Boss, Your Ex-Wife is Unreachable Now! novel Chapter 52

Meanwhile, not long after Willow left the hospital, Beasley found himself "sent away" by his mother as well.

He'd driven himself here today—no assistant in tow. He'd barely reached his car in the hospital parking lot when his assistant, Xander, called.

"Mr. Windsor, I have results on what you asked me to look into this morning."

"Go ahead."

Xander's voice came through, brisk and efficient. "That burner phone number originated from the Baycrest Villas neighborhood."

"Noted."

The result hardly surprised Beasley. He ended the call without issuing further instructions. There was nothing more to be done—his mother had asked him to investigate, so he did. As expected, the whole thing was just that woman's little performance.

He didn't plan to report back to his mother. Even if he did, it wouldn't shake that woman's place in her heart.

All he needed now was patience.

A woman faking, hiding a pregnancy, or even secretly having the child—sooner or later, the truth would come out. No one could keep secrets forever.

Willow could hole up under the pretense of finishing a manuscript, whether she was quietly carrying the pregnancy to term or secretly ending it and pretending nothing happened. Every action left traces—sooner or later, there'd be evidence. Just like this little self-staged incident.

Before the divorce, Beasley had little patience for Willow. But after it, he found a perverse amusement in watching from the sidelines—observing her put on a show for the world like a clown.

He tossed his phone aside, started the car, and merged into the endless stream of city traffic.

***

Three days later, Willow finished copying the files she'd organized at her new place onto a thumb drive. She slipped it into her bag, ready for her trip to the Research Institute.

Her new car wasn't ready yet, so she was still using a rental.

"Relax, the favor I owe you is separate," Willow cut in before he could protest, settling the matter before he could argue his way out.

Maurice was about to salvage some dignity when he noticed Penelope Grant—Academician Grant herself—approaching with several others. He bit back his retort. In front of Academician Grant, he had to keep it professional.

Willow saw them too. She recognized a few faces in the entourage: the current Air Force Commander, Padgett Lockwood, and Leo Young, Chief of Staff for one of the military districts. At this moment in her life, aside from Academician Grant, Willow hadn't met any of the others before.

The group of seven stopped in front of Willow and Maurice. Academician Grant made introductions all around, saving Willow for last. When she got to her, she gave a special emphasis: "This is Dr. Willow Sheffield, who developed the ultra-miniature deep-sea reconnaissance drone two years ago. She's extraordinarily talented, one of the brightest minds our country has, and a key technical lead on our current stealth aerial drone project."

At just twenty-one, Willow had indeed designed a breakthrough deep-sea drone and earned her doctorate in engineering. That drone was now in use by the military, though all details about her work were classified—almost no one in the country knew the truth.

Anyone trying to dig would find only that she was a sci-fi thriller author—pen name STAR—from a top university, and that she was divorced.

Beyond that, there was nothing.