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162: Crossing Oceans
Last Updated:
2025-03-03 22:52:52
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 163: A Dance with the Devil
Estella / AmeliaThe Ritz ballroom swirled with Paris elite, champagne flutes clinking against the background of string music. I smoothed my burgundy gown for the umpteenth time, still not quite believing I was here. Three years of declining this invitation, and somehow Ethan had convinced me to finally accept."You look stunning," Ethan murmured as he guided me across the dance floor, one hand settled respectfully at my waist. "Everyone's watching you."I managed a smile, fighting the urge to check my phone again. I'd called Arielle before she went to bed, but the guilt of missing our nightly story ritual gnawed at me."You're still thinking about her," Ethan said knowingly. "She's fine with your aunt. Kids are stronger than you think.""I know." I sighed, letting him twirl me. "I'm just not used to this. Being away from her for more than a few hours.""The mighty CEO of Alvarez Vineyards," he teased. "Conquers boardrooms but falls apart being away from her daughter for one night."I
Last Updated : 2025-03-04Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 164: A Name I Don’t Remember
The world tilted before me dangerously. I had to grip the balustrade to steady myself."Stop saying that! Antonio is my daughter’s father," I insisted, my voice cracking. "He died in a crash. The crash that I survived. Take your bullshit elsewhere."He shook his head, an almost pitying look crossing his face. "There was no car crash, Estella. You were in a plane crash on your way to the Amalfi Coast.""I'm not Estella!" I shouted, tears threatening at the back of my throat. "My name is Amelia Alvarez. And I don’t fucking know you. "Something flickered in his eyes – surprise, maybe. "You have to believe me this is all a cover," he said, then cleared his throat. "What had a sort of an arrangement.""What arrangement?" I demanded, confusion overwhelming me."Our marriage." He moved closer still, until I could feel the heat radiating from his body. "The one we had and both agreed to as revenge against Marco Valdez. Your ex-husband who nearly destroyed you.""Marco..." For a moment, all
Last Updated : 2025-03-04Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 165: A Lie Wrapped in Truth
Amelia’s POVI barely remembered the flight home. The hours blurred together in a haze of exhaustion and adrenaline, Alejandro’s words were still hammering at my skull.“Estella.”“You were in a plane crash.”“You’re my wife.”“Arielle is my daughter.”None of it was true. It couldn’t be.My hands trembled, clutching my phone so tightly I was certain the screen would crack. Arielle. I needed to see my daughter.I gripped my suitcase handle so tightly my knuckles ached as I stepped into the house.Eleanor looked up from where she sat in the living room, flipping through a book. At the sight of me, her brows shot up in surprise.“Amelia? You’re home early. Where is Ethan?”I didn’t answer. My pulse pounded in my ears as I walked past her, heading straight for Arielle’s room.The door creaked softly as I pushed it open.There she was, curled up in bed, her little hand clutching the swan Ethan had given her. Her chest rose and fell in slow, even breaths.I knelt by her bedside, pressing m
Last Updated : 2025-03-05Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 166: A Lie Wrapped in Truth II
The house was silent when I finally slipped into my bedroom, but my mind was anything but.I shut the door behind me, pressing my back against it. My body felt heavy, like all the adrenaline from the last twenty-four hours had suddenly drained out of me.I walked to my closet, peeling off my gown and slipping into one of my silk nightdresses.I climbed into bed, tucking the blankets up to my chin. But sleep?It did not come.I tossed and turned for what felt like hours, my mind cycling through the same, torturous questions.What if he wasn’t lying?What if my entire life—the life I had accepted, the life Eleanor built for me—was the real lie?I squeezed my eyes shut. No.He was manipulating me. That was what Eleanor said. He was obsessive. He wanted something from me. That’s why he knew so much about my past.Why had he looked at me that way? Like he had already decided who I was—like I didn’t have a say in it?I turned over, reaching for my phone on the nightstand.My fingers hovered
Last Updated : 2025-03-05Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 165: The Stalker Phase
