THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 148

But Keira had let her down far too many times.

In her eyes, Amanda realized she didn't even measure up to a single strand of Freya's hair.

Well then, she thought coldly, Keira had no one to blame but herself for what would come next.

Amanda placed a gentle, almost motherly hand on Ann's shoulder and spoke with deliberate gravity. "Ann, your grandmother may not have lost her child in her old age, but look at the state your uncle's in—it's no different, really. She's suffered enough. You should be more understanding, even if she takes her frustrations out on you. She's already in her sixties—how many years does she have left?"

Once Keira left, wouldn't the Gonzales family be her daughter's for the taking?

After all, aside from Ann, there wasn't another soul in this world who shared Keira's blood.

No matter how Keira felt about Ann, she'd have no choice but to hand over Gonzales Holdings to her.

Amanda paused for a moment before continuing, "Also, you'll need to pay extra attention to Hannah and Lady Stephanie. They haven't set foot in the Capital in nineteen years. Tomorrow, make sure you personally show them around the city's best sights. Use this opportunity—do everything you can to win them over. If you're lucky, maybe Hannah will even invite you to visit the Neon Spire."

"Of course, Mom," Ann replied, a glint of ambition flashing in her eyes.

She was determined to make both the Gonzales family and the Templeton family fall into her grasp.

—

Silverhaven.

A cozy café.

Caitlin sat across from Celeste, sipping on bubble tea.

Along with their drinks, they'd ordered a selection of dainty pastries.

Celeste scrolled through her phone, excitement bubbling in her voice. "Catie, did you hear? At midnight tonight, Chandler Group is dropping their new game. I can't wait!"

Celeste was a die-hard gamer.

Every game Chandler Group had released so far had hit all the right notes for her, and with Julian now hailed as a once-in-a-decade star in finance, her anticipation was through the roof.

In truth, she wasn't alone.

All across town, people were buzzing with excitement for Chandler Group's latest release.

As for Apex? Folks were waiting for that too—but mostly just to see it flop.

"Looking forward to Chandler Group's launch?" Caitlin raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you should be watching out for Apex instead."

"Why's that?" Celeste asked, curiosity piqued.

Caitlin took a sip of her drink. "Because Apex is releasing a AAA title, and the game design is really innovative. I think you'll love it."

Celeste's eyes went straight to it. "Catie, that mark on your arm is gorgeous!"

Most people couldn't pull off a tattoo.

That's why folks tended to think tattoos looked rough or out of place—but really, it was all about the person, not the ink.

But on Caitlin, this mark looked like it belonged, as if it had been painted there just for her—elegant, striking, and impossible not to notice.

Caitlin touched her arm. "March, you mean this?"

"Yeah!" Celeste nodded eagerly.

Caitlin smiled. "It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark. I've had it since I was a baby."

Celeste's eyes widened—it was the first time she'd seen someone with such a distinct birthmark in real life. "A birthmark? That's amazing, Catie! If your parents ever lost you as a kid, they could've found you right away because of it."

Something seemed to click in Celeste's mind, and she looked thoughtful for a moment. "By the way, Catie, how come you never talk about your mom and dad?"

As long as she'd known Caitlin, she'd only ever heard her mention her grandfather.

Caitlin hesitated as she reached for a pastry, her eyes suddenly shadowed, lashes hiding whatever emotion flickered beneath. "My grandfather found me by the side of the road when I was a baby. I never had parents."