal to pull off MDD recove
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 145
[Arella]The cemetery is still. The only sounds are the distant rustling of autumn leaves as they’re carried away by the wind, whispering secrets through the trees. The late evening sun stretches long shadows across the grass, its golden hues draping the place in an eerie kind of warmth—like even the universe is trying to soften the edges of our grief.Ava crouches down in front of the headstone, her small hands carefully arranging the marigolds at its base. She brushes away a few stray leaves, but then—her fingers linger. They trace the stone’s surface, slow and deliberate, as if memorizing the way it feels beneath her touch.Then, she swipes at her face, trying to stifle a sniffle.But I still hear it."H-Hi, Mom," she says, her voice trembling, but there’s a watery smile on her lips. "How are you feeling these days?"She pauses. Waits. Stares at the engraved name like she’s expecting an answer.And then—"I feel awesome these days, you know?" she continues, her voice growing strong
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 145
[Arella]Panting, Deric Smith straightens, dragging a hand through his already disheveled hair—like some tragic movie hero—before flashing a smile that makes my stomach churn.Seeing his smile, I nearly gag.Disgust churns violently in my belly, a slow, festering heat curling at the pit of my stomach like a beast waking from its slumber. The sheer audacity of this man is beyond unbelievable."I came to see you," he says, as if those words are supposed to mean something.As if they hold weight.As if I’d ever believe a damn thing that leaves his mouth.My skin crawls."Are you stalking me?" I bite out, venom lacing every syllable.He falters. Just for a fraction of a second. It’s quick—barely noticeable—but I catch it. The subtle twitch in his jaw. The way his fingers flex at his sides before he forces himself to relax.But then, like the cockroach he is, he recovers.That grin returns.And he takes a step forward.My fingers rise instantly, a silent warning. A barrier. An order."Don'
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 146
[Arella]I watch as, one by one, shadows begin to shift. Silent. Calculated.1… 2… 3…By the time I finish counting, seven more men emerge from the darkness, their movements crisp, their presence suffocating.They wear gear similar to Zach’s, but their aura?Different.Powerful.Dangerous.Lethal.Seven plus Zach makes eight.This must be the elite bodyguards Lincoln mentioned.Ava stirs in the car, the slight movement catching my eye. She tries to poke her head outside, curiosity flickering in her expression.I shake my head immediately.Not because I don’t want her to witness a good show.But because I don’t know how she’d mentally react to seeing Deric again.I’m not in the mood to deal with that mess.So I turn back to the approaching men, and when I see the way Deric’s face drains of color, I smirk.Even under the moonlight, he looks pale—like a vampire. And trust me, not the good kind.The men stop just a few feet from me, their sheer presence so damn overwhelming that I have to
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 148
[Lincoln]Italians were hot-blooded.Normally, that was a damn fine trait in business—passion, persistence, a little well-placed ruthlessness—but when you were on the receiving end of that fire?Yeah. Not so much.And in this case?That unfortunate target was me.A million dollars’ worth of industrial products under the Sawyer Group, burnt down to nothing but rubble, ashes, and the lingering stench of deliberate destruction.And no, despite the forensic team’s oh-so-helpful assessment, this wasn’t some accidental wildfire attack.It was arson.Plain and simple.I could fucking smell it all the way down to my gut, that deep, instinctive knowing that told me this wasn’t just business—it was personal.And the worst part?This wasn’t even about the money.Sure, I could pull out more cash, replace the damaged goods, rebuild the property, patch up whatever superficial losses came out of this. That wasn’t the issue.The real problem?The trust had been broken.And once that’s gone, once you
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 149
[Vivian]The morning sun filters through the blinds, its golden rays stretching across the room like delicate fingers, caressing everything in sight with an unearned softness.I groan, rolling onto my back, arms stretching wide against the sheets, the warmth of sleep still clinging to my limbs like a second skin. My body doesn’t feel like moving. Doesn’t feel like facing the day, the reality, or anything in between.For a few blissful seconds, my mind drifts, floating somewhere between dreams and the waking world. My fingers reach out instinctively, searching for the familiar warmth beside me—until they brush against something else.Something warm.Something… furry.My brows furrow.Deric’s chest isn’t this hairy.Slowly—painstakingly slow—I force my heavy lids open, my gaze dragging to the side as a sinking feeling churns deep in my stomach.And then I freeze.The graying hair.The slack jaw hanging open.The faint wheeze of breath escaping his lips, slow and steady in sleep.A viole
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 150
