The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

~ Soraya ~
The day Soraya had waited for finally came.
The divorce agreement was ready, but her lawyer informed her that Calum wanted her to go to his office to sign the document.
“Miss Azar, your ex-husband has added a new condition to the agreement. It’s something about a collaboration with NexaCode Technologies. Are you familiar with this company?” the lawyer asked.
“I know the company, but I don’t see how that’s related to me,” Soraya responded. She honestly had no interest in seeing Calum.
It would only reopen wounds.
But her freedom came first.
“Fine. Tell them I’ll be there in an hour,” Soraya instructed.
Later, Soraya walked into the Montclair Group. Her former colleagues greeted her warmly.
“Soraya! We missed you!”
“Work isn’t the same without you!”
“Can you come back, Soraya? We’re a mess without you!”
She smiled politely. “You’ll manage. Just keep your files labeled properly. When in doubt, double check.”
“Miss Azar, you’re here,” Calum’s assistant, Greg, called. “I’ll prepare the first conference room for our meeting. I’ll come back when it’s ready.”
“The first conference room? What’s this about?” a colleague named Anna inquired.
Calum often used the first conference room for private meetings. It was rarely opened to anyone else, so Anna was surprised.
“It’s nothing. Just the terms of my resignation. Mr. Montclair wants to make sure I stay silent about the confidential documents I had access to,” Soraya explained.
“That makes sense,” another colleague noted.
“Soraya, have you heard?” Anna began gossiping. “Mr. Montclair’s girlfriend has been coming to the office, bringing a child. They looked like the perfect family. Strange, though.”
Anna leaned closer. “I kinda thought the little girl looked like you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Anna,” Soraya scolded. She acted calm, but deep down, her heart ached. “How could that be?”
“I said the same thing, Soraya, but Anna wouldn’t listen,” another co-worker, Janice, said. “Anna and her imagination.”
“Maybe it was just a coincidence, or maybe you miss me,” Soraya teased her friend. She forced a smile, making her sound more believable.
“She probably misses you. We all do,” Janice suggested.
“There’s something different about you, Soraya. You look more beautiful,” Anna commented. “And I love your dress!”
“Really?” Soraya asked.
She turned around to look at her reflection in the glass behind her. She was wearing a dress Silas had picked out for her the other day.
She did look different. Now that she was no longer tending to Sage daily, she had time for herself. In fact, she ironed her hair that day.
“I guess I was just too busy working. I didn’t have time to dress up,” Soraya responded, turning to her friend.
Greg returned, and Soraya followed him into the room where her freedom awaited. As she settled, Greg had the same compliment.
“It’s good to see you looking bright, Miss Azar. Since you left, I had nothing but best wishes for you,” Greg said. “Have you found work elsewhere?”
Soraya smiled at him. “Yes, I’ll be working for my old company, Aegis Core Systems.”
“Good to hear.” Greg pointed to the papers on the table, saying, “You can review them in advance.”
The divorce agreement was already laid out. Her lawyer arrived moments later. Then Calum walked in, impeccably dressed, as always—crisp suit, unreadable face, eyes like frozen skies.
But there was more.
The door to the conference room suddenly opened, and Rose Becket walked in.
Naturally, Soraya was stunned. Her brow raised.
“Calum tells me all of his decisions, including how he agreed to grant you his mother’s shares,” Rose explained her reason for being there.
No one had asked, but Soraya understood the implication.
‘I’m closer to him than you ever were.’ That was the meaning behind Rose’s words.
If Rose thought it would shake her, she was wrong. Soraya lifted her chin and replied, “That’s good to hear. At least all parties know that I never begged for Amanda’s shares.”
Calum said nothing for the next few minutes. Only the lawyers spoke—to each other and, of course, to Soraya.
She and her lawyer first went through the transfer of shares given by Amanda. Calum’s mother had already signed it.
After Soraya affixed her signature on the share transfer documents, Calum finally spoke. “I’m looking forward to partnering with NexaCode Technologies. And now that you’re a shareholder, you must play your part in securing this collaboration. This is an added clause to the divorce agreement.”
Soraya leaned back, confused. “What does the partnership have to do with me?”
“The CEO of NexaCode Technologies is someone you know from college,” Calum shared. “Edward Wright.”
Soraya frowned, trying to remember. That was eight years ago.
“I’m not sure. It’s been a long time,” Soraya responded. “But if we meet again, I might remember.”
Calum just stared at her as if trying to read her.
But she didn’t back down. She looked right back and didn’t avert his gaze.
He looked away first.
“Anyway,” Calum continued, “He seems to favor you, and I need your help to ensure the collaboration happens. Being a shareholder, the Montclair Group’s best interest is also your responsibility.”
Soraya gave it some thought before finally agreeing, “Fine. Have Greg contact me when I’m needed.”
“Then let’s discuss the divorce,” Calum said. “I will have custody of Sage, and as alimony, you’ll receive fifty million dollars. As a thank-you for your future cooperation, you’ll receive the payment in advance.”
Soraya received two checks. In addition to the alimony, she received $200,000 as her final pay, which included incentives for working under the Montclair Group.
To outsiders, Calum was being generous. But Soraya knew better. This was a petty donation compared to how much he had already spent on Rose.
Recalling Calum’s plan to invest ten billion in Rose’s fashion line, Soraya’s jaw tightened—but she wasn’t going to beg. Instead, she swore she would use this money to rise even higher.
“Thank you for the generosity, Mr. Montclair.” Soraya signed the divorce papers and placed the checks in her bag. “Now, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to leave.”
When her ex-husband didn’t respond, Soraya turned to him.
His expression was unreadable, and he didn’t speak...not until Rose touched his arm.
“Calum, you said you’d buy me The Rose Éclat Parure. The auction is today—we can’t miss it,” Rose said, smiling.
With a gentle tone, Calum responded, “Okay.”
Of course, Soraya knew about The Rose Éclat Parure. It had been on the news for days.
It was a jewelry set of pink diamonds once owned by Countess Lucienne D’Arvier. It was believed to be a symbol of eternal love, a jewelry hidden away for decades until its dramatic reappearance last year.
The jewelry set was reportedly valued at a minimum of $100,000,000.
It was, yet again, another slap in Soraya’s face.
Her entire divorce settlement wasn’t even worth half of Calum’s one-time gift to Rose.
Soraya’s heart felt bitter, but she didn’t dwell on the pain. From that moment forward, she was free to move on.
She decided she didn’t want to be like Rose, someone who relied on a man’s power.
She wanted to be the source of wealth herself.
She left Calum’s office with her chin held high. She went to the bank and made the deposit. By five in the afternoon, she had already packed her bags for the weekend.
It was time to play “teacher” with Angela Steel.