The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback - Chapter 41: Chapter 41
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~ Soraya ~
Soraya decided to take an Uber to the mall. Chances were, she was going to ask Dante to fetch her from the Vanguard Galleria.
She was late.
Calum had been calling her nonstop because the agreed-upon time was eleven, but she arrived at the majestic restaurant at 11:45 a.m. It wasn’t like her at all. In all matters pertaining to Calum, she used to be the first to arrive. But this Soraya was no longer the same.
The restaurant manager guided her in. He said, “They’re in the smoking area.”
Soraya frowned. “Why?”
“Ah, one of Miss Becket’s companions requested it,” the manager replied. “Don’t worry, our smoking area has its own ventilation system. You’ll barely notice the scent of a cigar.”
‘Barely,’ Soraya noted. Which meant there would still be some.
When she entered the designated smoking area, she saw the large air purifiers. A faint citrus scent lingered, evidence of the deodorizers working to filter and mask the smoke.
The second she was brought to the table, Soraya froze. She did not expect to see Sage.
Her daughter was sitting between Rose and Calum, like the perfect family of three.
And it wasn’t just them. Melvin was present.
‘Great,’ she thought.
But someone else’s presence calmed her and made her feel strangely safe.
Jacob Steel was seated next to Calum. He was the first to see her.
“Soraya is here,” Jacob said, warning Calum before he sipped from a soup bowl.
Calum looked up.
Sage looked up, too, surprised. However, Sage said nothing. She simply looked down and continued eating.
There were three other men at the table, one of whom looked familiar. Soraya mused, ‘That must be Edward Wright.’
“Soraya,” Calum stood up and gestured to the seat next to Edward. “This is Edward Wright, the man I’ve been telling you about. He’s the CEO of NexaCode Technologies. Take the seat next to him.”
It was a good thing Soraya had dressed sharply that day. She wore her finest white business suit, which was crisp, elegant, and commanding, allowing her to blend seamlessly with the polished, high-society professionals at the table.
“Soraya, it’s nice to meet you again,” Edward said, standing and offering his hand.
Soraya accepted the handshake and studied the man. Edward had smooth, caramel-toned skin, hinting at a rich, blended heritage. He was charming, with strong facial features and expressive, dark brown eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Wright. Although I honestly don’t remember meeting you in college,” Soraya admitted.
As Edward helped her settle in, she added, “I apologize, but would you remind me?”
“Of course,” Edward said. He searched through his bag and presented a photo.
Seeing the picture, Soraya’s eyes widened. She turned to Edward and smiled. “Oh, my god. Eddie!”
She couldn’t help but laugh. She finally remembered Edward as the senior who had always saved her a seat in their Computer Systems and Architecture class.
“Yes, that was me,” Edward admitted. “With dreads. I look different now, I suppose.”
“It’s nice to see you again, Eddie,” Soraya said, genuinely smiling.
“It’s a pleasure,” Edward replied. “I’ve been looking forward to our meeting since my return to Cedar Heights.”
Edward turned to his colleague. “This is my business partner, Peter Jones.”
“Lovely to meet such a beautiful woman,” Peter said, and Soraya greeted him in return.
Edward quickly launched into talking about his company, and he was clearly enthusiastic. Soraya was just as engaged. After all, code, numbers, and patterns were her fixations.
But someone just had to cut in.
A man who sat beside Rose cleared his throat. “I’d also like to meet this beautiful lady.”
They all turned toward him, and it was Rose who made the introduction. “Ah, yes. Soraya, this is Axel Davis, my textile supplier. He came today to show support.”
Then, without missing a beat, Rose reached for Calum’s hand. “Calum and I just closed a deal with Jacob for a two-hundred-square-foot space here at Vanguard Galleria. It’s just what I need for my brand expansion.”
‘Too much information.’ Soraya thought. She didn’t need to know that.
Finally, Rose returned to Axel. “Axel, this is Soraya Azar, a shareholder at Calum’s company.”
Axel stood and offered his hand. Soraya shook it, then quickly withdrew.
“Rose, you should’ve told me you had such a beautiful friend,” Axel said, his eyes lingering on Soraya.
Axel was undeniably good-looking, but the arrogance clinging to him was so thick, it made Soraya’s skin crawl. She said outright, “Rose and I aren’t friends. We simply know each other.”
Her tone was steady and unapologetic, the kind that left no room for pretense. Calum frowned, but Soraya ignored it and went straight to business.
“So, Edward, I hear you’ll be collaborating with the Montclair Group,” she said, steering the conversation back to what actually mattered. She had no interest in Rose’s boasting, nor in Sage, who stayed silent, as though she had never known her mother.
They ate as they talked. Melvin, seated beside Soraya, said nothing. However, Soraya noticed him listening. Jacob, too, paid close attention.