Alejandro's POVThe moment she stormed off, I knew exactly where she was heading. She is running back home.I turned to Ethan staring after her like a lovesick puppy."Stay away from my wife," I said, walking up behind him.He turned, shock and indignation crossing his features before settling into something harder. "Excuse me?""You heard me. Amelia is my wife. So whatever you think is happening between you two—it ends now."He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You're out of your mind."I stepped closer, looking him dead in the eye. "Let me make this crystal clear. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you think you mean to her. But she’s mine. And I'm taking her back home.""She doesn't even know you.""She'll remember." I turned to leave, then paused. "If you try to interfere, you'll regret it."I left him standing there, jaw clenched, hands balled into fists. He wasn't my concern. Estella was.Two hours later, I was on a jet back to Madrid.The suite at the Four Season
Last Updated : 2025-03-06Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 167: Confirmation
Alejandro's POVEleanor's face drained of color the instant our eyes met. Recognition flashed across her features.For a moment, no one moved. The playground sounds faded to white noise around us as we stared at each other across the short distance. The old woman's eyes darted between me and Arielle, horror slowly replacing shock.Then Eleanor stormed forward, gripping Arielle's hand with such force that the child winced."Come, darling." Her voice was tight, forced calm barely masking panic. "We need to go home now."Arielle's face crumpled into a pout. "But I was talking to—""Now."I stood motionless, watching as Eleanor pulled her away.Something primal and possessive surged through my veins. Before Eleanor disappeared into the crowd of mothers and children, I spoke, my voice carrying just far enough."You had no right to take advantage of Estella condition. To keep a child—my child—from her father."Eleanor stiffened, her back to me but her posture rigid with fear.I took a slow
Last Updated : 2025-03-06Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 169: Confrontation
Amelia's POVI closed my laptop with a satisfied click. The quarterly projections looked good—better than good. I'd managed to push through the last few days, burying myself in work to avoid thinking about all that happened. It had almost worked.Aunt Eleanor had been watching me closely since we returned, but I'd managed to convince her I was fine. Just tired from the trip. Work stress. Nothing more.Nothing to do with that strange man.I powered down my computer, grabbed my purse, and headed for the elevator. The office building was nearly silent at this hour, most employees having left hours ago. Just how I liked it.The parking garage was barely lit, my heels echoing against concrete as I walked toward my car. That's when I felt the presence of someone behind me. A chill crept up my spine, raising goosebumps on my skin.I turned—and froze.Alejandro stepped out of the shadows, his tall figure materializing as if from nowhere. He stood in front of my car. The harsh lights made him
Last Updated : 2025-03-07Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 170: Truth Unraveled
I don't remember the turns I took, the lights I stopped at. My mind was consumed by those numbers on the test.99.99% probability.How was this possible? How could Arielle be his daughter? It made no sense. None of it made any sense.Unless...Unless I really was her. Estella De Luca. His wife.No. That was impossible. I was Amelia Alvarez. I had a life here. A company. A daughter with Antonio. Antonio who had died......five years ago?My thoughts raced, colliding and fracturing. Could I trust anything I knew about myself?I screeched to a halt in the driveway, grabbed the test results, and rushed inside. The villa's grand foyer felt suddenly unfamiliar, like I was seeing it through a stranger's eyes.I burst through the door, breathless, pale, clutching the DNA test in my hand like it might explode.Eleanor looked up from the living room sofa, setting down a cup of tea. Her face immediately registered concern."Amelia? What's wrong?""You." My voice shook with barely controlled rage
Last Updated : 2025-03-07
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 171: Shattered Illusions
