LOGINShare
13: Uninvited Guests
Last Updated:
2024-11-23 13:33:08
Related chapters
Till 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 : 2024-11-29Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 21: A Month After
It’s been a month since the shooting.Alejandro insisted we move to his penthouse while he recovered, a sprawling glass-and-steel fortress perched in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The place screamed wealth—floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the skyline. A view that would’ve made a poet cry.And yet, I couldn’t enjoy it.Every time I saw him shirtless—his shoulder bandaged, the bruising still fading—I felt the phantom stickiness of his blood on my hands. Every time he winced, I heard the echo of that gunshot.I was losing sleep over itThe news didn’t break until two days after the shooting outside the Wellington Club.Carl Whitman, the Texas oil tycoon, had been the sniper’s primary target. The bullet meant for him struck true, ending his life in an instant. It all made sense in hindsight—the chaos, the way the attack seemed planned down to the second. Carl Whitman was the prize. But if that was true, what the hell had Alejandro and I been caught in? Collateral damage?This do
Last Updated : 2024-11-30
Latest chapter
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
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 190: The Visit
I stared at my reflection in Alejandro's closet mirror one last time before heading out. The woman looking back at me was caught between two identities—Amelia Alvarez, the woman who lived in Madrid with no past, and Estella De Luca, the woman who built a life alongside the man who'd just reclaimed every inch of my body.Last night changed everything and nothing at the same time. I grabbed my phone, fully charged now, and pulled up the address."Time to remember," I whispered to my reflection.In his closet, I found a dark baseball cap and a pair of oversized sunglasses. A weak disguise, but enough to avoid immediate recognition. I wasn't ready for a grand entrance—not yet anyway.I grabbed my purse and slipped out the door. The doorman nodded politely, not recognizing me—another knife twist of how completely I'd vanished from this life.In the cab, I watched the New York streets blur past. My heart hammered against my ribs as the name "Estrella Designs" burned in my mind. Clara had k
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 189: Never Again
The bed was exactly as I remembered it—king-sized, with dark sheets that had always contrasted so beautifully with my skin. How many nights had we spent here, tangled together in passion or simply sleeping in each other's arms?I stood by the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do. What comes next now? This moment felt fragile. One wrong move, and whatever connection and peace we'd reestablished might shatter.Alejandro came up behind me, his chest pressed against my back, arms encircling my waist. His lips found my shoulder, then my neck, working their way up to my ear."On your knees," he murmured, and the command sent a shiver down my spine.I complied, crawling onto the bed and positioning myself as instructed. The towel fell away, leaving me exposed to his gaze. I heard his sharp intake of breath, felt the bed dip as he knelt behind me.His hands gripped my hips, pulling me back against him. "You left, Estella.""I know," I whispered, dropping my head between my arms. "I know."He
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 188: Punishing Love
It wasn't gentle. It wasn't forgiving. It was demanding, consuming, raw. I gasped against his mouth, my hands clutching at his shoulders, his back, anywhere I could reach. His body pressed against mine, pinning me to the wall. One of his hands tangled in my hair, pulling just enough to hurt, to remind me of all the pain between us. His hands gripped my waist, yanking me against him. "Five fucking years," he growled against my mouth. I gasped as his teeth scraped my lower lip, then bit down hard enough to make me taste copper. The pain shot straight to my core, making me moan. "Did he get to see you like this?" He spun me around, pressing my chest against the cold wall. His erection pressed against my ass, his breath hot on my neck. "All desperate and needy?" I gasped unable to answer as his hand slid up my thigh, under my skirt. His fingers hooked into my panties, ripping the delicate fabric with one sharp tug. The sound of tearing lace made me whimper. "I hate how much
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 187: A Door Between Us
The cold marble floor of the hallway numbed my ass hours ago. I'd lost track of time, sitting outside, knees pulled to my chest like some pathetic stalker.Each time the elevator dinged, my heart leapt into my throat, but it was never him. Just neighbors casting curious glances at the woman camping outside the most expensive unit in the building.What the hell was I doing here?Forty floors up in a New York high-rise, three thousand miles from Madrid, from Arielle. I'd left our daughter with aunt Eleanor after promising her I'd bring Daddy home."It'll just be a few days," I'd told her, brushing her hair from her forehead."Promise you'll fix it?"I couldn't lie to her again. "I promise I'll try."Now I was sitting on floor with nothing to show for it. All attempts to call him, straight to voicemail. Twenty-two hours of travel. A quick flight on a private jet, arranged by a single call to my family's assistant.I stared at the keypad beside his door.I considered the door code. Would