[Vivian]I don’t even wait for his response. My body moves on autopilot, frantic energy charging my limbs as I throw on my clothes, barely aware of the rustling behind me, of the shifting mattress, of the thick, fat hands that suddenly wrap around my waist from behind.A breath—hot and heavy—fans against my ear, sticky against my skin."Isn’t it too early to leave me all alone, my sweet?"Revulsion slams into me so hard I have to bite down on my tongue to keep from visibly recoiling. My stomach clenches, bile creeping up my throat, my lungs tight as if the very air has turned toxic.Don’t shudder. Don’t flinch. Don’t let him see how much you want to claw your way out of your own skin.Swallowing the disgust threatening to choke me, I force a slow smile, my lips curling into something soft, something pleasing. My lashes flutter as I turn in his grip, tilting my head just enough to feign a pout."You know I would love to stay, Mr. Thompson," I croon, my voice dripping in syrupy sweetnes
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 151
[Lincoln]The signboard in Arella’s hands is impossible to miss. Welcome Home, Hubby! The bold letters stretch obnoxiously across the board, playful and dramatic, a perfect reflection of the woman holding it. The bright yet crisp morning sun filters down, casting a golden glow around her dark hair, making her look almost ethereal. If I were a lesser man, I’d probably get lost in the way the light kisses her skin, but I am not a lesser man.A slow grin tugs at my lips as I step off the private jet, my boots hitting the pavement with an easy confidence. There’s an entire security detail flanking me, their presence a necessary but wholly uninteresting formality. My gaze barely flickers over them because, frankly, they don’t matter.Only one person does.Arella.She’s scanning the crowd, her head tilting slightly as she searches through the sea of black-suited men, her gaze flitting restlessly over the unnecessary muscle. And then—she finds me.The shift is immediate. Her eyes widen, her
Last Updated : 2025-02-28
Latest chapter
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 199
[Arella]Vivian ran like the devil himself was on her heels.Her bare feet slapped against the filthy concrete, the sharp sting of debris cutting into her skin. The air was thick with the scent of rotting dough and mildew, the remnants of a bakery long abandoned, its glory days buried under dust and decay. Her breath came in ragged gasps, each one hitching in her throat as she weaved through the narrow corridors, her frantic movements sending old flour sacks tumbling to the ground.She was fast, I’d give her that. Desperation had a way of making people move like cornered rats, a blend of terror and pure survival instinct. But I wasn’t about to let her scurry away. Not this time.I chased after her, vaulting over overturned crates, my boots thudding heavily against the grimy floor. My pulse thundered in my ears, my lungs burning with exertion, but the fire only fueled me. Every step I took, every inch I gained, I thought about what this woman had done to me seven months ago.Seven. Fuc
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 198
[Arella]Two days later, we finally located the only bakery in Backwater Alley.True to the city’s name, the place was utterly demented. The snarls and sneers we received from passersby sent a chill slithering down my spine, despite the heavy security flanking me. It wasn’t just the people that made this place hell—it was everything. The very air felt wrong, thick with the scent of rot and dampness, like misery had been ground into the pavement for generations. The streets reeked of filth and desperation, a choking combination of decay and stale piss, and even with the promise of protection, a thick wave of unease clung to my skin like a second layer.Deric, on the other hand, was visibly cowering, his head ducked so low I half-expected him to burrow into the ground. He flinched at every sound, his breath coming in shallow gasps as we passed through each ‘checkpoint’—clusters of men loitering with sharp eyes and even sharper knives, their silent appraisal as damning as a blade against
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 197
[Arella] Deric leads us to a restaurant that's just as rundown as that bar, but at least the air inside isn't nauseating. The dim lighting does little to hide the grime-streaked walls, and the wooden chairs creak ominously as we settle down. The stench of stale grease lingers in the air, but it’s a small mercy compared to the overwhelming stench of alcohol from before.I speak first, my voice sharp. "Where have you been? What are you doing all the way in Chicago?"He clears his throat, his eyes locked onto mine with an emotion I can't quite place—adoration, maybe? Like he can't believe I'm sitting right in front of him. That only makes my patience thinner."You're going to have to start talking, Deric, because trust me, I have other ways to make you talk.""Water... please," he croaks out, his voice dry and weak. Zach signals to one of his men, never leaving my side for a single second. The moment the bottle is placed in front of him, Deric chugs it down like a man starved, gulping i
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 196
[Arella]We pass through the back, and the stench immediately assaults my senses—an overwhelming mix of stale alcohol, damp wood, and rotting garbage. Dirty bottles are strewn everywhere, some stacked haphazardly in corners, others being washed with a half-hearted effort. The entire place reeks of neglect. Dust clings to every surface, thick enough that I can practically taste it in the air. A few workers loiter around, loading crates onto a rusty truck that looks like it's one pothole away from falling apart.The sight of it all makes my skin crawl. My fingers twitch at my sides, an instinctive reaction to the unease curling in my stomach. This place feels wrong. Like a trap waiting to be sprung.A man with decayed teeth—yellowed and jagged, a testament to years of neglect—flashes me a grin as we draw closer. The smile is anything but friendly; it's lecherous, the kind that makes my skin prickle in revulsion. "Who's this fine little birdie, Isla?" His eyes drag over me from head to t
