Semua Bab Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak: Bab 181 - Bab 190

I didn't sleep. The hospital chair dug into my spine as I watched Arielle's chest rise and fall. Her fever had broken sometime around dawn, and the nurse had removed the IV. She'd be discharged today.And then what?My eyes burned, raw from crying and lack of sleep. The night replayed on an endless loop—Alejandro's face when he realized I'd been lying, the way his shoulders had stiffened, how the gentle man who'd comforted me hours before had vanished in an instant.I've destroyed us both.His words echoed in my head like a death sentence.The door swung open, and my heart seized. Alejandro stood in the doorway, his face a stone mask. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, but unlike me, he seemed carved from granite—hard, unyielding. His hands were clenched at his sides."How is she?" His voice was stripped of emotion."Better." I cleared my throat. "The doctor said she can go home today."Alejandro nodded once, his eyes sliding to Arielle, softening briefly before hardening again when they

I punched in Alejandro's number for the third time. The same result—straight to voicemail. Not even a ring this time."Fuck," I muttered, tossing my phone onto the passenger seat. Eleanor glanced at me from behind the wheel. "Still nothing?""He's blocked me." The realization hit like a punch to the gut. "Or he's deliberately sending me to voicemail.""Maybe he just needs time."I shot her a look. "Don't start with that therapist bullshit. I don’t need that now."We'd reached a fragile truce—living under the same roof again—but forgiveness wasn't something I was ready to cross yet."I need to see him face-to-face," I said, staring out the window. "He can't ignore me if I'm standing right in front of him."Eleanor sighed. "Amelia—""Just drop me at his place." I cut her off. "Please."Twenty minutes later, Eleanor pulled up to the house."Want me to wait?" Eleanor asked."No," I said, opening the car door. "I'll call if I need a ride."I watched her drive away before turning to face t

Alejandro It’s been three days since I'd fled Madrid. Three days of pretending I wasn't running from her. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the stack of contracts I'd been working through for the past fourteen hours. My eyes burned, but sleep wasn't an option. Sleep meant dreams, and dreams meant her. My phone vibrated against the desk. Enrique again, the fifth time today. Need a pickup from the office, boss? It's nearly midnight. I tossed the phone face-down on my desk without answering. Let him wonder. Let everyone wonder. I was done explaining myself. I picture her standing in her food steaming on the table. Her eyes, wide and hopeful when Arielle called me. "Fuck," I muttered, shoving away from my desk. Leaving was for the best. I repeated it like a mantra. A lie I didn't believe. I walked to the minibar in the corner of my office and reached for the whiskey before stopping myself. No. I hadn't touched a drink since I found out I have a daughter, and I wouldn

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

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