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129: The Hunt
Last Updated:
2025-02-11 18:27:41
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 130: Unearthed
Alejandro I dropped to my knees.The dirty ground was cold and rough beneath my hands, but I could barely feel it. My fingers were dug deep into it, clawing at the earth, tearing through it like a madman.She’s under here.Estella is under here.That thought alone sent a violent, suffocating panic through my chest.I scraped at the soil, my nails splitting, my knuckles raw and bleeding within seconds. Dirt flew everywhere, landing in my hair, covering my arms. I needed to get to her now. Each second feels like a lifetime. Each handful of soil could be the difference between life and death.Her life. Her death."ESTELLA!" My voice breaks. "HOLD ON, BABY! I’M COMING!"I heard nothing. Not even a whimper.A thick, icy terror gripped my throat. The edges of my vision blurred as the world spun around me.I couldn’t hear her. I couldn’t feel her.No, no, no, no—“FUCK!” My roar shattered the night as I dug harder and faster, but the dirt kept caving in around my hands, swallowing her deep
Last Updated : 2025-02-12Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 131: Aftermath
"Call Raúl." I don't look away from Estella. "Now."Enrique fumbles for his phone. "What about—""Get Mia out of here." The bitch is still tied up where he left her, bleeding but conscious. "Before the cops show. I'm not done with her yet."If she thinks I’m handing her over to the police. Then she’s wrong.Before Enrique dials, I lock eyes with him. “I’m not done with her yet.”I could here sirens wailing in the distance.Fuck.The paramedics must have called 911 when they got Enrique's radio for medical backup.The first ambulance team approaches cautiously. "We need to—""Help her first. Please."The ride to the hospital is a blur of screaming sirens, beeping monitors and orders I could barely understand. Estella's vitals keep dropping.Then the monitor flatlines. Her body convulses, her lips parting slightly, her head lolling to the side."No." The word tears from my throat as they start CPR. "NO!"Someone tries to pull me back. I fight them."Sir, please you need to step ba—"Th
Last Updated : 2025-02-12Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 132: Escaping Charges
It has been three days already. Three days of watching machines breathe for my wife. She is put in a medically induced coma by the doctors to help her body recover from the oxygen deprivation – being buried alive for hours had pushed her system to its limits. That, combined with blood loss from the gunshot wound and the trauma of being drugged...I just need her to wake up. The hospital room is too fucking quiet except for the occasional beeping machines. I sit beside her now holding her hand. At least her color is better now. Not that ghostly grey from when we dug her out. That’s something.My phone buzzes. I don’t want to move or look away from her. But I have to.It was a text from Tom Lynch, he is leading my counsel. They're ready for us at the station.About fucking time. Let them try to pin this on me. The detectives are still sniffing around Helena’s death. I press a soft kiss to Estella’s fingers. "I'll be back, baby." My voice is rough from lack of sleep. "Keep fighting."
