The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife
Chapter 57: The Confrontation

Chapter 57: The Confrontation

Zeke walked into the shopping mall still dressed in his suit. Right after work, he headed straight there. He had promised Arielle he’d help her pick out a gift for Nicole’s birthday, which was coming up in two days.

Arielle had arrived earlier and was already waiting. As he stepped inside, Zeke pulled out his phone from his pocket and called his niece.

"Where are you?"

"I’m at a café on the third floor," she replied, naming a dessert café where she’d decided to wait.

"I’m already at the mall," Zeke said. "Where should we meet?"

"Come up to the third floor. I saw something that would make a great gift for Mom up here."

"Okay."

When Zeke met Arielle upstairs, they headed to a kitchenware store she had spotted earlier. A few minutes in, Arielle suddenly said she needed to use the restroom and asked Zeke to wait for her there.

Zeke lingered for a moment inside the shop, then decided to step out. He didn’t feel like standing awkwardly among shelves of blenders and pots. He wandered a few steps to the glass railing on the third floor and leaned on it, casually scanning the crowd below.

People bustled around on the ground floor, bags in hand, lost in their own errands. His eyes trailed lazily to the second floor across from him, landing briefly on store signs and mannequins.

Then he froze.

His body tensed. His gaze locked onto someone standing just outside a store on the second floor, phone pressed to her ear.

He didn’t blink. Didn’t move.

There she was. Cassidy.

Suddenly, Zeke’s heart started pounding. His chest tightened. His breath hitched. Even though Cassidy was standing at an angle, facing sideways, he recognized her instantly.

All the feelings he had buried deep, too deep, came rushing back in one chaotic wave. Confusion. Longing. Anger. Everything.

And then, as he kept watching her, a little girl stepped out of the store and wrapped her arms around Cassidy’s leg. Cassidy looked down and smiled, her face softening as she gently stroked the child’s hair.

That’s her.

His chest tightened more.

That’s Claire.

There was no mistaking it.

The girl was still hugging Cassidy’s leg when she suddenly looked up, her face beaming. Then, without warning, she let go and dashed forward, a wide grin lighting up her entire face.

Zeke frowned, eyes narrowing as he watched her run. His gaze followed instinctively, trying to see what made her smile like that. Who was she running toward?

Then Zeke saw him.

A tall man, broad-shouldered, familiar face, smiling wide as Claire ran straight toward him.

Xavier.

Of course it was him.

Claire leapt into his arms without hesitation, and Xavier caught her easily, lifting her with the kind of ease that came from practice. Familiarity. He walked toward Cassidy, still carrying Claire, and greeted her with a cheek-to-cheek kiss like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Zeke’s chest burned.

His vision blurred for half a second. His eyes were hot, jaw tight. His stomach twisted with something sour and heavy.

What the hell was going on?

He wanted to storm down there, to pull Cassidy aside and demand answers.

Who was Xavier to her?

And Claire... Who was she to him?

What were the three of them?

Zeke stood frozen, rooted in place, still watching them. Cassidy, Claire, and Xavier.

He saw the three of them step into the toy store together. From where he stood on the third floor, he could see Claire tugging on Xavier’s hand, her excitement radiating as Cassidy followed just behind them.

Then, not long after, he watched Xavier and Claire exit the store. Just the two of them, leaving Cassidy inside, alone.

That was all it took.

His body moved on instinct. Zeke headed straight for the escalator, descending with purpose, his mind clouded by confusion, emotion, and something dangerously close to panic.

He entered the toy store, eyes scanning the space until he spotted her.

Cassidy.

Back turned, unaware, focused on something down one of the aisles.

Without thinking, Zeke walked up, reached out, and grabbed her arm.

Cassidy flinched, startled, as he turned her around to face him.

And just like that, they were standing face to face.

"You..." Cassidy’s voice came out in a stunned breath, eyes wide in disbelief as she saw Zeke standing inside the toy store.

