The Billionaire's Dead Wife

Chapter 1- The Woman From the Grave Kael's Pov Rain poured relentlessly over the marble cemetery, turning narrow paths into rivers of mud. I stood beneath a black umbrella, dressed in an immaculate charcoal suit. Despite the storm, my posture remained calm as though the weather had no authority over me. The world knew me as Kael Draven, one of the youngest billionaires in the country and the ruthless Ceo of Draven's empire. But none of that mattered here. Because this was the one place where I stopped being untouchable. Before me stood a white marble gravestone. Aurelia Draven Beloved wife 1998-2023 Three years. Three years since the accident that broke and shattered my life. The rain dripped from the edge of my umbrella as I stared down at the name carved into the stone. My dark eyes were unreadable, yet there was a heaviness in them that no business rival had ever seen. “You're late today, sir.” I didn't turn. My bodyguard, Marcus, stood a respectful distance away. “Traffick,” I replied simply But the truth was far less simple. Every visit to the grave felt like reopening a wound that had never healed. I slowly crouched and placed a bouquet of white lilies on the grave. Aurelia's favourite flowers. For a moment, silence hung in the air except for the relentless sound of rain hitting marble. “You would have hated this weather,” I murmured quietly. The words felt strange leaving my lips. Three years, and I was still talking to a gravestone. Marcus checked his watch. “Sir, you have a board meeting in forty minutes.” “Cancel it.” Marcus blinked in surprise but nodded immediately. “Yes, sir.” My gaze lingered on the gravestone a moment longer before I finally turned away. But just as I began walking the path I froze. Someone stood near the cemetery gate. A woman. She was arguing with the security guard, her voice carried faintly by the wind. “I'm telling you, I'm just waiting for someone!” “You can't loiter here,” the guard snapped. I normally ignored strangers. But something about the woman caught my attention. Maybe it was the way the rain had soaked through her thin coat. Maybe it was the exhaustion in her voice. Or maybe… It was the way my chest suddenly tightened. Slowly, the woman turned. And my world stopped. My breath caught in my throat. The umbrella slipped slightly in my hands. Impossible. It had to be impossible. Because the woman standing near the gate had the exact same face as the woman buried behind me. The same delicate cheekbones. The same soft lips. The same pair of striking hazel eyes that used to follow me around the house. I felt the ground tilt beneath my feet. “Sir?” Marcus asked cautiously. I didn't answer. I was staring at the woman like I had just seen a ghost rise from the grave. The woman finally noticed me watching. For a moment, confusion flickered across her face. Then she looked away quickly, clearly uncomfortable under the intense gaze of a stranger. But I was already walking towards her. Each step felt unreal. My mind screamed that this was impossible. Aurelia died three years ago. I had seen the wreckage of the car myself. I had identified her body. I had buried her. Yet the closer I got to the woman, the more the truth became undeniable. It was her. Or someone who looked like her. When I stopped in front of her, the security guard immediately straightened. “Mr. Draven…” “Leave,” I said coldly. The guard hurried away without another word. Now only the rain separated us. She looked up at me cautiously. “Yes?” Her voice. Even her voice sounded the same. My fingers clenched around the umbrella handle. “Who are you?” She frowned “That's… a strange way to start a conversation.” My gaze darkened “Answer the question.” Something about my tone made her uneasy. “My name is…” She paused briefly. “Eliora.” Not Aurelia. Eliora. “No,” I said quietly. She blinked. “What?” I stepped closer. Too close. “Eliora,” I repeated slowly, tasting the name like it was poison. “Yes.” I studied her face intensely. Every detail was the same. Even the tiny scar beneath her left eyebrow. The scar Aurelia got when she slipped in the kitchen during our first year of marriage. I felt something cold crawl down my spine. “How did you get that scar?” I asked suddenly She touched her eyebrow instinctively “This?” “Yes.” “I… honestly don't remember.” My heartbeat stopped for a second. “You don't remember?” She shook her head awkwardly. “I have some memory issues.” Marcus stiffened slightly behind me. My voice became quiet. “What kind of memory issues?” She hesitated. “I lost a lot of my memories after… an accident.” The rain suddenly felt colder. I stared at her. “What accident?” “I was told there was a car crash three years ago,” she said slowly. “I woke up in the hospital with partial amnesia.” Marcus' eyes widened. But I didn't react outwardly. But inside I could feel my heart beat louder. A car crash? Three years ago? I spoke carefully. “Do you remember anything before that?” She shook her head. “Not really.” A long silence fell between us. Then I finally asked the question that had been on my mind since the moment I saw her. “Have you ever heard of the name Aurelia Draven?” She frowned slightly. “No.” The answer should have relieved me. Instead, it made my stomach twist. Because if she truly wasn't Aurelia… Then why did she look exactly like the woman buried behind me. My phone buzzed suddenly. Marcus answered quickly. His expression changed. “Sir,” he said quietly. I didn't look away from Aurelia. “What?” “There's… a problem.” “What problem?” Marcus lowered his voice. “The cemetery manager just called.” My patience snapped. “Speak clearly.” Marcus hesitated. Then he said words that made my blood run cold. “They opened Mrs. Draven's grave this morning for maintenance.” I turned my head slowly “And?” Marcus swallowed “The coffin was empty.”