Between Ruin And Resolve: My Ex-Husband’s Regret

Chapter 1300:

Just as Sadie moved to place the pearl in her jewelry box, an unsettling detail caught her attention. Beneath her fingertips, its surface felt coarse—far from the silky perfection of a genuine pearl. Examining it more closely, she realized with a sinking heart that this was no more than an elaborate imitation. Microscopic ridges from layered manufacturing materials marred its finish, and its shine had a stiff, artificial quality. Why would a counterfeit pearl lie among the ashes of the ruined Faron Estate?

A shiver ran through her as hidden threads seemed to weave through the mystery—connections she couldn’t yet grasp. In a momentary lapse, the pearl slipped from her fingers and struck the hardwood floor with a decisive crack, shattering into fragments. Like a secret freed from its shell, a tiny black USB drive tumbled out and came to rest amid the debris.

Sadie’s breath caught. What could it contain? Her pulse thundered as she dropped to her knees, scooping up the device with trembling fingers. She staggered toward the study, legs unsteady, and inserted the USB into her computer. The monitor flickered, revealing a password prompt.

Frustration creased Sadie’s brow as she tried several obvious combinations, each rejected with cold finality. Drawing in a steadying breath, she let impulse guide her and typed her birth date. Instantly, the password box vanished and a hidden folder opened before her eyes.

Her birth date had been the password all along.

storm of conflicting emotions churned within Sadie’s chest—surprise wrestled with something deeper, something dangerously close to hope. The directory contained an overwhelming collection of

represented her mother’s life’s work—the invaluable research that had consumed her final years. These were the exact

the discovery crashed over her. Her brilliant mother had orchestrated the perfect hiding place, sealing away her most precious work behind the date that had brought her greatest joy into the

Noah’s number, fighting to keep her

a few seconds of silence, his steady voice came through. “Sadie, listen carefully—don’t take any

ended, Noah raised his eyes to meet Blaine’s expectant stare across the table, his expression heavy with unspoken implications.

no room for error in what I’ve uncovered.” Every piece of intelligence

memory in Noah’s mind. Hailey’s behavior after Sutton’s death had been anything but normal—it carried undertones he should have recognized at the time. During that same period,

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