Chapter 69
Edmund POV
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The morning after the gala felt like waking into the wreckage of a storm I hadn’t seen coming
The house was too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes your thoughts louder.
I stood by the kitchen counter, one hand braced against the marble, the other gripping a mug of black coffee that had gone cold in my palm. The caffeine didn’t help. My mind kept replaying last night, Amelia’s f pale and hurt under the ballroom lights… the way she looked away from me as if I’d caused her so m
I hadn’t slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her walking away, Scarlett’s little voice calling Lody in the background, fading behind the sound of paparazzi cameras.
A sigh escaped me. “You really messed up, Montgomery,” I muttered under my breath.
The smell of burnt toast lingered in the air; I’d been too lost in thought to pull it out on time. I poured another cup of coffee instead and leaned on the island counter, staring at the muted television in the comer of the room. The morning show hosts were laughing about celebrity scandals, but at the bottom of the screen. I saw it, my name.
*“CEO Edmund Montgomery and mystery doctor cause stir at charity gala.”*
My grip tightened around the cup. They used a photo of me and Amelia standing too close, mid- conversation, with Vikki glaring in the background. The perfect angle to catch the scene.
The headlines were already spinning the story‘ *Married Billionaire’s Secret Affair, Charity Night or Cheating Night?‘*
I closed my eyes, feeling that familiar tightness in my chest. Amelia didn’t deserve this. None of it
The sound of footsteps broke through my thoughts.
I turned just as Vikki stumbled into the kitchen, wearing one of her silk robes, her hair messy, her mascara smudged under her eyes. She reeked faintly of alcohol and perfume, like the aftermath of a long night she didn’t remember or didn’t care to hide.
“Well, look who’s up early,” I said dryly, though my tone carried no humor.
She gave me a slow, sarcastic smile, grabbing the counter to steady herself. “Early? Edmund, it’s almost noon. You’ve been brooding in this kitchen since you got up, haven’t you?”
I didn’t respond. My gaze flicked over her, the faint glitter on her neck, the smeared lipstick, the way her robe barely clung to one shoulder.
“Where are you coming from?” I asked finally.
She tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Why? Are we playing the concerned husband this morning?
18:38 Fri, Apr 10
Chapter 69
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I set my cup down, the sound sharp against the marble. “Answer the damn question, Vikki.”
Her smirk faltered for a second before she shrugged. “Out. You’re not the only one allowed to have a little fun.”
The words were deliberate. A jab.
I laughed under my breath, bitter and low. “So this is what it’s come to now? We both pretend to care, while tearing each other down in the tabloids?”
“Oh, please.” She scoffed and reached for a glass of water. “You think I don’t see what’s going on? You parade that little doctor around like your latest charity project. Don’t insult my intelligence.”
My jaw clenched. “Watch your words, Vikki.”
“Why?” she snapped, eyes glinting with venom. “Afraid someone might finally say the truth? You’ve been screwing her and I know it.”
The accusation hit the air like a slap.
I didn’t flinch. I didn’t deny it either. I just stood there, my silence saying more than words could.
Her face twisted with disbelief, then fury. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “You didn’t even try to deny it.”
I met her gaze evenly. “Because I’m done pretending. This-” I gestured between us “has been dead for years. You know it. I know it. We both stayed for convenience, for reputation, for that picture–perfect illusion. But it’s over, Vikki. This sham of a marriage is over.”
For a heartbeat, she didn’t move. Then, slowly, she laughed,low, and bitter. “You really think it’s that easy, don’t you?”
I said nothing.
She stepped closer, reeking of alcohol. “You think you can just walk away from me, Edmund? From everything I’ve built beside you?”
My voice hardened. “You built nothing beside me. You built your image. I built this company. I built our name.”
Her expression changed, cold fury twisting her beautiful face. “You arrogant bastard,” she hissed. “You think you’re untouchable. You think because you wear your suits and talk about ethics, you can just throw me away?”
I took a slow step back. “I think because I’m finally tired of living a lie, I have every right to start over.”
