The Ex-Wife’s Billion Dollar Comeback Novel

---- Chapter 203: Between Calum and Jacob? ~ Calum ~ His entire family came to Burnell. Amanda wanted some peace, and naturally, Cedric did too. When they got there, they immediately rested at the Nexa Hotel. Melvin and Luke were still there, enjoying a week-long vacation. They arrived in the wee hours, so Sage was fast asleep. Amanda and Cedric also rested for the night. Only Calum, Melvin, and Luke chatted amongst themselves in the family suite he had booked for their accommodation. "Dang, Rose's parents actually demanded half of your assets?" Melvin made a face.

On the other hand, Luke said, "Damn, Calum. You spent so much on the wrong woman." The comment made Calum frown. There just seemed to be an endless number of people reminding him of his mistakes. "!m-- I'm sorry, man. But | did admire Rose. | thought she was pretty and a successful businesswoman too. There was a time when | envied you for having such a woman," Luke took back his words. "I guess we didn't really know her that well." "We've known Claire and Roger since we were kids, Calum, yet we never noticed how they were plotting against you," Melvin said.

The room fell silent, and just then, they heard the doorbell ring. Calum wasn't expecting anyone at that hour, but he opened ---- the door anyway. To his surprise, he found Soraya being accompanied by Jacob. She asked, "Where is Sage?" Seeing Soraya made his heart ache. All the more seeing her with Jacob. He was almost lost for words, but he swallowed his pride and said, "In the third room." "Soraya," Melvin got up. "You shouldn't be up at this time. It's not good for the babies." "| couldn't keep her away. She was very worried for Sage," Jacob said, sighing.

Yes, this was the Soraya that Calum knew. Sage had always been her priority... until maybe after he and his daughter chose to give their affection to another, and also, maybe after Soraya found another one to love. Soraya walked up to the door, held the doorknob, but turned to Calum. "Is it okay if | stay with her?" "Of course," Calum said. "She's been asking for you." It became awkward after that. Soraya went into Sage's room while Jacob found a seat next to Melvin. He calmly leaned back and put a throw pillow on his head. "I guess I'm sleeping here." "We should go," Luke said.

He yawned and got up. "Yeah, we should take our rest. Jacob took us hiking today, so we were exhausted," Melvin said, also heading toward the door. When only Jacob and Calum were left in the living room of the hotel suite, silence fell upon them. After a while, Calum asked, ---- "When did it start? Between you and Soraya? When did it start?" Jacob leaned forward and crossed his arms. He admitted, " Ara and | bumped into each other- | think a week or two after Sage's birthday. She came to stay with her uncle in Belridge. That's when | learned she has Asperger's, like Angela.

Shortly after our first meeting, she started helping me with my daughter." "It was professional at first. | paid her to help with Angela's speech impairment. My daughter connected with Ara, and-" Jacob hesitated but soon revealed, "Angela instantly called Ara her mommy." "But when did it start?" Calum pressed. Jacob sucked in a deep breath. "| started falling in love with her even before Melvin's birthday party, but as to when we got together officially, it was shortly after you paid a surprise visit to my house. Ara was... actually there. She hid in my room." The revelation pricked again.

It all came back to Calum. He said, "So all that time, you kept your relationship a secret?" "Pretty much," Jacob said. "It was Ara's request, because she didn't want to be bothered by Claire, nor judged by you. And at that time, | was also worried about our friendship." "But honestly, | hated you at the same time. When you accused Ara of being the senator's mistress, | badly wanted to walk up to your office and punch you in the face. We were already together then." "When Ara missed your request to meet up with Sage the first ---- time, it was because Angela got sick.

She was admitted to the hospital, and Ara and my mom watched over her," Jacob added. "Soraya. Ara. Good way to fool me," Calum said bitterly. "Considering how much you've hurt my wife, I'm not going to say sorry,' Jacob said. "Really, Calum? You never took care of her when she was pregnant with Sage. You truly didn't deserve her. You never genuinely celebrated her birthday. You never recognized her for seven years, and you didn't even conduct your own investigation into what happened that night you were drugged.

Had you done that one basic thing, you could have saved yourself the trouble you're going through now." Calum's jaws tightened. He wanted to get angry, but he couldn' t. He really hadn't cherished Soraya. And the memory of every cold word he gave her, every look he'd ignored, nearly broke him. "What's worse is how you made the people around you look down on her. Even | used to dislike her because of what you and Claire told me," Jacob said. "And | was also too prejudiced to believe it because your situation reminded me of Sienna." "Then what makes you different from me?

Why do you get to have her?" Calum asked coldly. "The difference?" Jacob scoffed. "I admit | hurt Ara too, but | guess timing and fate played a role in it. | did my research. When | realized | was wrong about her, | made it right. And I'll continue to prove my worth as long as I'm breathing. You had her for seven years, Calum, but you never saw her for who she ---- was. "What do you mean you did your research?" Calum asked, his brows meeting. Jacob groaned and admitted, "I was the one who dug up the past of your drugging. | was the one who looked into the Rowans.

| was the one who gave the pieces of evidence to your parents. If | hadn't done that, your uncle would have done far worse damage. Ara just happened to discover more evidence when you hired her to handle the hacking incident at the Montclair Group." The irony stung. Jacob had uncovered the truth he should've sought for himself. Seven years, and he'd never once questioned the lies he was fed. Seven years of blindness, and now the truth was unbearable. tee ~ Soraya ~ Meanwhile, in Sage's room, Soraya broke down the moment she saw her daughter. Months of longing poured out in a single embrace.

She held Sage close, letting her tiny head rest against her arm. Seeing Sage no longer ached. It filled her instead, proof that she had finally healed. This was all thanks to the new family she had now. Still, she prayed that maybe, just maybe, Sage would be part of it too. Soraya could only hope, but ultimately, it was Sage's decision to make.