The Ugly Wife’s Stunning Comeback novel Chapter 106

At one in the afternoon, the flight to San Francisco lifted off right on time.

Felicia sat by the window in business class, her gaze locked on the city below as it got smaller and smaller. In her hand, she squeezed a necklace, the locket inside holding a photo of Anne as a newborn. Leaving now meant she might never see her child again.

Baby, I’m so sorry. The words echoed in her heart. Each thought sent a fresh wave of pain through her chest.

At the same moment, in the back of a Bentley headed from the airport to the villa, Anne suddenly started crying uncontrollably. Max tried everything to calm her, but nothing worked. She cried herself to exhaustion and finally fell asleep in his arms, her sobs fading away at last.

He held her close, careful as he wiped away the streaks of tears on her little cheeks. He patted her gently, his eyes full of worry and fatherly tenderness.

...

Five years later.

BlueMarble Investments Headquarters.

The CEO’s office was huge, but it looked more like a playroom than a workspace. Pink toys were everywhere, stickers covered the walls, and a crayon drawing of a bear hung next to the window. Right in front of the massive desk sat a child’s high chair.

Anne sat quietly in her chair, legs swinging back and forth. Her hair was done up in two little buns, pearls wound through the strands, and a sapphire hairclip sparkled above her ear. She played Sudoku on a tablet, the tip of her tongue poking out in concentration.

Max stood by the window, tall and striking in a white shirt and black slacks that showed off his broad shoulders and trim waist. He was on the phone, his face set in a serious, businesslike expression.

As soon as he hung up, he turned toward Anne, and everything about him softened. He walked over, noticed she’d reached level 100, and a proud smile tugged at his lips. He ruffled her hair, his voice gentle. “Anne, you’re amazing.”

Anne looked up at him, her eyes wide and shining under long lashes, like she had a whole galaxy hidden inside. “Daddy, I want to paint.”

Her voice was sweet and soft, almost like cotton candy.

“Will do.”

Isaac hesitated, then continued. “There’s a man downstairs who says he’s Felicia’s lawyer. He wants to see you.”

Five years had passed, and hearing Felicia’s name still felt strange, almost like it belonged to another lifetime. Everyone knew the story: the CEO’s little girl was Felicia’s child, born from a pregnancy that he had wanted nothing to do with. It was a secret that wasn’t really a secret at all. No one understood how a man who’d once been so cold to Felicia could be so devoted to his daughter. The icy, stone-faced CEO had turned into a full-time dad. No one could have seen that coming.

Max’s jaw clenched, his eyes turning cold.

“Send him up.”

“Yes, sir.”

Max called the nanny to take Anne out for a bit. A few minutes later, Isaac returned with the lawyer, who looked tense the second he set eyes on Max.