Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 44

It was a lethal question.

Who had Julian been prioritizing over his own flesh and blood lately?

Whose cloying, sickly-sweet perfume was permanently stamped onto his clothes?

The truth was glaringly obvious. What was there left to guess?

Yet, Elara forced the question into the open anyway.

She wanted to watch him squirm. She needed to see how he would spin his web of lies right after being reminded of his vow to leave their marriage with absolutely nothing.

Julian faltered for a fraction of a second, but his composure remained largely intact. Years of cutthroat corporate maneuvering had given him an impeccable poker face, and the excuse slipped off his tongue effortlessly. "A crucial colleague at the firm got severely injured."

Vivian was technically on his payroll, and in his mind, no one in the company mattered more than she did. Labeling her a "crucial colleague" felt entirely justified.

"So you rushed to the hospital?" Elara asked.

Julian nodded. "Yes."

"I was in full panic mode. I just completely lost control of my temper."

Elara stared at him blankly.

He supposedly rushed to a hospital, yet he didn't carry a trace of clinical antiseptic. Instead, he reeked of a woman's sweet fragrance...

It was such a pathetically transparent lie. He wasn't even trying to put effort into deceiving her anymore.

Smoothly retracting her hand, Elara slid back beneath the covers. "It's late. Go to sleep."

Julian stood up. "I've got a few emails to fire off. You go ahead. I'll be back in a bit."

Elara offered no reply, keeping her back to him as she settled in.

Julian quietly slipped out of the bedroom and made his way to the home office.

He had headed straight home after work earlier, tossing his briefcase onto the study desk.

He had been building his empire for nearly a decade, and operations ran like a well-oiled machine. Expanding into new markets wasn't something that required his manic micromanagement, which meant his recent "overtime" was dedicated to an entirely different project.

Ark Solutions had been established a few years before he married Elara. While she held zero equity, Julian had declined a prenuptial agreement as a gesture of profound gratitude for her relentless support during those grueling startup days.

He had spent the last few days fine-tuning the document for their inevitable confrontation. The terms clearly stipulated she would walk away with a condo and a multimillion-dollar payout.

Clearly, this generous offer was no longer on the table.

Elara was far too greedy. She actually expected him to forfeit his entire empire!

She'd probably laugh in his face at the millions and the pathetic real estate consolation prize.

In that case, he had to take far more drastic measures to protect his wealth.

Riiiip.

Gripping the thick stack of papers, Julian tore the settlement in half without a shred of hesitation.

If she was going to be utterly ruthless, then he was officially taking the gloves off.

Exhausted from sobbing herself to sleep, Melody woke up with a pounding headache. She sat up in bed, staring blankly at the opposite wall in a groggy daze.

The soft click of the doorknob snapped her back to reality. Assuming it was her mom coming in to wake her, the little girl shifted her bleary gaze toward the entrance.