Last Updated : 2025-02-13Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 133: The Ghosts We Created
Alejandro’s POV“That went as expected,” Tom says, checking his phone. “You’re in the clear—for now.”“For now?”“They’ll keep watching. You just walked away from a massacre, Alejandro. No matter how much money and power you have, you made enemies.”I already fucking know that.Marco is out. Claudia is missing. Mia is still alive—for now.I glance at Tom. “Go home. I don’t need you for what comes next.”He hesitates. “Alejandro—”"Handle the press." I clap his shoulder outside the station. "Keep them focused on Helena's history of instability."He nods, adjusting his tie. "The mental health angle plays well. Especially with her previous commitment.""Just make sure it doesn't overshadow the kidnapping charges. I want her legacy to be that of a murderer, not a madwoman.""And the other matter we discussed?""I've got it covered." I dismiss the rest of the legal team and head to my car. Raúl's already waiting.“To the basement?” he asks.“Yeah,” I say. “It’s time.”The safehouse is abo
Last Updated : 2025-02-13Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 134: The Secret
Estella The beeping is the first thing I hear. Then Clara's voice, distant but getting clearer. Steady and rhythmic. Annoying as hell too. My eyes feel heavy, like they're glued shut. Every breath hurts, feels like I’m dragging air through cement-filled lungs. My shoulder throbs with a dull, distant pain. "Oh my God. Estella? Can you hear me?" Clara's voice breaks through the fog. I force my eyes open, blinking against harsh hospital lights. "Thank God." Clara's already pressing the call button repeatedly to call the nurses. "About time you decided to join us. Don't try to move yet, okay?" I try to speak, but my throat feels like sandpaper. Everything hurts. My shoulder still hurts with each heartbeat. Nurses flood the room soon after, checking monitors, adjusting tubes. Clara gets pushed to the side, but I can still hear her on the phone. "She's awake. Yes, just now. They're checking her..." Dr. Sanders, a petite woman with kind eyes, shoos everyone out for my exa
Last Updated : 2025-02-14Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 135: The Unfairness of It All
EstellaI sit in a wheelchair, my fingers curled around the thin blanket draped over my lap. The walls of the hospital room feel like they’re closing in, pressing against my chest, making it hard to breathe.It’s been a week since I woke up. Since Dr Sanders’s word changed everything for me. I think back to our exact exchange that day. "Mrs. De Luca" Dr. Sanders sits beside my bed, chart in hand. "Your blood work showed elevated hCG levels." She pauses. "It appears you're pregnant."The words don't make sense at first. Like they're in a language I don't quite understand."That's... that's not possible." I finally find the words to answer, my voice sounds distant. "You see I had an the accident...""I have your previous medical records already." She checks her tablet. "A truck collision one year ago. Your doctors believed the trauma would make conception difficult." She looks up. "But not impossible."My hand finds my stomach. Flat. Unchanged. But..."Six weeks along," she continues
Last Updated : 2025-02-15Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 136: Making Decisions
Estella "What did you need to talk to me about?"I freeze at the sight of Alejandro. He fills up the doorway, his suit jacket gone and sleeves rolled up. His eyes catch on my tear-stained face.Clara squeezes my hand before standing up. "I'll give you two some privacy."I wheel myself toward the window, turning away from him to hide, desperately trying to wipe away the evidence of my breakdown. The tears won't stop though - these damn hormones making everything worse."Why are you crying, mi estrella ?" His voice is closer now, worry threading through each word."How long were you going to hide it from me?" My voice comes out steadier than I feel.He did not insult my intelligence by pretending not to understand. "Until you were stronger.""Stronger?" A laugh escapes me. "Marco's out there right now, planning God knows what, and you didn’t think to tell me? How long have you known?”"Estella—""No." I wheel myself away from him. "Don't 'Estella' me. Not now." "Just... tell me how lo
Last Updated : 2025-02-15Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 137: Cornered
Third Person POVClaudia couldn't appreciate the beauty of the setting sun over the city. She was staring at the city below, fingers gripping the stem of her untouched wine glass. Not when every shadow could hide one of Alejandro's men. Not when her nerves were shot from a week of jumping at every sound. Every noise made her flinch. People going about their lives as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn’t barely escaped death.She exhaled, rubbing her temples. One more day.That’s all she needed.She had it all planned. A new identity again, a new passport, a flight booked under a fake name. She just had to get through tonight. Then, she’d disappear—far away from Alejandro, from his wrath, from the grave she had helped dig.She pulled the curtains shut on the fortieth-floor penthouse. The same routine - check the windows, the doors, the street below. Her bodyguard, Vincent, watched with barely concealed impatience."No one's found us," he said, not for the first time. "This building