Amelia's POVMy hands trembled on the steering wheel as I sped through the darkened streets, constantly checking the rearview mirror. Arielle slept peacefully in her car seat, blissfully unaware that her entire world had just imploded."Where are we going, Mommy?" she mumbled sleepily at one point, rubbing her eyes with tiny fists."Just a little trip, baby," I whispered, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Go back to sleep."My phone buzzed. Ethan."I've got a place," he said when I answered. "One of my properties on Serrano Street. It's furnished, secure, and no one knows about it.""Thank you," I breathed, relief washing over me. "Send me the address.""I'll meet you there with the keys."I ended the call, guilt gnawing at me. I was dragging Ethan into this mess—whatever this mess was. A mess that apparently involved a powerful man who claimed to be my husband. A man who was apparently my daughter's father.My husband. Arielle's father.The words felt foreign, impossible. Yet the DNA
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 170: Truth Unraveled
I don't remember the turns I took, the lights I stopped at. My mind was consumed by those numbers on the test.99.99% probability.How was this possible? How could Arielle be his daughter? It made no sense. None of it made any sense.Unless...Unless I really was her. Estella De Luca. His wife.No. That was impossible. I was Amelia Alvarez. I had a life here. A company. A daughter with Antonio. Antonio who had died......five years ago?My thoughts raced, colliding and fracturing. Could I trust anything I knew about myself?I screeched to a halt in the driveway, grabbed the test results, and rushed inside. The villa's grand foyer felt suddenly unfamiliar, like I was seeing it through a stranger's eyes.I burst through the door, breathless, pale, clutching the DNA test in my hand like it might explode.Eleanor looked up from the living room sofa, setting down a cup of tea. Her face immediately registered concern."Amelia? What's wrong?""You." My voice shook with barely controlled rage
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 169: Confrontation
Amelia's POVI closed my laptop with a satisfied click. The quarterly projections looked good—better than good. I'd managed to push through the last few days, burying myself in work to avoid thinking about all that happened. It had almost worked.Aunt Eleanor had been watching me closely since we returned, but I'd managed to convince her I was fine. Just tired from the trip. Work stress. Nothing more.Nothing to do with that strange man.I powered down my computer, grabbed my purse, and headed for the elevator. The office building was nearly silent at this hour, most employees having left hours ago. Just how I liked it.The parking garage was barely lit, my heels echoing against concrete as I walked toward my car. That's when I felt the presence of someone behind me. A chill crept up my spine, raising goosebumps on my skin.I turned—and froze.Alejandro stepped out of the shadows, his tall figure materializing as if from nowhere. He stood in front of my car. The harsh lights made him
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 167: Confirmation
Alejandro's POVEleanor's face drained of color the instant our eyes met. Recognition flashed across her features.For a moment, no one moved. The playground sounds faded to white noise around us as we stared at each other across the short distance. The old woman's eyes darted between me and Arielle, horror slowly replacing shock.Then Eleanor stormed forward, gripping Arielle's hand with such force that the child winced."Come, darling." Her voice was tight, forced calm barely masking panic. "We need to go home now."Arielle's face crumpled into a pout. "But I was talking to—""Now."I stood motionless, watching as Eleanor pulled her away.Something primal and possessive surged through my veins. Before Eleanor disappeared into the crowd of mothers and children, I spoke, my voice carrying just far enough."You had no right to take advantage of Estella condition. To keep a child—my child—from her father."Eleanor stiffened, her back to me but her posture rigid with fear.I took a slow
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 165: The Stalker Phase
Alejandro's POVThe moment she stormed off, I knew exactly where she was heading. She is running back home.I turned to Ethan staring after her like a lovesick puppy."Stay away from my wife," I said, walking up behind him.He turned, shock and indignation crossing his features before settling into something harder. "Excuse me?""You heard me. Amelia is my wife. So whatever you think is happening between you two—it ends now."He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You're out of your mind."I stepped closer, looking him dead in the eye. "Let me make this crystal clear. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you think you mean to her. But she’s mine. And I'm taking her back home.""She doesn't even know you.""She'll remember." I turned to leave, then paused. "If you try to interfere, you'll regret it."I left him standing there, jaw clenched, hands balled into fists. He wasn't my concern. Estella was.Two hours later, I was on a jet back to Madrid.The suite at the Four Season
