2025-04-22 14:35:27
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CHAPTER 90
Ethan’s POV I watched her from the bed, the way she fussed over the tray like a waitress auditioning for a role she wasn’t born for. Vanessa was wiping the edges of the food tray now, meticulous, like it mattered. Who knew she had it in her, this sudden nurturing instinct? This strange, delicate roleplay of wifeliness. Except she wasn’t my wife. Not anymore. And even when she was, she wasn’t like this.She picked up the now-empty bottle of water and dropped it into the wastebasket like it had personally offended her, then reached for the napkins and folded them neatly as if she were resetting a table at a five-star restaurant.“You really don’t have to do that,” I said, finally breaking the silence.She turned, wide-eyed, like I’d caught her stealing something. “Do what?”“This,” I gestured weakly. “Waiting on me like it’s some dinner date.”She gave a small, almost innocent shrug. “You needed the help. I was already here.”But were you? I wondered silently. Were you just... already
CHAPTER 89
Vanessa’s POV Ethan shifted on the bed, jaw tight, eyes clouded with a stubborn fire. I watched him clench his fists against the sheets as he braced himself to stand. Every movement was deliberate, slow, like his body was screaming in pain but his pride wouldn’t let him show it. Typical Ethan. Always the strong one. Always the hero, even if it meant tearing himself apart.He groaned softly, trying to mask it with a sharp breath, and pushed himself upright.“Ethan, please,” I said, stepping closer. “You need to relax. I’m not here to hurt you, I swear. If you want me gone, just say the word, I’ll leave. But please… don’t strain yourself. Let your body recover.”He didn’t even look at me.“I need to get a message to the palace,” he muttered, dragging a hand over his face. “They’ll be worried sick by now.”“You can use my phone,” I said, extending my phone toward Ethan with a smile that didn’t quite meet my eyes. My fingers trembled just slightly, but I held it steady. Calm. Collected.
CHAPTER 88
Olivia’s POV “You’re wasting ink, Olivia,” Andrew snapped, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded. “You know he’s not going to read any of those.”I didn’t even lift my head. My pen moved faster. “I don’t write them for him to read. I write them for me.”He exhaled, frustrated. “So now we’re pretending journaling fixes betrayal?” He pushed off the frame and walked into the room. “You sent him a message eight days ago. No reply. What does that tell you?”I slammed the journal shut. “It tells me he’s scared. Or confused. Or... processing.”Andrew arched a brow. “Processing? Liv, you’re five months pregnant with a man’s child and he hasn’t even called you back. What kind of man does that sound like to you?”I opened my mouth. Nothing came out.Exactly.He sighed again and sat on the edge of the bed beside me. The familiar scent of his cologne brought me back to simpler times, when things were just cousins and childhood and Christmases. Not lies. Not heartbreak.“You’re bette
CHAPTER 87
Vanessa’s POV "You’re sure about this?" I asked, voice sharp as the blade I’d mentally held to the neck of anyone who dared lie to me. "Crystal," she replied, the smugness dripping from her tone like thick honey. "I watched him come out of the suite, looking very satisfied, by the way. Not even trying to hide it." I squeezed my phone tighter, knuckles whitening. "And the girl?" "Barely covered. She looked like she had no shame left in her. Walked out of there adjusting her dress like it was routine. I gave her a little tip. Loosened her lips real quick." My lips curled. Of course you did."What did she say?" I asked, pacing the walkway of the hospital. The floor was too clean, the lights too white. Everything too clinical for the boiling chaos inside me. "Confirmed it all. Two rounds, she said. Two whole rounds. That man literally devoured her." For a moment, I couldn't speak. Not because I was hurt. No, far from it. My silence came from the sheer delight that zipped up my spin
CHAPTER 86
Vanessa’s POV “I knew you’d try something stupid,” I said aloud, imagining Nathan’s smug face. “But what you didn’t know? One of your men, one of your loyal dogs was sleeping in my bed last weekend.” I chuckled, my lips curling in delight.“Men,” I muttered, letting out a thin stream of smoke. “Wave a little skin, a few moans in the dark, and suddenly, secrets slip out like confessions in a confessional.” His name was Jeb. A nobody. A thug with just enough brawn to earn Nathan’s trust and just enough stupidity to become my puppet. He thought I cared. I didn’t. I needed eyes. Ears. And a mouth that whispered back to me. “And he did,” I whispered, pride swelling. “God bless his lonely libido.” The real win, though? Getting to the scene before it was too late. Beating the ambulance. Swooping in like some divine intervention dressed in designer. Ethan had looked dazed. Bloody. Vulnerable.Perfect. My fingers twitched around the cigarette.“I swear,” I muttered darkly, “Nathan’s goin
CHAPTER 85
Vanessa’s POV "Five days?" I echoed, feigning concern like the seasoned actress I was, but inside? I was dancing barefoot on clouds. Five whole days with Ethan under the same roof, in the same space, sharing air, proximity... God, it felt like fate had finally chosen to play on my side for once. "Yes," the nurse repeated with a polite smile, unaware of the performance playing out behind my calm facade. "It's standard observation protocol for patients involved in an accident with mild concussion symptoms and chest trauma. If he continues to improve with no complications, he can be discharged after that." I nodded graciously. "Thank you. I appreciate the care you’re giving him."My eyes shifted toward Ethan. Even in that state, no, especially in that state, he looked divine. It was ridiculous, really. I had seen Ethan a thousand times, in suits, in robes, even shirtless at the villa pool when we were still married, but never like this. Never so vulnerable. Never so real. And damn it
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