Edward: “Our design team is now using generative AI to mock up UI variations in seconds. Not just colors and layouts, but actual UX flows based on predicted user behavior.”
Soraya: “I read about that. Some models now predict user drop-off and friction points before you even ship an update. If I had that five years ago, I would’ve saved months of A/B testing.”
Edward: “It’s incredible, right? We’re even starting to map predicted user flows to anomaly detection.”
Soraya nodded thoughtfully. “That overlaps with something I’m working on. It’s a cybersecurity system. I’m currently working for Aegis Core Systems. We use behavioral mapping too. But instead of optimizing flow, we’re flagging deviations.”
Edward: “Interesting. What kind of deviations?”
Soraya: “Say a user always logs in from the same city, skims the dashboard, then downloads a monthly report. Suddenly, they’re logging in from another country, checking odd sections, and hesitating over data exports. The model flags that as an anomaly.”
Edward: “Smart. So instead of just IP bans or signature detection, you’re profiling usage patterns.”
Soraya: “Exactly. Most breaches don’t start with brute force anymore. They start with mimicking. And UI behavior is one of the hardest things to fake. We’re even testing micro-patterns—like mouse trajectory, scroll rhythm, and pressure sensitivity—assuming the hardware allows it.”
Edward grinned. “That’s genius. Same tools, different goals. My AI keeps the right user in, yours keeps the wrong one out. But then again, Soraya, you’ve always been a genius.”
Soraya chuckled. “You flatter me. Codes and numbers—they’re just my obsession.”
“I never knew this side of you, Soraya.” Unexpectedly, Melvin spoke.
Soraya turned to Melvin and saw the amazement on his face.
Melvin had been Calum’s longest-standing friend. They had known each other since high school—so had she. But like the rest of Calum’s circle, none of them had ever truly made the effort to know her beyond her title.
“Well, Mr. Carter,” Soraya said with a polite smile, “we’ve only known each other for, what… fifteen years? I suppose that just wasn’t long enough to become properly acquainted.”
For a fleeting moment, Soraya saw it—the flicker of shame that crossed Melvin’s face. She didn’t give him the satisfaction of a second glance. Instead, she turned away, a quiet triumph settling in her chest.
From the corner of her eye, she caught Jacob leaning back in his seat, a faint, knowing smile playing at his lips.
Soraya acknowledged. In that table, it was only Jacob Steel who knew her best.
Soraya decided to take an Uber to the mall. Chances were, she was going to ask Dante to fetch her from the Vanguard Galleria.
She was late.
Calum had been calling her nonstop because the agreed-upon time was eleven, but she arrived at the majestic restaurant at 11:45 a.m. It wasn’t like her at all. In all matters pertaining to Calum, she used to be the first to arrive. But this Soraya was no longer the same.
The restaurant manager guided her in. He said, “They’re in the smoking area.”
Soraya frowned. “Why?”
“Ah, one of Miss Becket’s companions requested it,” the manager replied. “Don’t worry, our smoking area has its own ventilation system. You’ll barely notice the scent of a cigar.”
‘Barely,’ Soraya noted. Which meant there would still be some.
When she entered the designated smoking area, she saw the large air purifiers. A faint citrus scent lingered, evidence of the deodorizers working to filter and mask the smoke.
The second she was brought to the table, Soraya froze. She did not expect to see Sage.
Her daughter was sitting between Rose and Calum, like the perfect family of three.
And it wasn’t just them. Melvin was present.
‘Great,’ she thought.
But someone else’s presence calmed her and made her feel strangely safe.
Jacob Steel was seated next to Calum. He was the first to see her.
“Soraya is here,” Jacob said, warning Calum before he sipped from a soup bowl.
Calum looked up.
Sage looked up, too, surprised. However, Sage said nothing. She simply looked down and continued eating.
There were three other men at the table, one of whom looked familiar. Soraya mused, ‘That must be Edward Wright.’
“Soraya,” Calum stood up and gestured to the seat next to Edward. “This is Edward Wright, the man I’ve been telling you about. He’s the CEO of NexaCode Technologies. Take the seat next to him.”
It was a good thing Soraya had dressed sharply that day. She wore her finest white business suit, which was crisp, elegant, and commanding, allowing her to blend seamlessly with the polished, high-society professionals at the table.
“Soraya, it’s nice to meet you again,” Edward said, standing and offering his hand.
Soraya accepted the handshake and studied the man. Edward had smooth, caramel-toned skin, hinting at a rich, blended heritage. He was charming, with strong facial features and expressive, dark brown eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Wright. Although I honestly don’t remember meeting you in college,” Soraya admitted.
As Edward helped her settle in, she added, “I apologize, but would you remind me?”
“Of course,” Edward said. He searched through his bag and presented a photo.
