The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

~ Soraya ~
Jacob kept taking deep breaths.
He already had his second refill of tea, yet he still hadn’t spoken.
“Mr. Steel, how long are you going to keep dragging this out?” Soraya asked.
Jacob stared at Soraya, his brown eyes serious, like he was quietly scolding her. Then he finally said, “Angela’s mother abandoned her.”
“You told me that already,” Soraya reminded.
Jacob nodded. His jaw clenched as if recalling something unpleasant. “Angela’s mother—Sienna. That was her name. Sienna Ashford.”
“We used to be college sweethearts until we broke up five years ago—more or less,” he said, his voice a little raspy. “She had different dreams for herself. She wanted to be an actress—”
“Wait. That wouldn’t be Sienna Starr, right?” Soraya asked. “Maybe not—”
“It is,” Jacob confirmed. “Sienna Starr is her screen name.”
“Oh.” Soraya’s lips rounded. “She’s beautiful.”
“I used to think so until she betrayed me and Angela,” Jacob coldly said.
“When we broke up, I was overwhelmed,” he admitted. “We were together for a long time, but months came by, and I moved on. I also saw how different we really were.”
“My mother often told me she wasn’t meant to be a Steel, and later I did realize that,” Jacob said. “But she… found her way back.”
“Nine months after we broke up, she returned pregnant, about to give birth,” Jacob paused, hesitating.
Jacob then stood up, fetched a glass of water, and returned to his seat. Only then did he resume the story. “So, that’s how I became an instant father. We were already considering getting married—”
“Because of Angela?” Soraya asked, and Jacob nodded.
“But our plans got pushed back. First, Sienna was heavily pregnant. Then, my mother disagreed—she never liked Sienna,” Jacob explained. “After Angela was born, we put the wedding on hold. We were busy taking care of the baby, and Sienna was eager to return to acting.”
“She begged me to help her—use my connections to jumpstart her career. I invested in her and even co-produced some short TV shows. Later, she took part in this reality TV show called Love Me, Maybe,” Jacob shared, and Soraya nodded.
“I remember,” Soraya said. “This was when her career took off—and died at the same time.”
“Yes,” Jacob admitted. “She had sex on live TV, taking for granted that we were planning to marry,” Jacob pointed out. “So, the result? The wedding was called off.”
“I’m sorry,” Soraya said.
“It’s fine. I no longer had feelings for Sienna when it happened. The marriage was only for formality—for Angela, but the sheer betrayal and her manipulative ways made me angry. She had also left Angela,” Jacob shared.
“She never came back for Angela?” Soraya asked.
“She did, at some point. I allowed her to visit and take Angela out, but it led to another abandonment. It happened when Angela was about two years old,” Jacob narrated. “Sienna took her out of town to meet her friends.”
“When Sienna returned, she told me that her friends thought Angela had a mental problem.” Jacob’s eyes turned cold. “She said she could never accept a daughter who was autistic.”
“She left again,” Jacob said. “That time, for good.”
“It is NOT!” Soraya found herself agitated. “It is not a mental problem.”
“I know,” Jacob said. “But Sienna thought otherwise. Back then, Angela did not speak a single word. She assumed that Angela was a hopeless case.”
“I’d do anything for my daughter, and I want to prove that she can live a normal life—even better,” Jacob declared.
His words eased Soraya’s nerves. She said, “Your love for your daughter is truly admirable. I didn’t expect this side of you. You’re a great father, Mr. Steel.”
“Thank you,” Jacob said, his eyes lingering on Soraya longer than usual. “But I thought I told you to call me Jacob.”
“Sorry, I forgot,” Soraya said, averting his gaze.
“I’ll admit one thing,” Jacob suddenly said. “Part of the reason I hated you before was because of Sienna. She taught me to be wary of women who know how to play the game—who use people like stepping stones.”
“I thought you were one of them,” Jacob said. “And for that, I apologize.”
Soraya frowned and shot back, “And what makes you so sure I’m not?”
