Chapter 71James stood there, frozen—felt as though someone had punched all the air out of his lungs—as he stared down the street after Lily's disappearing car. This couldn't be happening to him. One minute it was all so fine; the next, his world came crashing down around him.His eyes fell on the folder lying on the floor, full of evidence against him pertaining to crimes he never committed. This was a setup, a twisted attempt to sabotage his life and destroy his marriage. But by who? And why? His mind raced as he tried to figure out whose sick game this was.One thing was certain - he had to fix this, and fast. He couldn't let Lily slip through his fingers over some psycho's deranged lies. Snatching up the folder, James rushed inside and dumped the contents on his desk. He started examining every document with an eagle eye, looking for any clues or inconsistencies that could unravel this plot.Hours ticked by as the sun set outside, but James barely noticed. He was a man possessed,

Chapter 73A few days later, Lily sat facing the waves of the ocean on the patio, nursing her mug of chamomile tea. She hoped this soothing ritual might help to quell her shaken nerves, but her mind was still running on agonizing spinning wheels.She couldn't fathom how James—her James—could have perpetrated such comprehensive deception year after year. Yet the evidence in that damning folder made it impossible to go on deluding herself much longer. Lily didn't know which was worse - the sickening realization that her marriage had been a mirage, or the nagging voice that wondered if she was just being naive again, desperate to cling to the man she loved no matter his sins.A soft sound made her look up to see James approaching hesitantly. Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze drank in his haggard appearance - the rumpled suit, the dark circles under his eyes, the entire aura of a man pushed to the brink. ""Hi," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. It was a very un

Chapter 75The next morning, James was spending much-needed quality time with Ava in the backyard playroom. Indeed, his small girl's contagious giggles while driving her toy cars around on the rainbow mat did replenish this battle-weary soul.For some small, fleeting moment, he could persist in the illusion that the world wasn't shredding apart at the seams all around them—that he didn't have to be the inhumanly indomitable James Watson, corporate CEO and high-stakes combat master. He could just bask in Ava's pure, unconditional love.Of course, this was a fleeting second of peacefulness. James' phone began buzzing on the side coffee table, caller ID blinking with his assistant's name. He found himself really not wanting to break the peaceful bubble that was around his daughter.But Louis wouldn't keep hounding him unless it was important. With a weary sigh, James scooped up Ava and settled her in his lap before answering."This is James." "Sir, I apologize for interrupting your time

Chapter 77James tries to calm himself down before stepping out of the car . Cameras flashed everywhere. Reporters shouted questions. It was chaos."Mr. Watson! Is it true you've been cooking the books?""James! Did you really steal from your investors?"He ignored them all. Head high, he walked straight to the office doors. Security guards made a path through the crowd.Inside, it was quieter. But James could feel eyes on him. His employees looked worried. Some whispered as he passed.Louis met him at the elevator. "Boss, it's bad. The stock is tanking. Investors are panicking."James nodded. "Let's go to my office. We need to plan."The ride up felt long. James' mind raced. How could he fix this mess? In his office, the team was waiting. Lawyers, PR people, board members. They all looked stressed."Alright," James said. "What's our first move?"Sarah from PR spoke up. "We need to make a statement. Fast. People are believing these lies.""Agreed," said Tom, the head lawyer. "But we