Game of Love and Deception: The Billionaire's Ex Wife
Chapter 91: Don’t be afraid.

Chapter 91: Don’t be afraid.

Christian paced restlessly in his study, refilling his glass for what felt like the hundredth time. He had lost count.

A simple job—enter the estate, kidnap mother and child, and bring them to me. He’d paid them heavily, provided every resource they asked for. And yet, they failed. His money, plans, and hope? Wasted.

He emptied another full glass of vodka down his throat. Such a waste.

At least none of them were caught alive. He couldn’t risk his name being dragged through the mud for associating with low-life criminals. He felt no guilt—he’d paid them enough to cover their little lives.

Still, the investigation worried him. What if the police traced something back to him? Their phones, especially. He had paid them through crypto, but with how advanced technology was now—and how smart some of those stupid cops could be—it was only a matter of time. And with the power and connections Mikael Flynn had, he wouldn’t let it slide if he suspected even that someone was behind the attack.

He had to act. Fast.

"Babe... baby!" Kayla called out.

He ignored her, too drained to deal with whatever she wanted. But she still found him.

"Hey, baby, I was calling you."

She peeked through the door before stepping in. Her brows drew together when she saw how worn out he looked.

She walked over and cupped his face.

"Are you okay?"

Christian shook his head like a child. Kayla pulled him down onto a chair and climbed onto his lap. Lately, he found himself leaning on her more.

He reached for his glass again, but she stopped him and kissed him instead. He didn’t respond at first—but then melted into her.

"Do you want to tell me what happened now?" she asked after pulling away. "Is it your health?"

"No, but it’s serious too," he replied.

She listened closely as he told her everything—how he’d wanted to punish Ashley. He left out the part where he still wanted her back. That stayed buried, for now.

"Then steal the evidence," Kayla said simply. "It’s not that hard."

That was her first response—no judgment, just a solution. She’d always accepted him for who he was. Unlike Ashley, she never tried to change him.

It was why he loved her.

"But how exactly can I do that? I’m sure such places are usually heavily guarded."

"Isn’t that why you have people like Inspector James? Besides, there’s nothing the right amount of bribe can’t fix these days," Kayla replied with a shrug.

A slow smile stretched across Christian’s lips. "You see why I can never stop loving you, huh?"

He tilted her head up and kissed her deeply.

"You dare not," Kayla warned, straddling him.

He trailed soft kisses down her neck. "If I even dream of leaving you, go ahead and put a bullet in the thing poking your ass, my lady," he joked, squeezing her soft curves.

A breathy chuckle escaped Kayla as she arched into him. But what Christian didn’t know was that the pretty lady on his lap took those last words to heart. One day, that thing between his legs would feel like it had taken a bullet—dead. And it wouldn’t be long now.

She just hoped she had enough time left to get what she needed.

After they’d mapped out how to steal the robbers’ evidence, Christian laid Kayla on the table, spread her legs, and let his shaft greet her entrance. Ashley hadn’t yet faced the consequences of his last interview, but he was waiting patiently. When he was done with her, she’d have no choice but to crawl back.

But now that all eyes were on the Flynn residence, it was time to shift focus.

********

Three long days had dragged by with no word from Nicolas, except that she was being fined for attacking that stupid woman after being assigned a lawyer. What nonsense.

Ashley’s patience—and sanity—were hanging by a thread. Fear and anxiety gnawed at her, hour after hour.

In her office, she tried to work, but her mind kept spiraling. What if she never find her daughter?

As if that wasn’t enough, the whispers hadn’t stopped. Rumors about her breaking her marriage to be with a drug dealer were everywhere. Paparazzi hounded her with loaded questions she refused to answer.

She could feel it coming—another board meeting, another summons to reassure shareholders that her drama wouldn’t damage the company. But this time, she didn’t care. However they wanted to it, she’d dish out. She wouldn’t bow to more pressure. This one was already too much.

She buried her face in her hands, tears slipping down her cheeks. Crying had become her norm—more than eating, more than sleeping. Yet the tears brought no comfort, no release from the constant ache in her chest.

Every night brought worse nightmares, clawing deeper into what was left of her sanity.

Lorenzo hadn’t checked on her for the past three days, and a part of her feared that he was finally tired of her. She never thought she’d say it, but... she missed him. Deeply.

A knock at the door pulled her from her spiral. Hastily, she wiped away the tears and slipped on her sunglasses to hide her red eyes. She didn’t care how ridiculous she looked; she just needed a covering.

Claire entered, her gaze lingering on Ashley before she reported, "The interview for new employees is in a few minutes."

Ashley nodded, her mind drifting to the recent discovery of the financial manager embezzling company funds. She’d been merciful enough not to blacklist him, but he was dismissed, and would pay back every cent, starting from the moment the records indicated—just months before she took over as CEO. She couldn’t shake the thought that this wasn’t just greed to fill his pockets. He’d been paid well and had been with the company for years. Why now? She planned to look into it more.

But for now, they needed a new hire to fill the position of whoever would be promoted to replace him. It would be based on merit.

"Tell Nikolia to handle the interview," she instructed.

As Claire turned to leave, she paused and looked back, brow furrowed. "Are you... okay?"

Ashley hesitated, caught off guard. "Yes, Claire. I’m fine."

"But you look stressed... almost like something’s bothering you."

Ashley’s heart skipped a beat. Was it that obvious, even with the sunglasses?

She forced a laugh, waving her hand dismissively. "Just stressed, that’s all. But thanks for your concern."

Claire’s skeptical gaze lingered, but she didn’t push further. Ashley was grateful for that.

"Maybe take some days off to rest? And if the sun’s too much, I can arrange for blinds on the glass."

Her eyes flicked to Ashley’s sunglasses and then to the floor-to-ceiling window shielding the office.

"Thanks, Claire. I’ll consider it," she replied, relieved when Claire nodded and left.

Ashley sighed, pulling off her sunglasses. Her phone rang just then, and when she saw Nicolas’ name, a surge of hope rushed through her.

"Ashley, we finally got something."

Her grip tightened on the phone. "What did she say? Did she tell you where my daughter is?"

"She confessed to selling Vanessa to a buyer but says she doesn’t know who the buyer is—only the information they gave during the adoption process."

Her heart sank. "Those details were fake. Did she give us any other leads?"

Nicolas hesitated. "We traced it to a child trafficking ring... one we’ve been trying to take down for years. The leader’s been elusive, but now..."

A cold shiver ran down Ashley’s spine. Her hands trembled, and the phone slipped from her grasp, Nicolas’ words blurring with it.

Time seemed to stretch, but eventually, she found the strength to gather her things, slip on her sunglasses, and leave the office. Her heart thundered in her chest, a knot tightening in her stomach.

When she reached her car, she collapsed against the steering wheel, overwhelmed with emotion. Tears threatened to escape.

Suddenly, a voice startled her. She screamed, nearly jumping out of the car, but a familiar hand quickly settled on her shoulder from behind.

"It’s me, sunshine. Don’t be afraid," Lorenzo’s soothing voice whispered.

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