The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback - Chapter 28: Chapter 28

~ Soraya ~
Soraya averted Calum’s gaze. She said, “I fetched Sage from school, and I came to get my things. I texted to inform you.”
Besides, wasn’t it obvious? Belinda was helping her load boxes into her car.
Calum did not answer. However, his companion had a lot to say.
“Using Sage again,” Claire remarked. “Even when you and Calum have already divorced. You have no shame, Soraya!”
“Do you also think that way, Calum?” Soraya turned to her ex-husband as Belinda helped close the car’s trunk.
Again, Calum did not answer. So, Soraya said, “Don’t worry. I won’t see Sage anymore unless necessary. I assume you’ll take care of telling Sage.”
She went around her car, ready to leave, but Calum spoke.
“I am meeting with the CEO of NexaCode Technologies this Saturday. Meet us at the office,” Calum said.
“I’m not free on weekends,” Soraya responded without looking at him. “I can only accommodate this meeting during weekdays, with one week's advance notice.”
She did not give Calum a chance to respond. She hopped into her car and left.
~ Rose ~
“Don’t worry. I won’t see Sage anymore.”
After Soraya said that, Calum checked his phone. His brows met. It seemed as though he had missed Soraya’s texts.
Yet, despite that, Calum gave no attention to Soraya, which satisfied Rose. But then, he reminded Soraya about Mr. Edward Wright, the CEO of NexaCode Technologies.
Rose’s eyes narrowed. The divorce was done, the papers signed, yet somehow, Soraya still managed to linger in Calum’s life like an echo that refused to fade. Rose didn’t know if this was fate’s cruel idea of a test… or maybe Soraya was like a stain. No matter how hard she tried to scrub her out, she always left a trace.
After Soraya exited the driveway, Rose held Calum’s arm. She hoped that through the rearview mirror, Soraya was watching. Rose smiled lovingly at Calum, saying, “Let’s go get Sage. She will be delighted to know that she is coming with us.”
“Okay,” Calum replied with a faint smile.
They had all been out together with Claire and Melvin, checking options for Rose’s boutique expansion. Calum had promised Rose his full support for her fashion line, including finding the best spot for another boutique.
They were supposed to head out for dinner, but Calum remembered Sage. That was why they were there.
Inside the house, Calum helped Sage get ready for dinner.
Sage was excited. As expected. She easily forgot her mother. Even Claire noted the same.
“See that? Sage was so eager to see you,” Claire remarked. “Just keep pleasing Sage, and she will completely forget about Soraya.”
“Well, considering that you and Calum will end up together, I’d say it’s for the best,” Melvin commented.
“But still, Soraya is Sage’s mom. Not only that, she’s a shareholder of Montclair Group. And now, Calum even needs her help to secure a partnership with NexaCode Technologies.” Rose sighed. “She just seems to… find her way back.”
Claire scoffed. “She’s just desperate to find a place where she belongs. After all, her parents abandoned her.”
Melvin shrugged. “Not everyone grows up with support. Maybe that’s why Soraya clings so hard to anything that gives her validation.”
Claire continued, “And look at what she did with Amanda’s shares. If she really wanted nothing to do with Calum, she could’ve refused them. But no, of course not—she signed the papers without flinching.”
Rose frowned, her tone low. “She claims she didn’t ask for them… but she sure didn’t say no either.”
Claire leaned back, smug. “Exactly. She’s always inserting herself into this family, into the company, and now even into Calum’s business deals. She just can’t let go.”
“You mentioned her parents. Why did they leave her?” Rose asked, curious.
Claire exchanged a look with Melvin, lips curling. “Oh, you don’t know? Soraya’s parents moved to New Avonport when she was still young. Left her in the care of her uncle, Philip Azar.”
“She was abandoned by her own family?” Rose repeated.
“Worse,” Claire said, relishing the story. “Her parents raised another daughter. Someone who’s not even related to them by blood. Adopted. And they treat that girl like gold.”
Rose’s eyes narrowed. “And Soraya?”
“Forgotten,” Claire said simply. “They never brought her with them. Never sent for her. She grew up watching her parents pour all their love and attention into someone else.”
“So when Aunt Amanda and Uncle Cedric treated her like family, she probably couldn’t let go,” Claire suggested.
“She probably sees the Montclair name as her final proof,” Melvin murmured. “Like if she can’t belong to her real family… she’ll make herself belong to this one.”
“And so, she schemed her way into Calum’s bed,” Claire concluded.
Rose frowned. “Regardless of her painful past, she shouldn’t force her way into Calum’s heart.”
“I’m glad Calum and I met.” Rose smiled and added, “At least he still has a chance at a happy life with me.”
“Of course!” Claire agreed, and Melvin gave his own words of support.
Rose held onto that truth like a trophy. She thought Soraya was truly pitiful. Would she feel sorry for her? No. Rose, as a woman from the Becket family, was a very competitive person. She felt she deserved the best—and Calum was the best.
~ Soraya ~
Two days went by. Soraya yet again busied herself. She had already performed a comprehensive assessment of NeuroSentinel, and now she was ready to create Version 2.
From within the biggest conference room of Aegis Core Systems, she shared with executives and engineers, “Version 2 won’t rely on rigid rules. It will use real-time behavioral modeling. Every user, device, and subsystem will have a dynamic profile. The system will learn what normal looks like for each node—and flag deviations based on context, not just signatures."
“Version 1 reacts. Version 2 predicts. It won’t just raise a flag after damage is done. It will intervene mid-pattern, before the breach completes. And it won’t rely on cloud-based updates. It will evolve on-site, in real time, with each new attempt," she added.
“After we are done,” Soraya continued, her gaze scanning the room, “NeuroSentinel 2.0 will be the most intelligent, adaptive security system on the market.”
“And how long will it take for you and your team to accomplish this, Soraya?” Silas asked from the backmost seat. He smiled proudly at her.
Soraya smiled at the team of engineers before her. She claimed it, “Five months!”
Everyone in the room clapped their hands, excited for what was about to come. It wasn’t just a turning point for the company, but a chance to carve their names into something revolutionary.
After the meeting, Soraya was hyped. She wanted to work overtime on NeuroSentinel 2.0, but just as she returned to her office, Silas approached her.
“I have an urgent meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Sharma, but I just got a call from the City Planning and Land Use Authority. They’re under cyberattack. Someone’s trying to breach their entire system. Zoning revisions, confidential developer bids, environmental risk reports—everything’s at risk. And whoever it is... they’re not just skilled, they’re aggressive. They need someone to stop the intrusion and secure the data. Can you handle it?” he said, panting.
“Are they our client?” Soraya asked.
“Yes,” Silas confirmed. “I don’t think it’s NeuroSentinel’s fault. In the many cases reported to us, there’s always another factor behind the failed security.”
“I’ll go. Protecting Aegis Core Systems is also important,” Soraya said, getting up.
“Thank you, Soraya.” He pointed to one of their senior engineers and said, “Andrew will accompany you.”
Half an hour later, Soraya arrived at the City Planning and Land Use Authority office.
She did what she did best—analyzing the breach, locking down vulnerabilities, restoring control.
But just as she was combing through the compromised data, she stumbled upon information she was never meant to see.