Seeing the picture, Soraya’s eyes widened. She turned to Edward and smiled. “Oh, my god. Eddie!”
She couldn’t help but laugh. She finally remembered Edward as the senior who had always saved her a seat in their Computer Systems and Architecture class.
“Yes, that was me,” Edward admitted. “With dreads. I look different now, I suppose.”
“It’s nice to see you again, Eddie,” Soraya said, genuinely smiling.
“It’s a pleasure,” Edward replied. “I’ve been looking forward to our meeting since my return to Cedar Heights.”
Edward turned to his colleague. “This is my business partner, Peter Jones.”
“Lovely to meet such a beautiful woman,” Peter said, and Soraya greeted him in return.
Edward quickly launched into talking about his company, and he was clearly enthusiastic. Soraya was just as engaged. After all, code, numbers, and patterns were her fixations.
But someone just had to cut in.
A man who sat beside Rose cleared his throat. “I’d also like to meet this beautiful lady.”
They all turned toward him, and it was Rose who made the introduction. “Ah, yes. Soraya, this is Axel Davis, my textile supplier. He came today to show support.”
Then, without missing a beat, Rose reached for Calum’s hand. “Calum and I just closed a deal with Jacob for a two-hundred-square-foot space here at Vanguard Galleria. It’s just what I need for my brand expansion.”
‘Too much information.’ Soraya thought. She didn’t need to know that.
Finally, Rose returned to Axel. “Axel, this is Soraya Azar, a shareholder at Calum’s company.”
Axel stood and offered his hand. Soraya shook it, then quickly withdrew.
“Rose, you should’ve told me you had such a beautiful friend,” Axel said, his eyes lingering on Soraya.
Axel was undeniably good-looking, but the arrogance clinging to him was so thick, it made Soraya’s skin crawl. She said outright, “Rose and I aren’t friends. We simply know each other.”
Her tone was steady and unapologetic, the kind that left no room for pretense. Calum frowned, but Soraya ignored it and went straight to business.
“So, Edward, I hear you’ll be collaborating with the Montclair Group,” she said, steering the conversation back to what actually mattered. She had no interest in Rose’s boasting, nor in Sage, who stayed silent, as though she had never known her mother.
They ate as they talked. Melvin, seated beside Soraya, said nothing. However, Soraya noticed him listening. Jacob, too, paid close attention.
Edward: “Our design team is now using generative AI to mock up UI variations in seconds. Not just colors and layouts, but actual UX flows based on predicted user behavior.”
Soraya: “I read about that. Some models now predict user drop-off and friction points before you even ship an update. If I had that five years ago, I would’ve saved months of A/B testing.”
Edward: “It’s incredible, right? We’re even starting to map predicted user flows to anomaly detection.”
Soraya nodded thoughtfully. “That overlaps with something I’m working on. It’s a cybersecurity system. I’m currently working for Aegis Core Systems. We use behavioral mapping too. But instead of optimizing flow, we’re flagging deviations.”
Edward: “Interesting. What kind of deviations?”
Soraya: “Say a user always logs in from the same city, skims the dashboard, then downloads a monthly report. Suddenly, they’re logging in from another country, checking odd sections, and hesitating over data exports. The model flags that as an anomaly.”
Edward: “Smart. So instead of just IP bans or signature detection, you’re profiling usage patterns.”
Soraya: “Exactly. Most breaches don’t start with brute force anymore. They start with mimicking. And UI behavior is one of the hardest things to fake. We’re even testing micro-patterns—like mouse trajectory, scroll rhythm, and pressure sensitivity—assuming the hardware allows it.”
Edward grinned. “That’s genius. Same tools, different goals. My AI keeps the right user in, yours keeps the wrong one out. But then again, Soraya, you’ve always been a genius.”
Soraya chuckled. “You flatter me. Codes and numbers—they’re just my obsession.”
“I never knew this side of you, Soraya.” Unexpectedly, Melvin spoke.
Soraya turned to Melvin and saw the amazement on his face.
Melvin had been Calum’s longest-standing friend. They had known each other since high school—so had she. But like the rest of Calum’s circle, none of them had ever truly made the effort to know her beyond her title.
“Well, Mr. Carter,” Soraya said with a polite smile, “we’ve only known each other for, what… fifteen years? I suppose that just wasn’t long enough to become properly acquainted.”
For a fleeting moment, Soraya saw it—the flicker of shame that crossed Melvin’s face. She didn’t give him the satisfaction of a second glance. Instead, she turned away, a quiet triumph settling in her chest.
From the corner of her eye, she caught Jacob leaning back in his seat, a faint, knowing smile playing at his lips.
Soraya acknowledged. In that table, it was only Jacob Steel who knew her best.
End of The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback Chapter 41. Continue reading Chapter 42 or return to The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback book page.