The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 248

Thirteen Days Left 

HANNAH’S POV: 

Dara. I knew Dara. She had been in the room at the team meeting on day one of the rebuild and she had not said much one way or the other and I had not thought anything of it because not everyone was vocal and the ones who were not vocal were often the ones working the hardest. I had not looked at her twice. 

“How certain are you?” I asked. 

“I cannot prove it independently,” Maya said. “But she is the only person who had my personal number and also had access to the HR system with staff financial details, even limited access. And she moved through the office in a way I used to think was just how she was. Now I think she was listening on purpose and positioning herself.” 

I waited until the team arrived. 

I did not reach for Dara immediately. I let the morning begin properly. I said good morning to everyone the way I always did. I checked in with Lily about three pieces that were close to fitting-ready. I had a short conversation with Sandra about the Portugal fabric which had arrived that morning and which Sandra described as acceptable and what she meant was that it was exactly right and she was genuinely relieved. 

I watched Dara in the corner of my eye while I did all of this. 

She looked exactly the same as she always had. Steady, focused, unremarkable in the best way. There was nothing on her face or in her movements that announced anything. The morning just moved around her. 

I thought about how long she must have been doing this. Eight months of being exactly unremarkable in a room full of people doing creative and passionate and noisy work. Eight months of steady capable presence while she quietly paid attention to things that were not her business and passed information to people who wanted it. That required real discipline and very real patience. In a different world and a different life that skill would have been genuinely useful to someone who deserved it. 

But she had used it here. For this. And now we were here. 

I slipped away to the office corner at the back and called Elijah. Very quietly and very briefly. He listened without interrupting. Then he said, “Give me two hours. Do not move until Kojo confirms.” I said okay. 

Kojo came back in under two hours. 

Dara had been recruited through a third party eight months ago, three months before she joined Prestige. The recruiter’s network traced back through two layers to the same structure Kojo had already mapped. She had been placed in the company on purpose. Her work had been solid because she was genuinely capable and because being capable was the most useful cover available. 

“Thank you,” I said, which clearly surprised her. But the truth was I had thirteen days left and zero interest in standing in a loading bay having a confrontation that would not change anything that had already happened, Quiet and clean was what the situation needed and quiet and clean was what I was going to give it. 

She went back inside. Got her bag. Got her jacket. Walked past three people and out the door. None of them looked up. The steamer kept going. Sandra’s voice from somewhere near the fitting section said something firm and specific about a seam that needed redoing. 

The morning kept moving. 

I stood in the loading area for a moment after she was gone. 

I thought about Mirada. About how many times soineone had tried to make her invisible and how she had kept the folder anyway. I thought about the fire and the archive and the months of rebuilding and Maya coming back and Dara walking quietly out the door. 

And then I straightened up and went back inside because there were thirteen days left and a collection to finish.