Out Of Her Ex-Husband's Shadow, Into The Tycoon's Embrace

When the anesthesia began to fade, Hailey Bennett drifted back to consciousness.

Her lashes fluttered open, and across the dim hospital room, a television flickered to life—broadcasting the results of the international wildlife photography contest.

After months of near-disasters and sleepless nights chasing the perfect shot, she had expected to see her own name.

For a brief second, her lips curved upward—then went still, the smile dying halfway. The winning photo was credited to Malinda Fletcher—the woman Kieran Riley, her husband, had always favored.

A sharp disbelief twisted through her chest.

During those two grueling months she'd spent chasing sunsets and survival in the wild, every message she'd sent him had gone unanswered, vanishing into silence. Meanwhile, headlines were filled with Kieran's name, each article intertwining his story with Malinda's.

Before she could process the betrayal, her phone shrilled on the nightstand.

On the glowing screen appeared a single word she hadn't said in months—"Darling." The same number she had dialed again and again until she'd collapsed from exhaustion, never once reaching him.

With trembling fingers, Hailey pressed the answer button, her tone raw and rasping.

"Kieran… why is my work under Malinda's name?" asked her.

On the other end came that familiar, frost-edged tone—steady, detached, and every bit as cold as the man himself. Even through the line, it carried that same unyielding chill she remembered in his gaze.

"This is my compensation to Malinda—on your behalf," he replied.

The words struck like a spark to tinder, burning through her restraint. "I've told you over and over—it was me who saved you that night!"

"I only trust what I see." Kieran's tone cut like a shard of ice, detached and merciless.

Each syllable landed with the sting of a slap, leaving her reeling. A bitter smile curved her lips as if to mask the hollow ache spreading in her chest. The cold seemed to seep into her lungs, leaving her shivering from the inside out.

Drawing in a sharp breath, she steadied herself. "Kieran, I nearly died getting those shots. Every one of them cost me blood and sweat. I won't let you hand them to Malinda just like that."

His reply dripped with scorn. "Do you honestly think you can cover your mother's hospital bills alone?"

The abrupt change of subject made her knuckles whiten around her phone, veins stark against her skin.

Her voice shook with rage as she retorted, "So to please Malinda, you're resorting to blackmail now?"

The last thread of Kieran's patience finally tore, leaving only cold fury behind. "Let me spell it out for you—you don't have the power to challenge me."

A searing ache twisted through Hailey's chest, stealing her breath.

There had been a time when Kieran's voice was warm, his care unwavering. Before Malinda appeared, he'd been gentle, even tender. Now, that man was gone.

"Let's get a divorce," she blurted suddenly, her tone steadier than she felt.

Kieran's reply came clipped and cold, the edge in his voice unmistakable.