Last Updated : 2025-02-16
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 202: Nowhere to Run
Arielle stirred against me, her eyelids fluttering. The sedative was wearing off. My heart raced with both relief and terror. Relief that she was waking, terror at what she would soon face."Mama?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep."I'm here, baby," I whispered, leaning as close as my restraints would allow. "Mama's here."Her eyes opened fully, confusion evident as she took in our surroundings—the interior of the helicopter, the strange men, the restraints binding her parents."Where are we? What's happening?" Fear crept into her voice.Before I could answer, Claudia leaned forward from her seat across from us. "Well, well. Sleeping Beauty awakens."Arielle shrank back against me, her eyes wide with terror."Don't talk to her," I said shielding her as much as I could. "So protective. It's really quite touching."The helicopter banked sharply, heading east—away from the city. Where were they taking us? A remote location where no one would hear our screams?"Papa?" Arielle's
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak Chapter 201: Trapped in the Lion’s Den
Marco circled us, my body frozen in place while my mind raced through escape scenarios. Every option ended with Arielle hurt or worse."You know what always bothered me about you, Estella?" Marco's voice cut through my thoughts as he stalked around us. "Your goddamn ingratitude.""What do you mean ingratitude?" "Don't act surprised. I found you—a worthless nobody scraping by in that shithole town. I polished you, gave you everything." He gestured wildly. "And how did you repay me? By running away the moment things got tough."I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped my throat. "Is that what you call trying to kill me? 'Things getting tough'?""I gave you wealth, status, a life most women would kill for." His eyes narrowed. "So what if I enjoyed myself with others once in a while? I was always coming back to you.""You're delusional," I spat. "You never loved me. I was just another possession to you."Marco's hand shot out, grabbing my chin hard enough to bruise. "And you were mi
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 200: The Dead Don't Stay Dead
I stared at Marco, my entire body going numb. This wasn't possible. This couldn't be happening. Alejandro had told me he was dead—had described in detail how the FBI agents opened fire when Marco made a move for his gun. The official report stated he was dead on arrival at the hospital."You're dead," I whispered, the words escaping before I could stop them.Marco's lips curved into a cruel smile that seemed vaguely familiar, like a half-remembered nightmare."Clearly reports of my demise were... greatly exaggerated." He stepped further into the light, looking me up and down with undisguised contempt. "My God, Estella. A wedding dress? How touching. I'm sorry I missed the ceremony.""How?" Alejandro demanded. "I saw you die."Marco chuckled. "Did you, though? Did you really?"He circled us slowly, like a predator toying with cornered prey. The red laser dots from the snipers' rifles tracked our every movement, making any attempt to reach Arielle suicidal."Let me tell you a little sto
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 199: Walking into the Trap
"It's suicide," Raul said, his face tight with concern as he watched Alejandro count stacks of euros and stuff them into a duffel bag."You think I don't know that?" Alejandro didn't look up, he continued counting. Ten million euros in cash. The bank manager had nearly had a heart attack when we'd called, but Alejandro's name opened doors even at 2 AM.I stood by the car in my dirt-stained wedding dress, numb and hollow. Three hours since the call. Two hours and forty minutes since we'd started scrambling. Twenty minutes left until the deadline."We can send a team," Enrique suggested, not for the first time. "Have them take positions around the factory before you arrive.""And risk Arielle's life?" I shook my head. "They said they'd kill her if they spotted anyone else.""They're going to try to kill you both anyway," Raul argued.No one disagreed with that assessment. The question hung in the air: Was it better to die trying to follow their rules, or die trying to outsmart them?"En
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 198: A Race Against Time
I came back to consciousness with a gasp, the wail of sirens piercing through the fog in my brain. My wedding dress was filthy now, the white streaked with dirt and grass stains. The silk that had felt so perfect hours ago now no better than a rag."Estella!" Alejandro was kneeling beside me, his hands gripping my shoulders so tightly I could feel the tremor in his fingers. His face looked pale and rigid, but his eyes—God, his eyes burned with something that made my stomach drop."Arielle," I choked out, memories flooding back. The crash site. Eleanor covered in blood. The empty car.I tried to sit up too fast, and the world tilted before me. My hands clawed at Alejandro's arms as I fought to stand."Where is she? Did you find her?""Not yet. But we will."I pushed against his chest, struggling to my feet. My knees buckled instantly, and I would have fallen if he hadn't caught me. Behind him, I could see Eleanor being loaded into an ambulance, an oxygen mask still covering her face.
