Game of Love and Deception: The Billionaire's Ex Wife
Chapter 72: My heart will go on

Chapter 72: My heart will go on

Ashley lifted her gaze, catching a few employees stealing glances in her direction. She forced herself to stay calm, pretending to remain absorbed in the meeting.

Nikolai had the floor. He was head of the marketing department, and she had to admit, he was doing an impressive job.

"We’re expecting a 10% increase in revenue," he said, his tone confident.

She nodded, taking mental notes, though her thoughts kept drifting—back and forth between Nikolai and the troubling numbers in the record book.

Her grief was slowly giving way to anger as she thought of how to handle the issue before her.

After the meeting, she asked for the CFO and Claire to meet her in her office. She needed a second and third pair of eyes on the records. If her observations were right, they’d launch a full investigation on the financial manager. Part of her hoped she was wrong. She’d come to like most of the staff—including the one under scrutiny.

******

Ashley left the company hours later than usual. She had dismissed Greg earlier, sending him home with a wrapped gift after he mentioned it was his father’s birthday. It surprised her—Greg rarely shared anything personal. The small revelation made her feel strangely happy, like maybe he was finally beginning to loosen up around her.

Now, she was alone behind the wheel, driving with no destination in mind. The usual remedy–burying herself in work, had failed to numb the ache in her chest. She needed something stronger.

Her phone rang again and again. She ignored it, eyes fixed on the road, missing the turn that would’ve taken her back to the Flynn mansion. She couldn’t go back—not like this. It was going to be a long night.

At least Michelle wasn’t around anymore. No one would be home worrying about her late return, and that was a relief.

Her phone began ringing again. This time, she picked it up from the passenger seat and lazily stared at the Lorenzo’s flashing on the screen.

With a tired sigh, she put the phone on "Do Not Disturb" and tossed it aside.

He had called twenty-one times in the past three hours. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to break a record or just drive her insane.

The way he cared for her was becoming... unsettling.

Looking past their painful history, he was almost too perfect. Too charismatic. Too good to be true. Infuriating in a way that only drew her closer. And all of it scared her more than she wanted to admit.

Whatever was happening between them wasn’t supposed to feel real—yet he treated her in ways that made it hard to keep resenting him. Ways that made her heart race endlessly. Ways no man had treated her since the day he walked away nine years ago.

It terrified her that they’d only been spending time together for two months, and already she felt herself wanting to let go of the past...just to enjoy the comfort his presence provided.

But she knew that would be another mistake, one she couldn’t afford. If she wasn’t careful, her heart might start beating for him again. And then he’d do what he did best—shatter it into a million pieces.

She couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Not again. One more pull on that fragile organ, and she’d be gone for good.

And so, she had been doing the only thing she could to save herself—avoiding him. Even though their contract made it clear she couldn’t.

Unconsciously, she made another turn.

Death didn’t scare her anymore. She’d thought about suicide more than once, wanting to end the suffocating ache inside her. But if she died now, she’d never see her daughter again. Her life was the only hope that still anchored her to this world—made her feel like she still had a purpose.

Her attention drifted back to the road just as a flashing poster caught her eye. One that appeared to be an advertisement for a nearby clubhouse. Slowing down, she read the directions and followed them, eventually pulling into a bustling club called Vortex.

After parking, she made her way inside, choosing a less crowded side entrance.

The club’s pulsing lights scattered a whirlwind of colors across the crowded dance floor. The air was thick with expensive perfume, sweat, and smoke. From a glance, it was clear this wasn’t a place you got into with spare change. The place reeked of luxury, yet it was nearly overflowing with people. For a moment, she wondered if, like her, they were all trying to escape reality.

A sultry female voice echoed through the speakers, introducing male and female strippers to the roaring crowd. The music shifted into something slower as the dancers began their performance, quickly drawing the attention of those not already wrapped up in shameless acts of public intimacy.

Ashley, however, had no interest in the show.

She was here for an entirely different reason, and her modest office attire made that painfully obvious, especially in contrast to the half-naked outfits worn by most of the other women.

Despite that, some lustful eyes still trailed her as she approached a roguish blonde man who appeared to be in charge for the night. After a brief exchange, she booked a VIP room for herself.

More men attempted to woo her as she made her way to her new sanctuary, but she told them to piss off. The blonde guy from earlier also made sure they kept their distance, especially after the generous tip she’d slipped him.

The VIP room was cozy and quiet, a stark contrast to both the chaos outside and the storm in her mind. A bottle of vodka and another of red wine sat on a small table beside a single glass. Just as she’d requested.

Ashley dropped her handbag onto the cream-colored couch and shrugged off her blazer, revealing the short pink dress that hugged her curves, its hem stopping just above mid-thigh. She poured herself a glass of vodka and took a slow sip, eyes shutting as the alcohol scorched her throat. Still, she welcomed the burn.

At least for the first time since the day began, something dulled the ache in her chest—even if it did nothing for the one buried deep in her soul.

She reached for her phone and connected it to the room’s sound system, quietly admiring how sophisticated the place was. She made a mental note to visit more often, especially on nights like this, when she needed to escape reality.

Scrolling through her playlist, her finger accidentally tapped one of the songs. "Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On".

It began to play softly through the speakers, the melody echoing the emptiness inside her almost too perfectly. She let it continue.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.