She slammed the glass on the counter, water splashing across the marble. “Start over? With her?”
The air crackled with tension.
I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to. The truth was written all over my face.
18:38 Fri, Apr 10
Chapter 69
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Vikki’s eyes went wild, glossy with unshed tears and rage. “You’re pathetic,” she spat. “A fool blinded by a woman who’ll ruin you the moment she gets bored. You think she loves you? She loves what you can give her, just like everyone else.”
“That’s enough,” I spat.
But she wasn’t done. “You’re going to regret this, Edmund Montgomery. You’re going to wake up one morning and find everything you’ve worked for, your company, your reputation, your precious public image, all gone.”
I met her glare, calm but cold. “If that’s the price for peace, I’ll pay it.”
Her lips trembled, not with sadness, but anger. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” she said in a low, venomous whisper. “You think I can’t destroy you? Watch me.”
She turned abruptly, robe swishing as she stormed out of the kitchen, shouting over her shoulder, “Get ready to watch everything you’ve worked for go down the drain. I will destroy you, Edmund Montgomery!”
Her voice echoed up the staircase before the sound of a door slamming shook the walls.
The silence that followed was deafening.
I stood there, hands braced on the counter, chest heaving slightly as the weight of her words sank in.
Part of me, the rational businessman, knew she wasn’t bluffing. Vikki had connections. Deep ones. She’d spent years building her image in the upper social circles, the kind where reputations were currency. One whisper from her, and everything I’d built could be dragged through the mud.
But another part of me, the one that had spent the night thinking about Amelia’s eyes, about Scarlett’s laughter, didn’t care.
Freedom was worth the risk.
I picked up my phone and scrolled through the endless stream of messages. My assistant had sent over articles, PR updates, and statements waiting for my approval. Reporters were calling nonstop.
At the top of the screen was Amelia’s contact. No response to my message from last night. No calls returned.
I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face. “You probably hate me right now,” I murmured to no one. “And I can’t even blame you.”
The smell of coffee had turned bitter. I poured it down the sink, letting the dark liquid swirl away. My reflection in the window looked like a stranger, tired eyes, a man who’d built everything but somehow lost himself in the process.
How had things gone so wrong so fast?
A year ago, my life had been predictable. Controlled. Every decision, every move, calculated. I had my wife, my company, my reputation. The perfect façade.
18:38 Fri, Apr 10
Chapter 69
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31
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Then Amelia walked back into my world and reminded me of the love I never thought I even had for her with her quiet strength, her stubborn kindness, her maddening ability to see through every wall I built.
And suddenly, the life I’d spent years constructing with my supposed first love felt… empty.
I sank onto one of the kitchen stools, elbows on my knees. “She deserves better than this,” I whispered.
The door upstairs slammed again. Vikki’s heels clicked furiously across the floor, then down the staircase. She appeared in the doorway, now fully dressed. Hair brushed, eyes lined.
“You’ll regret this,” she said coldly. “I promise you, Edmund. I’m not some discarded wife you can write off. You think you can humiliate me in front of society and walk away clean? No. I’ll make sure your little doctor knows what kind of man you really are before this week is over.”
“Vikki-”
“Save it.” She lifted her chin with practiced grace. “I’m done talking.”
And then she was gone. The front door slammed shut behind her, echoing through the empty house like a final warning.
I leaned back against the counter, eyes closed. The silence returned, heavy, suffocating even.
But beneath it, something else stirred.
The end of one chapter, maybe. And the beginning of a fight I knew I couldn’t avoid anymore.
I glanced again at my phone. Still no message from Amelia.
I wanted to see her, to explain, to tell her everything, to make her believe that whatever was happening between Vikki and me had nothing to do with her. That she wasn’t a mistake.
But right now, all I had to do was wait for her to come around.
Whatever it took, I was going to make things right.
Even if it meant losing everything else. But the problem was, did I really want to lose everything?
18:38 Fri, Apr 10
Chapter 70
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