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 195
[Arella]“How may I help you?" The bartender slurs his words, his bleary eyes raking over me. So much for being insecure—he doesn’t even attempt to hide his once-over. His gaze lingers too long, his lips quirking up like he’s amused by something. But then, something shifts. He must have noticed Zach’s piercing gaze because he suddenly straightens, feigning a sense of professionalism, shoulders squaring as he averts his gaze. My lips twitch in amusement, but I don’t let it show too much."I'm looking for the owner of this number." I thrust a crumpled piece of paper into his hand, unwilling to risk handing over my phone. My fingers tighten slightly as I pull back, watching his face carefully. His brows furrow as he glances at it, then at me, before letting out a dry chuckle."You're looking for the owner of this number... in a bar?" He shoots me an incredulous look, the kind that makes me feel every bit as ridiculous as I probably seem right now.I nod anyway, knowing full well how absu
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 194
[Arella]The private jet hummed softly beneath my feet as I approached, Zach and his men flanking me on either side like silent sentinels. My heart hammered a little harder than usual, but I ignored it, my focus locked on the mission ahead. I knew I should probably wait for Benson and Jordan to return from Florida—playing it safe would be the smart thing to do. But what if this lead went cold? What if this person changed their mind?The IP address traced back to a woman’s phone—a bartender. She ran a shady little dive bar, the kind of place where secrets slipped out between shots of cheap whiskey and whispered conversations in the dark. Maybe she’d seen Lincoln with Lisa or Thompson? Maybe she knew something crucial? Or maybe… something about that desperate message didn’t sit right. If she was just giving me information, why did it feel like a cry for help?I’d responded, asking for a time to meet. No response. Nothing. Just silence.I exhaled sharply, shoving those nagging doubts asi
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 193: A Trap Or A Lead?
[Arella] "Clement came back seven years later," Father in law continues, his voice calm, but there’s an edge to it—something bitter, something restrained. "By then, I had married Gladys. I had everything I wanted—a wife, my son, a growing empire, a future laid out exactly as it should be. And Clement already had a wife of his own. Lisa’s mother." He scoffs, shaking his head. "He claimed he wanted to make amends. That the past was behind us. That friendship meant more than old grudges. I should have known better. I did know better. But I let him in anyway, like a fool." A slow exhale, his fingers tightening around his glass. "He didn’t ask for money. Didn’t come with some grand business proposal wrapped in false generosity. No, he played it smarter this time. Said he only wanted to invest in my company, that he believed in my latest vision. And like a fool, I let him buy in. Gave him a seat at my table. Trusted that maybe, just maybe, he had changed." He shakes his head, his jaw
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 192: A Father's Regret
[Arella]Have you ever longed for something so deeply, only to be denied it over and over again? And then, when you finally get it, you feel... nothing?Because tell me why I’m sitting across from my father-in-law and grandmother-in-law in the dimly lit study of the Sawyer estate, their faces grim and pale, like they’re afraid to speak in my presence. The heavy scent of old books and polished wood lingers in the air, wrapping around us like a suffocating blanket. My father-in-law clears his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing with unease."How have you been, Arella?" he asks, his voice measured, like he's trying to sound casual.I raise an eyebrow. "How have I been?" I repeat, the bitterness curling around my words before I can stop it.Seven months. Seven months of silence. Not a word from either of them. Every single family gathering between our families—declined. No messages, no explanations, nothing. And now, my father-in-law suddenly shows up at work, requesting my presence, expect
The Billionaire's Forgotten Ex-wife 191: Boardroom War II
[Arella]"N-not yet, President," one of them stammers, shoulders hunched in defeat. "But we can assure you, with our budget handed over to us, we can—"I tsk, shaking my head. "Greedy, greedy, greedy—just like Deric. You won’t see a single cent from me. And if you dare make another move to disrupt my peace like this, I won’t just cut you off—I’ll reduce Ames Finances to nothing more than scraps in a flea market bargain bin."A stunned silence settles over the room. The weight of my words crushes any lingering defiance."If accountability is truly what you seek, then start by holding yourselves responsible for your own failures. I have no time for empty demands or misplaced outrage. So do us all a favor—take your so-called accountability and escort yourselves out of my conference room immediately before I make that decision for you."The man in the brown suit reddens with anger, jabbing an accusing finger in my direction. "You… you—"But no words come. I watch as they all file out, dej