Zeke didn’t say a word. He just looked at her. Really looked at her. She hadn’t changed. Still beautiful. Still guarded. But he noticed it. The slight drop in her weight. The quiet exhaustion behind her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Cassidy asked sharply, a mix of anger and shock in her voice.

Zeke stayed silent. Then, without warning, he grabbed her hand and pulled her gently but firmly out of the store. They stepped into the corridor beside it, just out of view.

"Why, Cassidy?" he asked, still holding onto her wrist. "Why have you been hiding all this time?"

Cassidy yanked her hand free, her jaw clenched. "That’s none of your business."

Zeke’s eyes darkened. "Then what is Xavier to you? What is he to Claire?"

That hit a nerve.

Cassidy’s expression twisted, part frustration, part disbelief. "What is wrong with you?" she snapped. "Why are you doing this? Throwing questions around like we didn’t sign the divorce papers years ago. Why now?"

She took a breath, steadying her voice. "What does any of this have to do with you, Zeke? My life isn’t yours to question anymore."

Zeke opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He just stood there, breathing hard, like he’d run a marathon without moving. His jaw clenched. His eyes locked on hers, flickering with something raw, unreadable.

But nothing. Still no answer.

Cassidy’s chest rose and fell, her voice trembling not from fear, but from pure emotion.

"We got divorced, Zeke. Peacefully. Clean break. You didn’t ask for anything, and neither did I."

Suddenly, the sound of a phone vibrating shattered the heavy silence between them.

Zeke didn’t move. His jaw was tight, eyes still locked on Cassidy, like the world around them didn’t matter. But Cassidy’s gaze flicked to the sound, sharp and unrelenting.

"Pick it up," she said coldly. "Go on."

Zeke hesitated, then finally reached into his pocket. He glanced at the screen and froze.

Cassidy caught a glimpse of the name before he could react. Arielle.

She scoffed under her breath, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Of course," she muttered, turning away.

Zeke’s throat tightened as he pressed the screen to his ear. "Hello?"

Arielle’s voice came through, clear and cheerful.

"Uncle Zeke, where are you? I can’t find you in the store."

But Zeke wasn’t listening anymore.

His eyes were on Cassidy’s retreating figure as she walked away without looking back.

Zeke took a step forward, ready to go after her.

But then he saw them.

Xavier was already there, standing beside Cassidy, his hand resting lightly on Claire’s shoulder. The little girl was giggling about something, her tiny fingers tugging at Cassidy’s hand. And Cassidy... the cold, furious expression she wore just moments ago had vanished.

She was smiling now.

A soft, genuine smile. The kind Zeke hadn’t seen on her face in years.

And not once did she look back at him.

A sharp ache shot through his chest, like someone had driven a knife straight through it.

He stood frozen, breath caught.

"Hello? Uncle? Uncle, are you still there?" Arielle’s voice chirped through the phone, snapping him out of it.

Zeke blinked. His grip on the phone tightened.

He looked away from Cassidy, turned on his heel, and walked, shoulders tense, as he headed toward the escalator leading to the third floor.

Still holding the phone to his ear, his voice came out flat. "Yeah. I’m coming."

Arielle spotted him near the entrance of the store, and her face immediately shifted to concern.

"Uncle Zeke?" she called out, hurrying over to him. "What’s wrong? You look pale... and kind of shaky. Are you sick?"

Her brows furrowed as she studied his face, clearly searching for answers in his unusually quiet demeanor.

Zeke blinked and quickly shook his head.

"No. I’m fine."

"You don’t look fine." Arielle gave him a doubtful look. "Did something happen downstairs?"

Zeke hesitated for a moment, then forced a faint smile. "No. Just tired. That’s all."

But even as he said it, his voice lacked conviction.

They started walking slowly back toward the kitchenware store, Arielle talking beside him, trying to fill the silence with chatter about colors and styles for Nicole’s gift. Zeke nodded absently, giving occasional hums of acknowledgment, but his mind wasn’t there.

It was still downstairs. Still with Cassidy.

She looked happy.

They looked like a family.

***