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12: The Faux Marriage Begins
Last Updated:
2024-11-23 13:26:47
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 13: Uninvited Guests
“Out of my way! Do you have any idea who I am?!” Every head turned. My stomach dropped as I saw her—regal in the worst way, with her pristine pearl suit and a face twisted in fury. Security was scrambling to hold her back, but she bulldozed through them like a woman possessed Behind her, Marco stumbled in, looking less like the polished businessman I once knew and more like an unhinged, sweaty mess. His suit jacket half hanging off his shoulders “Oh my God,” I muttered. Alejandro stiffened beside me, his jaw flexing as he ordered , “Stay close.” “Oh, don’t mind me!” Helena spat, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. “I just came to witness this little farce for myself. A sham wedding for a shameless woman!” She pointed at me like I was the plague, and I could feel the heat of a hundred eyes turning in my direction. “Mrs. Valdez,” Alejandro started, his voice cold and steady, but Helena was already charging ahead. “This gold-digger! This whore who ruined my
Last Updated : 2024-11-23Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 14: Adjusting to Married Life
The car ride back to Alejandro’s house was pure chaos—chaos fueled by laughter. Real, uninhibited laughter.“I can’t get over it,” I gasped, leaning back in the seat. “Helena, screaming at security, shouting ‘Do you know who I am?’ like that would magically stop them from tossing her out.”Alejandro smirked, his fingers tapping casually on the steering wheel. “The best part was Marco tripping over his own feet and crashing into the table.”“Did you see Helena’s face?” I gasped, clutching my stomach. “She looked like she’d swallowed a lemon when he fell.”I burst out laughing again, picturing Marco’s face covered in buttercream, flailing like a deranged toddler. “Imagine the tabloids tomorrow. ‘Valdez Matriarch Causes Scene at Ex Daughter in Law’s Wedding’”“Their stocks will take a hit,” Alejandro said, his voice quiet but smug.“Good,” I replied, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. “They deserve it.”As we pulled up to his house—our house—I felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Last Updated : 2024-11-24Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 15: Claudia’s Scheme
Marco sat on the edge of his couch, the glow of his phone illuminating his face. He was scrolling—no, swiping—through pictures of Alejandro and Estella’s wedding. His thumb paused on a shot of Estella stepping out of the car, her dress catching the light just right. She looked composed, regal even, but Marco’s blood boiled because he knew that smile was real. Alejandro stood beside her, his hand on her back like she belonged to him.Another picture. Estella laughing at something Alejandro said. Another. Alejandro bending slightly to whisper in her ear.Estella was supposed to only look at him like that. She was supposed to be his—yet here she was, practically glowing next to a man who clearly worshipped her“Still drooling over your ex-wife? How pathetic,” Claudia’s voice came behind him as she stepped into the room, her stiletto clicking against the floor.Marco didn’t turn, didn’t respond. He took a long swig from the whiskey bottle in his hand, his eyes still glued to the screen.S
Last Updated : 2024-11-25Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 16: Planning the Revenge
Valdez Corporation wasn’t just a company; it was an empire built in greed and cemented with blood. Alejandro didn’t need to say it outright. I could see it in the faded photographs he laid on the desk between us: black-and-white snapshots of Marco’s grandfather standing over laborers with a shotgun, contracts signed in ink too dark to ignore the rumors of forced acquisitions, and newspaper clippings viewing the “Valdez Empire” as the foundation of industrial growth.Stories whispered through the boardrooms told of rivals who disappeared overnight, of contracts signed under threats, and fortunes gathered at the cost of countless lives. Each generation of Valdez men inherited not just the wealth but the sins of their predecessors.Now, the Valdez name was everywhere—on supermarket shelves, lighting up skylines, fueling power grids. Yet beneath the glossy exterior lay a rotten core, a legacy of corruption and exploitation.It was that legacy Alejandro intended to destroy.Alejandro’s st
Last Updated : 2024-11-26Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 17: Planning the Revenge 2
“And my role in all this?”“The accident”“What about it?” I asked hesitantly.“The truck driver who died, Ramon Ortega That’s our linchpin. If we can prove Marco or Helena orchestrated it, it’ll be the final nail in the coffin.”“How do we do that?”“Ramon worked for Marco’s late father. That’s where the connection starts, but it’s not enough. We need more than a paper trail—something concrete.”I frowned, frustration bubbling to the surface. “How do we prove they were behind it? It’s not like they’re going to leave a signed confession lying around.”“We dig, Estella. Payments, phone calls, emails. Somewhere, there’s a trail that leads back to them. Always. They will have left traces—loose ends that connect them to the crash.” “Marco’s not careless. He wouldn’t have left evidence lying around.”“No,” Alejandro agreed, “but Helena might have. She’s reckless when she thinks no one’s watching. And she has a habit of trusting the wrong people.I thought back to the night of the accident
Last Updated : 2024-11-26Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 18: Grace
