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154: An Ordinary Evening II
Last Updated:
2025-02-25 21:21:40
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 155: Tiny Questions, Big Answers
Amelia / Estella "Higher, Mama! I want to touch the clouds!" I push Arielle's swing, watching her little legs kick at the sky. The playground is mostly empty this late afternoon, just a few kids wrapping up their play dates. We are here for ballet practice which ended early after Miss Carmen twisted her ankle, and I couldn't say no when Ari begged for "just five minutes" at the park. "Look how high I'm going!" She throws her head back, dark curls streaming behind her. "I'm flying!" "You sure are, baby." I give her another push, earning another delighted squeal from her. These are the moments I live for – just us, no complications, no missing memories pressing against my skull. "Sofia says I can't be a real swan." The words come out casual, but I catch the slight tremor in her voice. My hands tighten on the swing chains. "Why would she say that?" Arielle shrugs, her next kick less enthusiastic. "She says real swans have mamas and papas. And I only have a mama." Fuck.
Last Updated : 2025-02-25Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak Chapter 156: Tiny Questions, Big Answers II
Arielle's in the stuffed animal section, curled up in the reading nook. Her eyes are red but defiant when I sit beside her."I'm not apologizing.""Yes, you are." I brush a tear from her cheek. "That was incredibly rude.""He deserved it." She hugs her legs tighter. "I don't want a new daddy."The words hit like a punch to the gut. "Baby...""Everyone at school has one. But I don't need one. I have you and Nana and that's enough."I pull her into my lap, swan and all. "You're right. We're enough, just us. But that doesn't mean you get to be mean to people.""He's going to keep coming around." She burrows into my neck. "And then you'll like him better than me.""Hey." I tilt her chin up. "No one in this world could ever be more important to me than you. You're my heart walking around outside my body.""Promise?""Cross my heart and hope to die."She considers this solemnly. "Stick a needle in your eye?""Obviously." I tickle her side, drawing out a reluctant giggle. "Now, about that ap
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak Chapter 157: The Price of Fame
The universe has a sick sense of humor.That's the only explanation for why Ethan is standing outside the toy store, holding a pristine white swan plush that makes Arielle's eyes light up like Christmas came early."Is that—" She tugs my hand, previous animosity forgotten at the sight of the stuffed animal."For you?" Ethan crouches down, holding out the swan. "I saw how much you liked the one inside. Consider it a peace offering?"I open my mouth to refuse, but Arielle's already reaching for it. "It's so soft!" She crushes it against her chest, then narrows her eyes at Ethan. "This doesn't mean you can date my mama."He laughs, and for a second I catch that phantom scent again – leather and spice, but different from his cologne. My head spins with the familiar-yet-not sensation that's haunted me since the accident."Actually, I was hoping we could be friends." He meets her suspicious gaze. "Just you and me. No mama-dating involved.""Friends?" She pets the swan's head, considering. "
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak Chapter 158: Gone Viral
"I'm so sorry!" I push through the last row of onlookers, grabbing Arielle's shoulders and pulling her back. "I’m so sorry. It was an accident."Julia looks down at the ice cream stain spreading across the front of her Valentino dress, then at Arielle's stricken face."Do you have any idea what this dress cost?" Her voice rises, distress overriding the social niceties. "This is supposed to be the most important moment of my life, and now it's ruined!""I'm sorry," Arielle whispers, lower lip trembling. "I didn't mean to."Mark steps forward, looking torn between comforting his fiancée and diffusing the situation. "Babe, it's just a dress. The kid didn't mean it. We can get it dry cleaned.""Just a dress?" Julia whirls on him. "This is Valentino! And now every photo, every video of our engagement has this—this disaster!""Hey," I step between her and Arielle, whose tears are now falling freely. "I understand you're upset, but she's just a child. And like I said it was an accident.""We
Last Updated : 2025-02-27Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 159: The Ghost in the Screen
Alejandro The boardroom fell silent as I slammed my fist against the polished mahogany table, causing the pitchers of water to tremble. The executives seated around me visibly flinched, but I couldn't give less of a fuck about their comfort."The Hong Kong deal is non-negotiable." My voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Either they accept our terms or we pull out completely."Marcus, the new VP of acquisitions, cleared his throat. "Mr. De Luca, with all due respect—""Did I ask for your input?" I fixed him with a stare that made him physically recoil.The room temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Five years ago, I might have cared about building consensus, about hearing different perspectives. That Alejandro died along with Estella.I reached for the tumbler of whiskey beside my laptop—my constant companion these days. The amber liquid burned down my throat, a familiar comfort in a world that had long since lost its color."You have forty-eight hours to close the deal.
Last Updated : 2025-02-28Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 160: Chasing Clues
Alejandro I stormed into my penthouse with Raul following after me, throwing my suit jacket across the room where it landed in a heap of already piling clothes on the Italian leather sofa. The housekeeper isn’t coming in until the weekend. The whiskey bottle called to me from the bar, all I wanted to do was head over there and drown this thoughts down, but for once, I ignored it. I needed my head clear for this."Pull up everything on every available database." I paced across the hardwood floors while Raul sat and set up his laptop at my dining table. "And I mean everything."I couldn’t remember the drive from the office and how I made it home. It had been a blur of several thoughts. My mind kept replaying that video on loop—the woman with Estella's face, the little girl with my eyes. The ghost of my wife was haunting me in flesh and blood.Raul's fingers flew across the keyboard. "I've accessed databases that would land us both in federal prison, but there's barely anything on Ameli
Last Updated : 2025-02-28Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 161: The Truth They Kept From Me
Raul took a deep breath. "It might be her, Alejandro.""Based on what? The resemblance isn't proof—""Clara confessed something to me ." His voice dropped. "She—Estella was pregnant when she boarded that plane."The world tilted beneath my feet. "What the fuck did you just say?""Clara only told me last year. When she was pregnant with Kai, she got emotional and teary one night and spilled everything. She said Estella had just found out after she was buried. She was planning to tell you when finally joined her."My vision tunneled, rage burning white-hot. I crossed the distance between us in two steps, grabbing Raul by his shirt collar and slamming him against the nearby wall."You knew for a year and said NOTHING?" I roared, my face inches from his."Alejandro!" He didn't fight back. "You were just getting clean! You'd barely survived the overdose. What good would it have done to tell you that she was pregnant when she died in that crash?"My fist pulled back, trembling with fury."G
Last Updated : 2025-03-01Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 162: Crossing Oceans
The private jet touched down on the soil with a gentle thud. I straightened my tie, already reaching for my phone before we'd fully taxied to a stop."Car's waiting," I said to Raul and Clara, who I noticed exchange worried glances across the aisle. I ignored it and instead said "We're going straight to the vineyard.""Alejandro," Raul said cautiously as we disembarked, the warm Madrid air hitting us after hours in recycled cabin oxygen. "Maybe we should think this through before doing anything."I ignored him, striding toward the sleek black Mercedes I'd arranged to pick us. The driver opened the door, and I slid into the back seat, already punching the vineyard's address into my phone."Alvarez Vineyards," I instructed the driver. Raul caught the door before it closed. "Boss, wait." His voice was firm enough to make me look up. "This is a mistake.""Get in the car or stay behind," I said coldly. I am still angry at the both of them. "I don't care which."Clara slipped in beside me
Last Updated : 2025-03-03
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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,"
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,
