He Waited For His Ex I Married His Rival

Chapter 3

I was rushed to the hospital by my friends.

The anesthesia had not worn off completely when "Mom" lit up my phone screen.

I stared at it for a long time before I slowly answered.

"Alana, how was the wedding? Did you like the flowers I made for you?" Her voice carried a faint, weak smile. "Was Asher good to you?"

I bit my lip and swallowed my cries, forcing my voice to sound light and happy.

"Mom, it was perfect. The flowers were beautiful, and I love the ring more than anything."

I did not dare tell her the truth, her heart was too weak for bad news.

After the call, I rested for two days until I was strong enough to walk.

The first thing I did was go see her. But when I opened her hospital room door, I froze right there.

Sienna was sitting beside my mom's bed.

She was wearing that large diamond engagement ring, holding her hand out toward my mom with a bright, triumphant smile.

"Auntie, you don't know yet, do you?" Her tone sounded innocent and cruel. "The wedding was mine. The dress was mine. Even that ring? Your daughter designed it just for me."

She tilted her head. "Oh, and Alana lost her baby that day. She was on her knees in blood, begging Asher not to leave. And he didn't even look back. Isn't that so sad?"

"Shut up!" I ran toward them, but my mom had already clutched her chest and collapsed.

Her eyes rolled back, and she could not breathe.

"Mom! Mom!" I pushed Sienna away and caught my mom in my arms.

Her body shook violently, and only raspy, ragged sounds came from her throat.

Sienna stood up slowly, smoothed her dress, and stepped back to the door like she was just watching a show.

"Doctor! Somebody help!" I screamed out into the hallway, my voice tearing with every word. But by the time they got there, my mom's hand had slipped from the side of the bed.

The heart monitor let out a long, sharp beep, a flat line, no more beats.

Sienna stood by the bed, completely unbothered. "I just got out of the hospital myself. I stopped by to say hello and tell her how things really are… I didn't know she was so fragile."

I knelt by the doorway, shaking so hard I could not stop. She did not even notice.

"She was defending you at first. Said she would make Asher pay, as if she could do anything at all!"

I held my mom's body, growing colder in my arms. Her words, "so fragile", hit me like a hot nail, striking over and over again.

Then fast footsteps came down the hall. Asher had come to pick Sienna up. He saw me on the floor and stopped dead.

"Alana? What happened?"

For the first time, I saw real fear in his eyes. He stepped forward, reaching down to help me up.

His voice was rough. "The floor is cold, stand up."

"Don't touch me!" I pulled away so hard I nearly stumbled myself.

I looked up, tears streaming down my face, eyes burning red.

Asher froze. His lips parted, but no words came.

Sienna tugged at his arm, pouting. "Asher, I was just talking to her. Her heart was already weak, that's not my fault."

Asher's expression darkened sharply. "What exactly did you tell her?"

Sienna stepped back, frightened. "I... I just told the truth. About the wedding. And about the baby…"

"Enough." I stood up slowly, holding onto the wall. My belly still ached, but I could not feel it anymore.

I held up my phone, showing him the email I had just sent.

"Sent to every major news outlet. Regulators. Tax authorities. And the legal team of every company that competes with yours." I tapped the screen.

"Attached is everything. All the records I kept over those five years, the ones I put together while helping you build your business.

"Tax evasion. Bribery. Stolen data from competing companies. And the money laundering you did through Sienna's family. I just sent it all."

I looked him straight in the eye. "Your company. Her family. Every dirty secret, it's all out now. Today, you lose."

His eyes went wide. "Alana, we built this together. You gave up your home to fund me. You worked until you were sick… You sacrificed so much. How can you destroy it all now?"

I stepped back, away from his reaching hand, and gave a sharp, cold laugh. "You destroyed my mother. I destroy your company. That is fair."

Reporters' voices and footsteps echoed from the end of the hall.

His face paled. He grabbed my shoulder, shouting, "I promised you a bigger wedding next week! What more could you want?"

But before he could say another word, another hand closed around his wrist. Firm, unyielding.

Linden had appeared beside him. His dark coat still held the chill of the night outside. His gaze was calm and ice-cold.

"Asher." His voice was low and steady. "Don't touch her."

Asher tried to pull free, but Linden did not move an inch.

Linden's lips curved into a faint, cold smile.

"And she is my fiancée now. Show some respect."