Semua Bab Fate’s Second Chance: Married to my Ex's Boss: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Silence filled the room, thick and suffocating.Asher stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable, but the air around him felt charged, heavy with something dark and dangerous.Jarem, on the other hand, looked entirely unfazed.His smirk hadn’t wavered, even as his fingers twitched at his sides, as if debating whether to grab me again.Asher took a slow step forward, his hands tucked into his pockets, his gaze settling on Jarem with quiet, lethal precision.“I believe I told you to let go,” he said, his voice eerily calm.Jarem chuckled, running a hand through his hair as if this was all some big misunderstanding. “Relax, boss. We were just talking.”Asher’s gaze flickered to my wrist—where bruises were already forming—before meeting Jarem’s eyes again. “That’s funny,” he murmured, tilting his head slightly. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you were hurting my fiancée.”Jarem’s smirk widened. “You think that’s hurting her?” His gaze slid back to me. “She used to lik

The moment the reception ended, I couldn't hold it in anymore.The weight of the day, the presence of them, the look in Asher’s eyes when he told me this was just the first warning—it all pressed down on me like a suffocating fog.I needed answers.As the last of the guests trickled out, I turned to Asher, my fingers still gripping the ruined fabric of my dress. “Why were they here?”Asher didn’t look surprised by my question. If anything, he had been expecting it.He loosened his tie slightly, exhaling as he gestured toward one of the private lounges in the venue. “Come inside. We need to talk.”Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten.We stepped into the room, the noise from outside fading as the door clicked shut behind us. The lighting was dim, the soft glow of a chandelier above casting shadows across Asher’s face.He sat down on one of the leather couches and gestured for me to do the same.I hesitated.Something in his expression—calm, unreadable—made me uneasy

Days passed in quiet harmony.Living with Asher was surprisingly… easy.There were no fights, no uncomfortable silences, no overbearing expectations. Our relationship was exactly what I had hoped for—comfortable. We had settled into a routine. Mornings over coffee, shared meals where conversations flowed effortlessly, and evenings spent in different corners of the house, doing our own things.It was peaceful.And yet…I felt restless.I had everything I needed. A beautiful home, a stable life, and a husband who, despite his reputation, was respectful and easy to be around. I should have been content.But I wasn’t.Because deep down, I yearned for more.I had spent so much of my past life clinging to Jarem, hoping to be enough for him, only to be cast aside like an afterthought. And now, in this second chance, I didn’t want to just exist.I wanted purpose.So one afternoon, as Asher sat in his home office, typing away on his laptop, I leaned against the doorframe and cleared my throat.

The interview had gone well.At least, I thought it had.The hiring manager had asked all the expected questions—my background, my skills, what I could bring to the company. I had kept my answers simple and professional, making sure not to slip up.No one in that room knew who I was. No one looked at me as Asher Cole’s wife.And for the first time in a long time, I felt like me.It was exhilarating.I shook hands with the manager, thanked her for her time, and stepped out of the building, feeling lighter than I had in weeks.Maybe this could work.Maybe I could build something for myself here.I checked my phone and realized I had some time to kill before heading home. A wave of exhaustion hit me—not just from the interview, but from everything. The wedding, the move, the constant feeling of walking on a tightrope between my past and my present.I needed a moment to breathe.I spotted a café nearby and decided to treat myself.The café was warm and inviting, filled with the rich aroma

I barely slept that night.Not because I was scared.But because I was confused.Asher’s reaction to the flowers lingered in my mind, looping over and over like a puzzle I couldn’t solve. I had seen many sides of him—his cold indifference, his rare amusement, even his sharp anger when Jarem had crossed a line.But last night?Last night was something different.His fury had been quiet but sharp, simmering beneath his skin like it was personal.Over flowers.I turned onto my side, staring at the faint sliver of moonlight filtering through the curtains.It wasn’t like I had destroyed the entire garden. I had only taken a few roses to brighten up the dining table. It wasn’t a crime. It wasn’t something worth snapping over.And yet, the way he had looked at me—the way his voice had turned cold, controlled, almost dangerous—it unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.I clenched my jaw, my fingers curling into the sheets.I should have told him about my job offer.But after his reaction, a