Divorce by Mistake: A Billionaire's Desperate Second Chance

Who was the person referred to as "her"?

What did they intend by "awaiting guidance"?

I quickly let go of the phone as if it were hot when the door to his office slowly opened.

"What are you up to?" Max's voice remained composed, yet his eyes were keen.

"I said nothing," I quickly uttered while getting up.

He quickly looked at his phone on the couch, then returned his gaze to me. 

His face clouded over. "Do not deceive me, Lila."

"I'm telling the truth," I snapped, my fingers, and yelled at him.

"Perhaps you should consider not hiding information from me anymore. 

Max, who is 'her'? What are you participating in?" I quickly enquired.

He took his time before responding. Instead, he tousled his hair with his hand, appearing more disheveled than I had ever witnessed before.

"He said at last that you wouldn't want to find out."

"Test me."

The room was filled with the sound of shattering glass before he could reply.

Just as I looked through the window, I saw a little gadget fall to the ground, emitting smoke.

"Go low!" Max yelled, pushing me down to the ground right before the device blew up.

The explosion created a shockwave that swept through the penthouse, causing furniture to topple and the remaining windows to break. 

I heard a ringing in my ears and felt my heart pounding as Max protected me with his body.

After the dust cleared, I got up and coughed. 

"What on earth was that?"

Max remained silent. Instead of that, he took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"He stated, with a tense voice, that she is aware of our location." 

We must relocate. "At the moment."

He ended the call and looked at me with intense eyes. Get your belongings together. "We are going away."

"Who is she?" Max, what is happening?"

However, he remained silent.

I returned to his world again, this moment I genuinely realized I wasn't just acting anymore.

I found myself in a dangerous situation. And I found myself without a way out.

I was trying to recall some memories.

I couldn't manage to sleep. Max's penthouse was engulfed in a heavy gloom and pervasive silence throughout because the light went off.

I shut my eyes, and memories flooded in, vivid yet unwelcome.

The committee reached a unanimous decision after observing all the evidence and arguments presented.

The first meeting I experienced with Max was fascinating.

We participated in an event hosted by a mutual friend, who had an incredible ability to easily connect with all attendees.

He caught my gaze in the crowd, and at that moment, it felt like everyone else disappeared.

"Are you Lila?" he asked, his tone smooth and sharp.

"I'm uncertain," I replied, trying to stay calm. "Who is asking?"

With a grin on his face, I was instantly entranced.

Our initial date was truly memorable - we enjoyed late-night show, had dinner on a rooftop, and Max opened up about parts of his life I suspected he rarely revealed to others. 

Yes, he was passionate, but he made me feel acknowledged like no one else ever had. I really enjoyed it.

Although it appeared flawless initially, imperfections started to become evident.

The temperature dropped rapidly in the evening, causing frost to form on the windows.

The memory changed to a vivid and sharp recollection of one of our arguments.

"Max, you must stop doing this!" I shouted while forcefully closing the door behind me. "You have no authority over every aspect of my life!"

"I am not exerting control over you, Lila," he replied sharply, his voice icy.

"I'm protecting you. There's a difference." 

"Protecting me from what? My own choices?" I laughed bitterly. "You don't trust me to handle anything on my own." 

"It's not about trust," he had said, stepping closer. "It's about making sure nothing happens to you." 

"I whispered to Max, tears stinging my eyes, that what he felt was not love." "That is a jail."

I forced the thought out of my head and straightened up in bed. The ache in my chest was very familiar, and it was consuming me.

I was extremely exhausted and immediately fell asleep when my head touched the pillow.

The next day, I stood in the kitchen, watching the sunrise through the glass windows.

Max was already present, standing by the counter while holding a cup of coffee. His tired look was softened by the usual sharpness in his features.

"Did you also have trouble sleeping?" he inquired, speaking more softly than usual.

I nonchalantly raised my shoulders. "Something along those lines."

We remained silent for a brief moment, the almost tolerable tension lingering between us.

"Still believe I'm unchanged, huh?" he asked abruptly, shattering the silence.

"What is that meant to signify?" Facing him, I inquired.

He placed his cup on the table and folded his arms. I know your thoughts. I have not changed. I am continuing to attempt to manage every aspect.

"Is it incorrect?" I fired back, my voice harsher than I had planned.

Before he could reply, his jaw clenched and his phone vibrated on the counter. He grabbed it, and his complexion turned white.

"What is that?" I asked, moving nearer.

He rotated the screen in my direction. A message was received by Max stating that he cannot escape his past indefinitely. She cannot either.

The boy was excited about the upcoming trip to the zoo. His parents promised to take him next weekend.

After that, the day became fuzzy. Max refused to disclose the sender or the meaning of the message, and I was too upset to inquire further. 

Instead, I dedicated myself to uncovering the identity of the culprit behind the threats independently.

.....

As Max attended meetings and made mysterious phone calls, I searched the penthouse for clues. 

That was the moment I discovered it: a secret compartment inside his desk at work. Contained within was a document marked with my personal information.

My hands trembled as I opened it. Inside were photos of me—some from years ago, some recent. 

Notes scribbled in Max's handwriting. Details about my life I had never shared with him. 

I was imagining how Max would have something like this.

I turned quickly while holding onto the file. "What on earth is this?"

He became rigid when he saw what I was holding. "You were not meant to discover that."

"I snapped," I said clearly. "Max, what is this?" What is the reason for having a file containing information about me?

"It's not the way you're imagining," he said, moving nearer.

"I demand that you explain it to me then."

He let out a sigh while running his hand through his hair. "After our breakup, I watched you closely." I had to make sure you were alright."

I gazed at him, feeling a mix of disbelief and anger in my heart. "Did you secretly observe me?" Max, that is not considered protection. "That is an unhealthy fixation."

He confessed that he didn't have any other way to release me, speaking in a barely audible voice.

His words exposed a deep vulnerability that softened my anger, yet the betrayal remained.

"The company decided to introduce some new marketing strategies to improve sales and attract more customers."

That evening, I left the penthouse. I required some fresh air, a way to empty my mind. I was strolling through the city in a disorganized state of mind.

I couldn't get rid of the feeling that Max was keeping some secret from me. 

And suddenly, as I turned a corner, he came into my view. The guy who attended the charity function.

Across the street, he stood observing me.

My heart pounded as I looked away and hurried my steps. I turned around quickly, but he had disappeared.

Upon my arrival at the penthouse, Max was there, anxiously walking back and forth by the window, anticipating my return.

"Where were you?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I said I was going for a walk," I said as I walked past him.

"By oneself?" Have you comprehended how risky that is?

"I don't want Max to lecture me," I said immediately, facing him. "And I do not require your command over me."

He shouted in the penthouse, emphasizing that control is not the issue. 

"Lila, someone is attempting to ruin us." Do you not understand that?

The elevator chimed before I could reply.

As the doors opened, we both looked over and saw a package lying on the floor. 

Max carefully lifted it, his face becoming more serious as he uncovered its contents.

I saw a USB drive and a note that said "Play me" were found inside.