The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback - Chapter 47: Chapter 47

~ Calum ~
It was already eleven when Calum returned to the hospital. The hallway lights had dimmed to their night setting, casting a soft glow over the pediatric wing. As he stepped into the room, he noticed someone standing by the bed.
A resident doctor. Young, maybe late twenties, with a stethoscope slung carelessly around his neck.
He wasn’t doing rounds.
He was staring… at Soraya?
Calum followed the man’s gaze and felt his jaw tighten. Soraya was curled beside Sage with one arm around the child.
The doctor’s eyes didn’t flinch. It wasn’t a glance of medical concern. He was mesmerized—captivated in a way that made Calum’s stomach twist with something he didn’t want to name.
“Doctor,” he spoke, and the man stiffened.
“Oh, sorry,” the doctor muttered, his face reddening with guilt. “I—I didn’t mean to. Are you Sage’s father?”
“Yes. Calum Montclair,” Calum introduced himself.
“I’m the night-shift resident pediatric doctor,” the man said. “I came to check on Sage, and admittedly got taken aback by your wife. She’s—she’s so beautiful.”
“I’m sorry. You must get that a lot, having such a beautiful wife,” the doctor added. “Again, I didn’t mean to stare like that. I was stunned.”
Had he? Had he been getting such compliments about Soraya in the past? He wasn’t sure, probably because he was never seen with her after they got married. But lately, he had noted what others thought of Soraya.
“Anyway,” the doctor continued, “Sage’s attending physician has already discontinued her steroid IV medication. She’s been doing well today.”
Just then, Soraya stirred awake. When she saw the doctor, she sat up. “How is she, Doctor?”
The doctor relayed the updates, though he looked uncomfortable speaking to her.
“Thank you, Doctor,” Soraya said, offering a faint smile.
After he left, Calum asked, “Where is Belinda?”
“I asked her to go home so she could make a home-cooked meal for Sage tomorrow. She’ll be back by five am,” Soraya replied. Then, she frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“I—I figured I’d stay here with Sage,” he replied.
She paused, then nodded. “Good. Sage looks up to you. Being here will help her recover faster.”
Soraya got off the bed and pulled a paper from her bag, handing it to Calum. “A few reminders.”
Calum sat on the sofa and read:
[ Have the air conditioning cleaned at least every three months.
Make sure Sage avoids dust, smoke, and animal fur.
Remind Belinda to vacuum Sage’s bed at least twice a week, including the pillows for dust mites. ]
There were a few more reminders, especially concerning Sage’s school. Calum frowned. “Aren’t you going to take care of some of these?”
Soraya shook her head. “She’s staying with you, so you have more control over her life.”
She said nothing more. She picked up her laptop bag and headed to the nearby dining table. “You can stay in the watcher’s bed. I have work to do.”
“At this hour?” Calum asked.
Soraya didn’t look at him. “I have… a lot of things to do.”
“NeuroSentinel?” Calum inquired.
“No. Something else,” she replied plainly.
Calum was about to walk over to Sage, but then recalled something. “Did you talk to Sage about the divorce?”
“Not yet. I was planning to… on my next visit. If she’s still in the hospital,” Soraya answered. “She was already asleep when I decided.”
“Let me be the one to explain it to her,” Calum offered.
Finally, Soraya turned to him. Her brown eyes showed no emotion. “I’d appreciate it if you did. By the way, have the divorce papers been filed? My lawyer called me over the weekend. He said he couldn’t reach your lawyers.”
“Yes. My lawyers did. They’ll notify you when the divorce is final,” he answered.
“Good,” she said. “With your connections at City Hall, I’m sure it’ll be processed quickly.”
“Hmmm,” he muttered, his brows furrowed. Soraya was clearly in a hurry to finalize the divorce.
Calum sat by Sage’s side and considered closing his eyes. But he could hear Soraya’s fingers tapping on the keyboard.
He was curious what kept her up that night. He tried to peek from where he sat, but the hospital curtain blocked his view, and Soraya’s back.
‘Aside from NeuroSentinel? What else could Soraya be busy with?’ he wondered.
Calum never found out that night. When he woke up the next morning, Soraya was already gone.
Soraya did not even... say goodbye to him.
~ Soraya ~
Two days flew by quickly, but in that short amount of time, many things happened.
Sage got discharged from the hospital. Soraya made progress with NeuroSentinel. And she got a call from Edward Wright, saying he was having second thoughts about partnering with Calum.
Unfortunately, Eddie sensed the tension between her and Rose. It was an added burden to Soraya because after Eddie’s call, Calum called her ten times. And she knew why.
She ignored Calum. Her life was too busy to attend to his worries.
Right now, Soraya was eager to meet someone, not necessarily new, but someone who could potentially be her business partner. And her friend, Silas? He was there to support her.
“Sorry, I’m late!” Lyra announced as she arrived.
Soraya, Silas, and Lyra met at The Summit Lounge. Soraya had her laptop ready, eager to present an opportunity.
“Where is he?” Soraya asked Lyra.
Lyra grinned and checked her phone. “He said he should be here in five minutes.”
“I look forward to meeting this man. I hope he’s not as good-looking as I am,” Silas teased, and the two ladies chuckled.
Five minutes passed, and their guest finally arrived. He looked tense, and at the same time, excited.
“There he is!” Lyra waved him over. “Over here!”
The man was tall, with caramel hair and green eyes. His amiable smile made him look younger than his age.
When he reached their table, Silas extended a hand first. “Silas Ward, CEO of Aegis Core Systems.”
“Wow!” the man said, shaking Silas’ hand. “Luca Valmont—a washed-up designer hoping for one last shot at the runway.”
Silas smiled. “Well, you’re in luck. My friend here still thinks you’re a star—and she’s ready to help you shine again, right where you left off.”
“I’m elated,” Luca said, visibly teary-eyed. “When I got the call from Lyra, I thought, this is it! I swear I won’t fail you.”
“Well, sit down. Let me show you what I have planned for you,” Soraya said. “As Lyra mentioned, we’ll take it one step at a time. Opening a shop is too costly and high-risk. We want to start with something simple, yet convenient for customers—”
“And up to date,” Lyra added.
“I’m listening. And pumped,” Luca said eagerly.
Soraya turned her laptop toward Luca. “We’ll start with your very own AI-powered virtual try-on website.”
After seeing how the website worked, Luca’s eyes sparkled. His mouth hung open the entire time. He exclaimed, “Oh my fucking God! It’s amazing! You’re a genius!”
“So?” Soraya beamed. “What do you say? Partners?”
Luca extended his hand to Soraya. “Partners!”