The Ex-Wife’s Billion Dollar Comeback Novel

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Chapter 214: Karma

~ Claire Rowan ~

In Cedar Heights Penitentiary, Claire Rowan was having lunch

with her mother, Camilla, when she overheard the jail guards

talking about Jacob Steel.

“Have you heard? Jacob Steel, the one who took over

Montclair Group and the CEO of SteelCore Industries, is

getting married to that recently acknowledged cybersecurity

software developer, Soraya Azar?”

Claire's head snapped in their direction. She couldn't believe

her ears!

Being in prison, she had very little news from the outside. She

hadn't heard anything from Melvin or the others. Of course,

they would rather detach themselves from her now that she

had been found guilty of conspiracy.

“Did | hear that right?” Even her mother, Camilla, asked.

Claire approached the jail guards, wanting to confirm, and one

willingly shared the information. “Yes, it's all over the internet.”

‘Internet; she thought bitterly. Even that, she had no access to.

“How come Calum didn’t mention anything?”

That day, she used her privileged phone call to contact Melvin.

She just had to know.

When Melvin picked up, he confirmed, “Yes, Soraya and Jacob

are having a formal wedding, but they've been married for

almost a year now. They even have twins. They were just

unable to formalize their wedding before. Soraya is Ara,

Angela's mommy. And if you're smart, Claire, when you get

out of prison, you'd be wise to stay away from Soraya. Jacob

is very much in love with her. If you go after her, he won't let

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you off. Oh, and don't call me again.”

Melvin hung up on her.

“No. Soraya is Ara?” Claire clenched her hand against the

phone. Why Soraya? Why was she so lucky?

Of course, she had her eye on Jacob too. Who didn’t? She

was certain that even Rose desired him. But how could Jacob

marry Soraya?

“No!” she screamed in the phone booth, catching the

attention of the jail guards. “How dare she seduce Jacob?!”

But no matter how she cried, there was nothing she could do.

Her life was in ruins, and her only chance at living well after

getting out was to stay away from trouble.

seek

~ Sienna ~

Sienna had been implicated in Damien's drug trafficking

business and was recently sentenced to five years in prison in

Fairmont. Her old friend visited her that day and shared the

news.

In the visitation area, the friend said, “Jacob and his wife are

having a formal wedding. The internet says it’s going to be a

grand event.”

Hearing that made Sienna pause. If only she had stayed loyal

to Jacob and accepted Angela, maybe her fate would have

been different. Jacob was a kind man, but she abused his

trust and betrayed him.

“That Soraya is too lucky,” she muttered, though deep down,

she knew it was her own fault.

set

~ Rose ~

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Rose was at the Vanguard Galleria

She was trying to convince a customer to buy the most

expensive dress she had ever designed. She could barely

focus as she explained the details. “This dress is made of fine

material and embroidered with diamonds. That's why it costs

ten million dollars — but for you, I'll sell it for eight. We're

having a closing sale.”

“How about five million?” the woman asked, haggling.

Rose's mouth opened. That amount was at the cost price.

How would she ever recover if people kept demanding half?

“You don't want to? Then I'll find another dress,” the woman

said.

“Wait,” Rose said, gulping. “Fine, five million.”

One of her employees took over to process the transaction

just as Luca Valmont entered her shop. She escorted him into

her office.

“My lawyers have inspected the documents of your boutique

in Aurelia, and everything seems to be in order,” Luca said,

walking in with his attorney. “I also had my people check the

physical condition of the place — it’s all good.”

“My shop was just recently opened. It should be good,” Rose

shot back bitterly.

Luca just chuckled. He presented a check for fifty million

dollars and said, “Let's close this deal.”

“Who is your investor?” Rose asked. “How can you already

afford fifty million dollars for a store?”

“My investor believes in my talent, and I'd rather keep her

identity private,” Luca said. “She prefers to stay low profile.”

‘So, it’s a her; Rose thought. ‘It doesn't matter. I'll be at the

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Aurelia Fashion Gala. I'll find out who his investor is.’

The truth was, Rose didn’t like the idea of selling her shop to

Luca Valmont. To her, he was her biggest rival in Cedar

Heights. But only Luca was willing to buy her shop at the price

she wanted. She needed a large sum of cash to settle with

Calum, and this was the fastest way to dispose of her assets.

That day, the news of Soraya and Jacob's upcoming wedding

wasn't the only thing spreading on the internet. Somehow,

someone leaked news that Rose and Calum were getting an

annulment.

It was only a small blind item from an anonymous source, but

the people of Cedar Heights quickly connected the dots.

The same blind item appeared on Rose's social media feed as

she was closing her shop at the mall. She couldn't help but

read the comments

[Rose and Calum Montclair are no longer seen together at her

boutique.)

[She's closing her store. | knew something was off.]

[How could her marriage fail in less than a year?]

Then a familiar name left a comment: [Rose Becket is a

homewrecker. I'm not surprised her marriage failed. She broke

my engagement with Declan Whitmore, then left him for

Calum Montclair!]

Another followed: [She was known in college for stealing

someone else's boyfriend!]

And then one more, this time from one of her cousins: [She

and Calum Montclair are done. Employees said she lost too

much money on her business, and it caused a rift between

them]

[From what | heard, it’s because she faked her pregnancy.]

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Rose had never felt so humiliated in her life. Without Calum,

there was no one left to silence the gossip spreading across

the internet. And without Calum, it seemed everyone found it

easy to drag her name through the mud.

Deep down, Rose knew it was karma, though she'd never say

it aloud.

After all, the one she once looked down on was now standing

far above her.