The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 193

The Wrong Target

HANNAH’S POV:

“Janet is still in prison after her sentence, correct?” Elijah asked, his voice tight.

The younger officer flipped open his folder. “Yes, sir.”

So not her. Then who?

“Could she have arranged this from inside?” Lucas asked, his brain already working through possibilities.

“We’re looking into that,” the older officer said. “But there’s no evidence of communication with anyone who could have carried this out. We’re exploring other angles.”

“What other angles?” I heard myself ask. My voice sounded far away, like someone else was speaking.

The officers exchanged glances. “We’re looking at competitors. Disgruntled former employees. Anyone who might have had access to the building or knowledge of your schedule.”

“My schedule?” I repeated.

“The fire was set during a time when the building was empty,” the younger officer explained. “Which suggests whoever did this knew your team’s houts. Knew when to strike to cause maximum damage without casualties.”

That should have been comforting. No one was hurt. But it wasn’t. Because it meant someone had been watching. Planning and waiting for the perfect moment to destroy everything I had built.

I stood up suddenly, the movement abrupt enough to startle everyone.

“That collection,” I said, my voice shaking, finally breaking through the numbness, “was dedicated to my birth mother.”

Silence filled the room.

“It wasn’t just business,” I continued, my hands trembling now. “It was my way of honoring her. Of keeping her alive. Every design had her in it. Her story. My story.”

My breath came in short, uneven bursts.

Lucas pressed his forehead against mine, his eyes glossy. “We’ll fix this,” he said fiercely. “We’ll rebuild. And whoever did this? They will answer for it. I swear.”

I clutched onto them like they were the only solid things left in the world, my sobs wracking through me, uncontrollable and raw. All the numbness drained away, leaving pain in its wake sharp, overwhelming, real.

The officers spoke quietly to Elijah and Lucas after that, but I didn’t hear much. Something about continuing the investigation. About increased security. About checking surveillance footage from neighboring buildings. About suspects and motives and timelines.

All I knew was that the fire wasn’t just loss.

It was an attack.

Someone wanted to hurt me. Someone wanted to destroy what I built. And they had succeeded.

But as the officers left and Elijah held me close, as Lucas paced the room with his phone pressed to his ear already mobilizing resources, already planning our next move, one thought cut through the chaos, steady and undeniable:

This wasn’t the end of my story. It was the beginning of a fight.