Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband

3) How Can 17

88 How Can I? (Jayden)

I punched the wall at the beach house. The impact sends a jolt of pain through my knuckles, but I don't care. Gordon Brown watches on, unaffected, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable.

"I can't do this, I can't hurt her like this." I rub the pain in my knuckles away, the ache a distraction from the turmoil inside me.

"It's the best way to get a real confession. Ashlyn has to believe you are on her side and against Winona.. Winona has to believe that too," Gordon says, his tone firm and unyielding.

There must be another way. Winona won't let on if she knows I'm pretending," I argue, pacing back and forth, the tension in my body coiled tight like a spring.

"She also won't react in the same way, and if Ashlyn gets a sniff of trickery, we lose the only chance we've got" Gordon counters, his eyes boring into mine.

"What's the next move?" I ask, stopping in my tracks and facing him.

"You take Ashlyn home," he replies, his voice steady and unwavering.

"Home?" I echo, a sense of dread at leaving Winona in the jail at Santa Monica creeping into my gut. "The penthouse?"

"Yes. Get back into normal life. Be CEO, be a doting husband. Then we'll get Winona and Ashlyn together somehow to get the confession."

"You'd better make sure Winona is safe," I warn, my voice low and threatening.

"I guarantee it. Before long she'll be back home as well and with Abby."NôvelDrama.Org © content.

"I'm afraid this will tip her further over the edge," I admit, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "She'll get through it."

"She'll hate me forever," I say, my voice breaking slightly at the thought.

"At least she won't be in jail where we can't protect her. High profile people don't have an easy time."

I sigh, the whole situation pressing down on me. It's the best chance I have at clearing Winona's name. My blindness and stupidity got her into this situation. Whatever happens because of this decision, I'll just have to deal with it later. "You can't tell anyone what's happening. I can't see you again until it's all over," Gordon instructs, his tone final.

"I'll contact you through my investigator when needed,

"Make sure it's locked tight."

I nod, and Gordon leaves. The door closes behind him with a heavy thud, echoing in the empty room. Looks like I'll be back running my company very soon wonder if Gus has used his contacts to know I've bought ownership back in Brennan Industries? #4 How Can 17

I guess I'll be finding out soon enough. He may fight me on it, but he doesn't have any hold over the company now. Even though Nexus Global is the parent company, Brennan Industries runs individually. There's nothing he can do about that.

It was an old agreement made by the man I thought was my father. Now I see why he wanted the autonomy. I'm not sure why he stayed married to my mother if I wasn't his child. It would have been far easier to divorce her and give her money. Maybe I'll never understand it. All I know is that I suffered all those years and I didn't have to. My mother had better have a good explanation. She and Gus. I could never do that to my child.

Abby and Anne have settled back into the rental cottage. They will, of course, go back to Winona's townhouse when I leave, and I think, after some time, Bobby and Sarah may be able to be fostered by

Anne.

She said she wants to try despite her being older. She's just been bored while Abby's been here with us. Plus, Abby will go to preschool perhaps, so she'll have the time.

I'm not sure I trust Bobby with Abby anytime soon. I need some solid proof he's been deprogrammed. I know Winona would be very wary as well. But that's in the future, for now, it's all okay. I just have to leave Winona behind here until this confession.

I hope it works. Ashlyn needs to be put away for a long time. I don't trust that she won't do something even more drastic to stop Winona and me from being together.

Then there's Mother, who's never wanted Winona and me together. I don't care what she wants anymore. She's not running my life. I have a session with the hypnosis therapist next month. The first session didn't reveal anything new.

In a way, that made me feel better. I don't want any huge thing to be revealed. I have enough going on. I need to go see Ashlyn and start her believing that it's her I want. Nausea rises in my stomach. I have to do this.

I leave the beach house and head to the hospital to pick up Ashlyn. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions as I drive. Winona's face, the hurt and betrayal that will be there when she knows what I'm doing, haunts me. It tears me apart, but I push those feelings down. I need to be resolute.

When I arrive at the hospital, Ashlyn is waiting, her eyes lighting up when she sees me. I put a fake smile on my face, feeling the nausea churn in my stomach again.

*Jayden, you're here!" she exclaims, coming up to hug me with her good arm. I force myself to hug her back, the action feeling wrong on so many levels.

"Yeah, I'm here," I say, my voice sounding hollow to my own ears. "Let's get you back home to our penthouse. I've scheduled the private jet to take us right away." Ashlyn's eyes are on me. "You're taking me home?"

My mind races with the plan, with the desperate hope that this will all be worth it in the end.

"Yes, that's the best place for you, for us, to recover."

88 How Can 17

"Us?

"Look, we've both been through a lot. What happened to you, losing the baby, you need some recovery. time. Plus there will be a lot to deal with as far as lawyers and court goes." 1'll make her pay for what she did to me and our bab

baby.

"Let's not upset ourselves now. Let's get back home and try to get back to normal."

T'd like that."