The last person Lisa expected to reach out was Antonio, not with all the back and forth with both their lawyers ever since she announced to leaved him. Now she sat across from Antonio, her arms folded and her face blank. “Say whatever you came to say,” she muttered. “I don’t have all day.”Antonio leaned back in his chair, smirking. “You don’t have all day? Doing what, Lisa? Tell me. What do you have to do? Last I checked, you were jobless. No business. No career. Nothing.”Lisa glared at him. “That is old news, Antonio. You don’t know me anymore. You have no idea what I'm now capable of, you should be careful how you talk to me.” “Oh, I know you,” Antonio laughed, his tone bitter. “I know you better than anyone, you relied on me for everything, remember? All those years of marriage, every coin you spent came from me. Now you want to act like you’re too busy? Busy with what? With nothing.”Lisa’s jaw tightened. “Don’t twist it, Antonio. You deceived me. You trapped me. You knew wh

Antonio was in his small study, in one of his small houses he still owned. He was sipping whiskey when Irene barged in, anger evident on her face.She slammed her bag on the table. “You won’t believe what just happened.”Antonio raised his brow lazily. “Judging by the fire in your eyes, I already know it has something to do with Lisa. She's been everywhere lately, harassing everyone. She's losing it.” “Yes!” Irene snapped. “That woman had the audacity to confront me in public. In a store. She insulted me right there like I was nothing.”Antonio chuckled. “And what did she say this time? That I’m a devil? That you’re just another one of my women?” “She called me a cheap thing!” Irene hissed. “A prime minister’s daughter, and she said I parade myself like trash! She mocked me, Antonio. She mocked my family. She said I was just your toy, that you never had anything platonic with a pretty woman. She called me disgraceful.”Antonio leaned back, smiling faintly. “Well… she knows me too

Clarissa was flipping through a magazine on the couch, barely paying attention to the pages. She sighed and reached for her glass of water just as the maid walked in. “Madam, Lady Amber Halstead is here.”Clarissa frowned, shocked. “Amber? Here?” She stood, straightened her gown, and walked out to see Amber was waiting in the foyer. "Look who the cat dragged here. The heiress to the Halstead empire." "Hi, Amber. You look well." Amber tried to hide her nervousness.Clarissa’s lips curved into a cold smile. “Lady Amber Halstead. What a pleasant surprise. It has been what? Two years? The last time I saw you and was nice to you was at my wedding. The one you ruined before it even began. Do you remember?”Amber drew a long breath. “I didn’t come to fight, Clarissa. I came to talk. Please.”Clarissa crossed her arms. “Talk? About what? Don’t tell me you came all the way here just to drop pleasantries. You only do that with people you're friends with, and we are not friends. Even thoug

The lounge buzzed softly with the low hum of conversations, the clink of glasses, and faint jazz spilling from hidden speakers. Xavier sat in his usual corner, a glass of whiskey cradled in his hand as he scrolled lazily through his phone. His presence alone commanded attention.The scrape of a chair across from him broke his thoughts. Xavier raised his eyes, unhurried, to find Antonio sliding into the seat opposite him, a smug smile stretching across his face. “Well, look who we have here,” Xavier muttered, his lips curling into something between amusement and irritation. “To what do I owe this… intrusion?”Antonio leaned forward, resting both elbows on the table like he owned the place. “I just thought it was time we had a little man-to-man chat,” he said coolly. “Tell me, Xavier… how does it feel? Sitting on another man’s throne? Wearing a crown that doesn’t belong to you?”Xavier chuckled, low and rich, as if Antonio had just told the funniest joke of the evening. He swirled the

The ride was long, the silence inside the car was heavy as Xavier sat with his hands clenched, eyes darting to the windows as the men flanking him stayed quiet. “Where the hell are we going?” His tone was sharp, but his voice was steady.The man in the passenger seat didn’t turn. “You’ll find out soon.”Xavier scoffed. “You expect me to believe you're a financial crime official? You think I don’t know a fake badge when I see one? If you know what’s good for you, turn this car around. Drop me where you picked me up, and I’ll pretend this never happened.”The man beside him pushed him back into his seat with a heavy palm. “Relax. We’re almost there.” “Almost where?” Xavier demanded.There was no reply. Just silence.Minutes turned to an hour. The skyline disappeared behind them, replaced by bush paths, deserted fields, and cracked roads. Xavier kept his eyes locked on the windows, memorizing every turn. He wasn’t stupid.Finally, the car screeched to a halt in front of a large aband