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 197: The Wedding Morning
Today is our wedding day. Again. And I haven’t seen my groom since last night."It’s bad luck to see the bride," Eleanor had insisted, practically shoving him out the door after our rehearsal dinner."Since when do you care about superstitions?" I'd asked her."Since you two have the kind of luck that makes me think we need all the help we can get," she'd replied dryly.I sat up and ran my fingers through my tangled hair, a smile spreading across my face despite myself. A soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts."Mamá! Can I come in?" Arielle's voice was pitched high with excitement."Of course, baby."The door flew open and my daughter burst in, already dressed. The pink dress made her look like a tiny fairy, complete with a crown of fresh flowers sitting slightly askew on her dark curls."Look at you!" I gasped, holding out my arms. "The most beautiful flower girl in all of Spain."She twirled, the tulle skirt floating around her like a cloud. "Do you think Papá will cry whe
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 196: The Wedding Countdown
"Estella?" Eleanor's voice called through the door. "The wedding planners are here. They need decisions on flowers and table settings."Alejandro groaned, burying his face in my neck. "Tell them to come back next year."I smacked his shoulder and rolled out of bed, grabbing his discarded shirt from the floor. "Give us fifteen minutes, Aunt Eleanor!""Ten," she countered. "They have four other appointments today.""Jesus Christ," Alejandro muttered, throwing an arm over his eyes. "This is why I wanted to elope."I tossed his pants at him, hitting him square in the chest. "Up, De Luca. You wanted this big wedding too, remember?"He caught my wrist as I turned toward the bathroom, pulling me back onto the bed with a swift tug. "I want you. The rest is just details.""Details that cost a fortune," I reminded him, though my resolve weakened as his lips found my neck."Money well spent," he murmured against my skin.Another knock, more insistent this time."For fuck's sake," Alejandro growl
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 195: The Wedding Plans
The first thing I felt was warmth. A slow, lazy kind of heat, tangled in sheets that still smelled like him. My body ached—the delicious kind of soreness. Alejandro was already awakesat at the edge of the bed, bare chested with his laptop open, fingers flying across the keyboard.I stretched and watched him for a moment, admiring the way the morning light on his tanned skin, the way his dark hair was still a little messy from my hands last night."How the hell are you already working?" I mumbled, stretching again."Some of us don't need twelve hours of recovery after—"I grabbed a pillow and chucked it at his head. He caught it mid-air, of course.“I booked our flight,” he said. “We leave tonight.”That had me sitting up, blinking the sleep from my eyes. “Tonight?”His gaze flicked to mine, studying. “You sure you’re okay flying so soon?”I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “I talked to a neurologist when I got my memories back.”Alejandro listened, completely focused. The kind
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 194: I Choose You
He carried me down the hall, never breaking the kiss, and kicked the door shut behind us. We fell onto his bed in a tangle of wet clothes and urgent hands. He pulled back just long enough to tear his shirt over his head."I can’t get enough of you," he groaned, burying his face in my neck.I arched into him, nails scraping down his back. "Show me how much."He took his time undressing me, kissing each newly exposed inch of skin like he was memorizing me all over again. When he reached the scar that ran across my ribs."I thought I would never get you back," he murmured against my skin.I threaded my fingers through his hair, guiding his face back to mine. "You did. I'm right here."No more words were needed after that.Afterward, we lay tangled in the sheets, my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. One of his arm behind his head, the other lazily tracing circles on my hip. His fingers brushed over the faint scars marring my body—the ones I barely noticed anymore."You know,"
