Betrayed By Husband And Son: Rise Of A Billionaire Wife novel Chapter 11

Emily nodded slowly, her eyes red and hollow. “Everything. It’s like they wanted to erase us.”

I barely heard them. My mind was spinning so fast it felt like I was being dragged underwater. I'd just thought I found a place to hide. A place to start over!

What would I do after this? Where would I go?! I have no money!

My stomach twisted painfully, and for a brief moment, I thought I might throw up right there between the fancy velvet chairs and gold-rimmed glasses.

Sarah’s voice cut sharply through my haze. “Who owns Our Family Resort?” she demanded.

Emily gave a shaky laugh, bitter and humorless. “Nobody knows. It’s buried under layers of dummy companies and shell corporations. Mark tried to trace it once... but he hit a dead end every time. It’s like the people behind it don’t want anyone to find them.”

I pressed a hand against my chest, willing my heart to slow down.

Dead ends. Living in the shadows… It was exactly Ryan's style.

Was he truly just a coincidence? Our Family Resort… Our Family… I blinked. Something clicked in my head.

When I was going through his laptop, I'd tried to opened a file, named: Our Family Resort. But it was passworded.

Could it be…

I opened my mouth to speak - maybe to tell them, maybe to warn them - but the words caught in my throat.

Because what if I was wrong? What if I dragged old wounds into the open for nothing? What if... what if Ryan was truly the monster I was beginning to realize he had always been?

Our food arrived then, extravagant plates steaming under silver covers. Emily wiped her tears hurriedly, forcing a smile for the sake of the waiter.

Sarah muttered a curse under her breath and began stabbing her fork into her salad with unnecessary force.

I just sat there, numb, staring at the untouched plate in front of me.

I wasn’t hungry anymore. I was starving for answers. And deep down, I knew there was only one way to get them: I had to face Ryan.

But I couldn't do it.

…

It had been a month, yet the memory of him still clung to me like salt on my skin after a swim. Detroit. I didn’t even know if that was his real name. I'd searched for him everywhere on the internet but never saw his face.

Don't say I'm nagging too much. It's just how I feel. I can't help it.

I’d wake in the middle of the night, aching in places I didn’t know could long. I’d lie there, trying to convince myself it meant nothing. Just a moment. A one-night stand. But the truth was… he’d left a mark on me. And worse, he left nothing behind to make sense of it. No reason. No explanation. Just absence.

I sighed, pushing those thoughts away as I sat behind the reception desk, staring at nothing in particular. The lobby was quiet. Too quiet. A resort without guests was like a heart without a beat. Lifeless.

Mark had called a staff meeting this morning. His eyes were heavy, voice strained, as he told us what we already feared.

Ocean View was finished. The auction would be taking place tomorrow night. We had until tomorrow evening to move out.

Tomorrow, Mark said, he’d pay us our last wages and officially close the doors.

I felt something twist in my chest. It wasn’t just about losing a job. This place… it had started to feel like home. Safe. Familiar. I thought I’d rebuild my life here, one stitch at a time.

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