Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband novel Chapter 185

185 Is This A Trap? 

185 Is This A Trap? 

(Winona) 

My heart is in my throat as we’re led to the private room where Ashlyn is waiting. 

Jayden’s hand brushes mine, a silent gesture of reassurance, but it does little to calm the storm of emotions churning inside me. I’m here, but every fiber of my being is telling me this is a mistake. 

I can’t shake the feeling that this is some kind of trap. I’ve been lured in but somehow I’m the bait as well. 

We enter the room, and there she is. Ashlyn. She’s sitting at a small table, her hands cuffed behind her. There’s a guard posted by the door, his presence a stark reminder of where we are. 

Ashlyn looks different–impossibly thinner, paler–and her eyes don’t have that same look. 

She reminds me of that teen, three years younger than me, that I first spoke to because she was sitting alone. I must be careful. She is far from that person, no matter what act she’s perfected right now. 

“Winona, I didn’t know you were coming,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“Yeah, surprise,” I answer flatly. 

“Thank you.” Her tone is not the same. 

Jayden and I sit down across from her, and my skin prickles with unease. Every instinct I have is screaming at me to get out of here, but I can’t. Not yet 

Jayden’s voice is calm, steady. “What do you need to say, Ashlyn?” 

She glances at the guard, and then back at Jayden. 1 can’t talk freely with him here. I don’t trust anyone here.” 

Here we go. Trying to make us feel sorry for her. Fat chance. 

Jayden pulls out his wallet and hands the guard a thick wad of cash. “Give us some privacy.” 

The guard hesitates for a moment, and Jayden hands him more cash. Then he nods. “Five minutes.” 

“Ten.” Jayden counters, 

The guard nods and closes the door behind him. We’re alone with her now, and though she’s handcuffed, I don’t trust her for a second. 

“So, what’s this about?” 

told Jayden in the text.” 

“Oh, the baby story. Come on, Ashlyn. How stupid do you think we are? We know there’s no baby. How can there be?” 

She looks down at her hands, silent for a long moment. Too long. I don’t like it. It feels calculated, like she’s trying to draw us in, make us wait, make us anxious. And it’s working 

Jayden reaches out, placing his hand on the table. “Ashlyn, just say what you need to say. And stop with 

the lies.” 

+25 BONUS 

185 Is This A Trap? 

She finally looks up, her eyes meeting his. “I am pregnant. I don’t know how. But despite everything the baby has survived, and I want this baby to have a good life.” 

She looks dead serious. 

“Why would you want the baby to have a good life now? If you knew you were pregnant when you went down those stairs, you didn’t care you were risking the baby’s life.” 

“I thought I’d miscarried. I thought if I wasn’t then I would never keep Jayden and I couldn’t stay married to him, you weren’t getting him either.” 

Her words hang like a noose around my neck. I can’t breathe. 

I narrow my eyes, suspicion boiling over. “How do we know you’re telling the truth? Is this another one of your twisted games?” 

Her eyes flicker. “I’m not lying, Winona. I can prove it.” 

“Prove it, then,” I snap. I don’t care if I’m being harsh. This is Ashlyn we’re talking about. I’m not giving her 

an inch.