Semua Bab Dear Ex-wife, Please Come Back : Bab 11 - Bab 20

The board members stared at me, their expressions a mix of disbelief and judgment, but I didn’t care. My decision was made. They might not understand, but I wasn’t about to explain myself. I had made my choice, and if they couldn’t respect that, then that was their problem. “Lyvanne, are you sure about this?” one of the older men asked, his voice laced with concern. “We’re talking about a significant opportunity here. Alexander’s company is one of the best in London, the second-ranked company in the market…” I crossed my arms, feeling the weight of their stares but refusing to let it shake me. “I’ve made my decision. You have three days to find another investor. If you can’t, we’ll move forward without them. I’ll make it work.” The room fell silent, the tension so thick I could almost taste it. I wasn’t there for their approval. I was there for myself, for the company I had built. If Alexander didn’t fit into that vision a

(Alexander's POV)I watched them from my car, the heat of the engine pressing against my legs, but it did nothing to soothe the anger boiling in my chest. Lyvanne and Matteo. The way they laughed together—like they shared some secret only the two of them understood. His smile, the way it lit up his face, and her laughter, so carefree, so full of light, like nothing in the world could touch them. I couldn't tear my eyes away.It wasn’t jealousy, no. I wouldn’t let myself admit that. I wasn’t like that. I didn’t care what they did together. Or, at least, I shouldn’t. But the way he touched her—casually, with such familiarity, like he had every right to—gnawed at me.She didn't need help, I realized. She needed distance. And I had been fool enough to believe that I could help her. Fool enough to believe that the woman who had always stood on her own, who'd fought tooth and nail to rise in a world of men, would bend to me. To my will.I

I slammed the front door shut with determination, the weight of the day settling onto my shoulders. The long hours and the relentless swirl of thoughts didn’t stand a chance against my resolve. Exhausted but not defeated, I strode into the kitchen, ready to whip up something quick and uncomplicated to eat.The house was unnaturally quiet, the air heavy with an unspoken tension. It felt like the walls were bracing for impact, anticipating something. What that might be, I couldn’t pinpoint, but I had a nagging feeling it tied back to the deal I made with Alexander. Just thinking about him ignited a flash of annoyance within me.Why can’t I shake him off?I brushed the thought aside and grabbed a takeout bag from the counter. A burger, fries, and a drink. Not gourmet, but it would suffice. I tore open the package, shoving fries into my mouth, drowning out the unsettling feeling in my gut. Alexander’s words echoed in my mind, his smile, the ease with

(Lyvanne’s POV)I stopped abruptly when I saw Matteo.The moment our eyes locked outside the hotel entrance, my pulse quickened. How did he know I’d be here? There was no way it was a coincidence. With Matteo, everything felt orchestrated. His approach was smooth, confident, like he had been waiting for this very moment."Lyvanne," he said, his voice disturbingly calm. "Funny seeing you here."I blinked, pushing down my unease. I wasn’t prepared for this conversation yet—not after the chaos of the past few days. My mind buzzed with questions and doubts. It was clear he’d been following me, but how much did he really know?"Matteo," I responded, my tone sharper than I intended. I needed control and a solid boundary. "What are you doing here?"He shrugged, a grin teasing the corners of his mouth. "I’m in London for a bit. Just staying at the hotel for now. And you? What brings you here, if you don’t mind me asking?"

I stared at the screen of my phone, the call ringing for the third time, each tone echoing in my mind like a warning bell. A part of me wanted to throw the device across the room. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to him—I simply didn’t trust him, and that feeling was as suffocating as the summer heat hanging in the air. Alexander had a maddening way of worming his way into my head, unraveling my composure thread by thread. It was as if he had a sixth sense for when I was at my most vulnerable, always ready to manipulate the situation in his favor. With his name flashing on the screen, I felt my heart start to race and my blood pressure spike in tandem, a toxic mixture of anxiety and irritation.Drawing in a deep breath, I tried to quell the rising panic. Perhaps I was being overly cautious, but after years of navigating my way through people like him, paranoia had become both a shield and a weapon. It was hard to explain the sensation he invoked in me: a const