---- Chapter 17 Alexandra Smith POV: "It's not what you think, Edward," | said, my voice shaking, as | tried to pull away from Jamie's supportive grip. "Isn't it?" he sneered, his eyes filled with a cold, triumphant fury. "You, in the middle of nowhere, with my cousin. What am | supposed to think, Alexandra?" He spat my name like it was a curse. "You can think whatever you want," Jamie interjected, his voice firm. "But you will not speak to her that way." Edward laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. "Oh, playing the white knight, are we, Jamie? It's pathetic." He took a step closer, his gaze fixed on me. "You are my wife. You belong to me. And | will not tolerate this... disrespect." "l am not your property," | shot back, my fear giving way to a surge of defiance. "And you, of all people, have no right to lecture me about fidelity." | gestured wildly back towards the villa, hidden in the trees. "Your mother is in that house right now with her lover! The man who murdered my mother at her command!" He stared at me, his expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "You're insane. You're making things up to deflect ---- from your own infidelity." "Am |?" | challenged. "Go see for yourself, Edward. Go and meet the man your sainted stepmother has been sleeping with for the past twenty years." Before he could respond, a figure emerged from the darkness of the villa's long driveway. It was Dianne. "What is all this shouting about?" she demanded, her voice sharp and imperious. Her eyes widened as she saw the four of us locked in our strange, tense tableau. "Mother," Edward said, his voice strained. "Alexandra is making some... wild accusations." "Is she now?" Dianne said, her gaze settling on me with a look of pure loathing. She walked over to Edward and took his arm, a gesture of possessive solidarity. "Don't listen to her, my son. She's a desperate, hysterical woman." She turned back to me, a cruel, triumphant smile on her face. "You'll be happy to know, Alexandra, that we've set a date for Carla's birthday party next month. It will be a grand affair. And at that party, Edward will be publicly announcing your divorce, and his engagement to Carla." | stared at her, my mind racing. They were trying to control the narrative, to paint me as the unhinged, cast-off wife. But | had a trump card they didn't know about. Edward's father, a man who, for all his faults, still held a deep and abiding affection for me. He would never allow this public humiliation. ---- A slow, cold smile spread across my face. "We'll see about that, Dianne," | said, my voice a low, chilling whisper. "We'll just see." | turned and, with Jamie's help, limped away, leaving Edward and his mother standing in the middle of the dark country toad, the seeds of doubt and suspicion now firmly planted between them Later that night, | called Gabriel and told him everything. "The truck driver," he confirmed, his voice grim. "My investigators have confirmed it. Dianne Cardenas has been having a long-term affair with a man named Frank Miller. And he was the driver of the truck that killed your mother." The confirmation was a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs. It was real. All of it. The betrayal, the murders, the lies. A fire was lit within me, a cold, vengeful flame that burned away the last of my tears. They had taken everything from me. My child, my mother, my husband, my life. Now, | was going to take everything from them. In "CEO, That Intern is Actually Your Wife" by CrushReel, delve into a captivating romance where a billionaire CEO becomes contractually linked to an unexpected partner. When faced with the urgent need to fund her grandmother's critical surgery, our protagonist finds herself in a unique situation—entering a one-year contract marriage with a stranger. As the story unfolds, themes of love, sacrifice, and the complexities of modern relationships come to light. The novel offers a fresh take on the familiar billionaire romance genre by exploring the dynamics of office relationships and the intricacies of contract lovers. Discover this modern tale of unexpected connections and heartfelt emotions, available to read at CrushReel.