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 166: A Lie Wrapped in Truth II
The house was silent when I finally slipped into my bedroom, but my mind was anything but.I shut the door behind me, pressing my back against it. My body felt heavy, like all the adrenaline from the last twenty-four hours had suddenly drained out of me.I walked to my closet, peeling off my gown and slipping into one of my silk nightdresses.I climbed into bed, tucking the blankets up to my chin. But sleep?It did not come.I tossed and turned for what felt like hours, my mind cycling through the same, torturous questions.What if he wasn’t lying?What if my entire life—the life I had accepted, the life Eleanor built for me—was the real lie?I squeezed my eyes shut. No.He was manipulating me. That was what Eleanor said. He was obsessive. He wanted something from me. That’s why he knew so much about my past.Why had he looked at me that way? Like he had already decided who I was—like I didn’t have a say in it?I turned over, reaching for my phone on the nightstand.My fingers hovered
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 165: A Lie Wrapped in Truth
Amelia’s POVI barely remembered the flight home. The hours blurred together in a haze of exhaustion and adrenaline, Alejandro’s words were still hammering at my skull.“Estella.”“You were in a plane crash.”“You’re my wife.”“Arielle is my daughter.”None of it was true. It couldn’t be.My hands trembled, clutching my phone so tightly I was certain the screen would crack. Arielle. I needed to see my daughter.I gripped my suitcase handle so tightly my knuckles ached as I stepped into the house.Eleanor looked up from where she sat in the living room, flipping through a book. At the sight of me, her brows shot up in surprise.“Amelia? You’re home early. Where is Ethan?”I didn’t answer. My pulse pounded in my ears as I walked past her, heading straight for Arielle’s room.The door creaked softly as I pushed it open.There she was, curled up in bed, her little hand clutching the swan Ethan had given her. Her chest rose and fell in slow, even breaths.I knelt by her bedside, pressing m
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 164: A Name I Don’t Remember
The world tilted before me dangerously. I had to grip the balustrade to steady myself."Stop saying that! Antonio is my daughter’s father," I insisted, my voice cracking. "He died in a crash. The crash that I survived. Take your bullshit elsewhere."He shook his head, an almost pitying look crossing his face. "There was no car crash, Estella. You were in a plane crash on your way to the Amalfi Coast.""I'm not Estella!" I shouted, tears threatening at the back of my throat. "My name is Amelia Alvarez. And I don’t fucking know you. "Something flickered in his eyes – surprise, maybe. "You have to believe me this is all a cover," he said, then cleared his throat. "What had a sort of an arrangement.""What arrangement?" I demanded, confusion overwhelming me."Our marriage." He moved closer still, until I could feel the heat radiating from his body. "The one we had and both agreed to as revenge against Marco Valdez. Your ex-husband who nearly destroyed you.""Marco..." For a moment, all
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 163: A Dance with the Devil
Estella / AmeliaThe Ritz ballroom swirled with Paris elite, champagne flutes clinking against the background of string music. I smoothed my burgundy gown for the umpteenth time, still not quite believing I was here. Three years of declining this invitation, and somehow Ethan had convinced me to finally accept."You look stunning," Ethan murmured as he guided me across the dance floor, one hand settled respectfully at my waist. "Everyone's watching you."I managed a smile, fighting the urge to check my phone again. I'd called Arielle before she went to bed, but the guilt of missing our nightly story ritual gnawed at me."You're still thinking about her," Ethan said knowingly. "She's fine with your aunt. Kids are stronger than you think.""I know." I sighed, letting him twirl me. "I'm just not used to this. Being away from her for more than a few hours.""The mighty CEO of Alvarez Vineyards," he teased. "Conquers boardrooms but falls apart being away from her daughter for one night."I