Jacob shook his head. “After getting to know you a little, something tells me you are not.”
A moment of silence lingered in the air, but soon Jacob inquired, “What really happened between you and Calum? Why did he think you had planned your pregnancy up to getting married?”
When Soraya did not answer and just looked away, Jacob suggested, “It’s fine. We can have this discussion another time. It’s not my business, anyway. My only concern is the help that you extend to Angela.”
“I heard good things from Dante, and I only wish for more good news,” Jacob said.
“I like Angela, and I want to help her,” Soraya shared with a faint smile. “She’s a great kid.”
“I’m not perfect, but I try my best,” Jacob replied.
“You are welcome, and about Sienna, I guess I understand how your past clouded your judgment, but it’s still not reason enough for you to assume things about me,” Soraya pointed out.
“Again, I’m sorry,” Jacob said.
Sorya’s eyes fluttered in his direction. Frankly, she saw through his sincerity. She said, “You are forgiven.”
Another pause and Jacob asked, “But about you trading—” He hissed, saying, “How did you learn that?”
“From my uncle,” Soraya replied.
“Ah, yes. Your background check mentioned you worked for your uncle’s investment firm,” Jacob acknowledged, surprising Soraya again.
“I used to help with my uncle’s business by trading,” Soraya revealed. “But I stopped after I focused on… trying to make my marriage work… only to fail.”
Soon, they discussed how Philip Azar relocated his business to Belridge. Jacob said, “I think your uncle’s decision was a good idea.”
Dead air fell upon them again until Soraya decided to share, “I had nothing to do with what happened seven years ago—between Calum and me.”
She looked Jacob in the eye and told him her version of the story. “I was drunk. He was also intoxicated. It was Montclair Group’s anniversary party, which was held at the Cedar Heights Golden Hotel. Our family, the Azars, was also invited at that time.”
Soraya’s eyes fluttered, trying to remember the past. “I was trying to find my room. I just remember bumping into a man and a woman before finding my room—which ended up to be Calum’s room.”
“I -” She frowned, adding, “I don’t know how that happened.”
“We had sex. It was consensual. Although I was drunk, I was aware of it. I had liked Calum for a very long time,” Soraya admitted. “But what happened next was something I never expected, and it led to Calum despising me.”
“And that is?” Jacob asked.
Soraya sucked in a deep breath. She said, “When we woke up the next day, reporters stormed into our room. We were caught sleeping together under the sheets.”
“You can imagine the headlines those photos would have made if not for the Montclairs suing the hotel and the media,” Soraya revealed. “But while the story was kept from the public, news of it still spread in the community.”
“After some blood tests, it was later found out that Calum was drugged. Then, to protect the image of the Montclairs, Cedric and Amanda decided that Calum and I should get married,” Soraya said. “And that’s it. That’s the whole story.”
“I’m surprised you don’t know that part,” Soraya muttered.
“I heard,” Jacob admitted. “But I wanted to hear your version of the story.”
“I tried to tell Calum I did not do it, but he never believed me. He thought that I had drugged him and that I had tipped the reporters where we were sleeping together,” she said. “But why?”
Soraya felt as though the pain had returned. Her chest was tightening. “Why would I subject myself to that kind of humiliation? Reporters? I was only nineteen when that happened! I did not—and up to now, I do not—have that kind of resources.”
“I will look into it,” Jacob offered.
“You don’t have to. Nothing about that past will change anything,” Soraya said woefully. “I already wasted seven years of my life.”
Jacob gave a quiet nod and let the matter rest—for now. But in the silence, something had already begun to shift. The truth wouldn’t stay hidden forever… and when it came out, someone was bound to pay the price.
Monday came, and Soraya started working for Aegis Core Systems again. While she was busy performing a comprehensive assessment of NeuroSentinel, her uncle called, “Soraya, guess what? We have a new investor—and he’s putting a billion dollars into the company.”
“Wow! A billion dollars? Who is the new investor?” Soraya asked, stunned.