My phone pinged, and I quickly swiped it open. Found her. I grinned. Alejandro had come through faster than I expected. Throwing on a plain blouse and jeans, I grabbed my bag. “Okay,” I muttered to myself, slipping into sneakers. “Let’s do this.” The ride wasn’t long, but when I arrived, I couldn’t help staring at the modest house in front of me. It leaned more towards dilapidated than quaint—chipped paint, a sagging porch—but it had a charm to it, with potted flowers lining the steps. So, this is where Grace lives. Grace had been the housekeeper for Marco’s family way before I got married into the family, way before his father even died. I’m guessing the reason they strung her along for that long was because she couldn’t speak. Alejandro’s source was annoyingly efficient, as always. I stared at the place for a moment, nerves knotting in my stomach. If anyone can find the skeletons buried in the Valdez family closet, it was her. I knocked on the door, and it swung open
Last Updated : 2024-11-28Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 19: Step One
“Let me see,” I said, stepping closer. Alejandro glanced at me. “Curious?” “Let’s just say I want to watch this house of cards collapse.” He smirked, sliding his chair back so I could lean in. “Marco siphoned off over $50 million over the last five years,” he said, pointing to a file on the screen labeled Luxury Expenses. “Gambling debts Monaco, private jets, questionable offshore accounts. He’s been covering his tracks with falsified audits.” “And this is all going out?” Alejandro nodded. “I sent the files to a few key investors and news outlets. By now, they’re waking up to the kind of headline that makes stock prices tank.” As if on cue, the notifications on his phone light up like a Christmas tree. He checked it, lips curling into a satisfied grin. “The first article just went live. By lunchtime, Marco will be drowning.” I leaned against the desk. “Does he know yet?” Alejandro tilted his head, mockingly thoughtful. “Let’s hope not. I want him blindsided.” By noon,
Last Updated : 2024-11-28Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 20: Blood and Fear
“Alejandro, we need to get you out of here. Now.” My voice cracked as I pressed my palm against his shoulder, trying to slow the bleeding. He winced, his eyes darting around the chaotic parking lot. “You need to get to safety first,” he said, his voice tight with pain. “Safe?” I snapped, my voice rising over the panicked shouts around us. “Stop being so damn stubborn! You’re bleeding out, and I’m not leaving you here.” He grimaced but finally nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.” I slipped my arm around his waist, supporting as much of his weight as I could. Alejandro gritted his teeth but didn’t complain. Each step was agonizingly slow, his breath hitching with every jolt. “Stay behind me,” he muttered, pulling me closer to shield me as his eyes swept the area. I held on tighter. “Not happening.” The parking lot was a war zone. Broken glass glittered under the flickering lights, security guards shouted into radios, and distant sirens pierced the air. People screamed in the dist
Last Updated : 2024-11-29
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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,"
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 193: The Ties That Bind
ESTELLARaul, Clara, and Enrique pile into the penthouse, the takeout’s already spread across the kitchen island—pizza, wings, some fancy-ass pasta Alejandro insisted on. Kai’s toddling around, tugging at Raul’s pant leg, and Clara’s got that tired-mom glow."Don't look at my face like that," Raul said, catching my expression. "We're not leaving you two alone for a minute. Not until we're sure you won't try to run off again.""Raul!" Clara scolded, but her eyes sparkled with amusement."What? We all know it's true." He dropped onto the couch, stretching his legs. "Alejandro's turned into a real pain in the ass the past five years. I'm not dealing with that again.""You're such an asshole," I laughed.“Still can’t believe you’re sittin’ here, alive,” Enrique says, shoving a slice of pepperoni into his mouth. He’s perched on a stool, elbows on the counter, grinning like a kid who just won a bet. “You know, you might actually be a superhero.”I huffed a laugh. “What?”Enrique smirked. “T
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 192: Everything Clicks Into Place
ALEJANDRO"Running away again?" The words came out harsher than I intended, edged with irritation of her assuming and fleeing. Like she always did. She jerked her head up, eyes red-rimmed behind the oversized sunglasses she'd pushed up on her head."Fuck you," she spat, her voice raw.Not the reunion I was hoping for after last night. But at least she was looking at me, not running.I fought to keep my expression neutral, even as my insides twisted at the sight of her tear-stained face. She'd been crying—hard—and something told me it was because of me. I’m guessing she walked in on Vicky in my office just now. "You're an idiot,"Her eyes widened, fury replacing her tears. "Excuse me?""You heard me." I crossed my arms, studying her face. So goddamn beautiful, even when she looked like she wanted to tear my throat out. "Vicky is gay."She blinked. Once. Twice. Her mouth opened, then closed."What?" she finally managed."Vicky. The woman you saw in my office." I spelled it out slowly,
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 191: Walking In On Another Woman
I lunged forward before the doors fully opened, without looking and slammed right into someone."I'm sorry, I—" The words died in my mouth as I looked up.A sharp intake of breath followed. "Oh my God."Time seemed to freeze as I stared into the face staring back at mine .Clara eyes widened, lips parting in shock. For a heartbeat, we both stood paralyzed.Then her face crumpled, her eyes filling with tears instantly. "Estella? Is that you?"Before I could respond, she threw her arms around me, clutching me like I might disappear if she let go."It's you. It's really you," she sobbed, her whole body trembling.I clung to her just as desperately, burying my face in her shoulder. The scent of her perfume—the same one she'd worn for years—unleashed a flood of memories."Clara," I choked out, barely recognizing my own voice.She pulled back just enough to cup my face between her hands, eyes searching mine as if trying to convince herself I was real."I thought I was hallucinating," she wh
