Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Chapter 27

Sarah's

pov.

I stood in the middle of the buzzing office trying to focus on the stack of paperwork in front of me, but my mind was miles away.

The past few weeks had been exhausting, with the press conference taking a toll on me.

We are about to reveal our latest products at the business event in two days' time. It was supposed to be the big reveal, something we had worked months on perfecting. But today, something went wrong-horribly wrong.

I glanced over at the clock. It was already past 10 a. m., and the day was just beginning. The formulator had screwed up. Again.

My hand trembled as I reached for the clipboard. Weeks of sleepless nights flashed before my eyes-this couldn't be happening, not now.

If this formula didn't work, we were finished. My throat tightened as I scanned the data, the numbers blurring.

A knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. "Come in," I called, my voice sounding more tired than I intended.

"Sarah, there's an issue with the latest batch," Nina, one of my lead chemists, said as she stepped inside, holding a clipboard.

"What kind of issue?" I asked, already feeling my stomach tighten.

She sighed, looking as stressed as I felt. "It's the consistency. We thought we had it right, but the formula's separating. It won't hold."

I swore under my breath. This was supposed to be the final version, the one that went to production.

I'd invested too much into this-too much time, too much energy. I couldn't let it fail now. Not after everything.

"I'll come down to the lab," I said, grabbing my notebook. "We'll fix it."

As I walked toward the lab, I thought about how different my life was now. A few years ago, I would've let someone else handle this.

Back when I was Richard's wife, I didn't have the confidence to speak up, to be the one in charge.

Richard used to tell me I wasn't cut out for business. "You're better in the background," he'd say, barely looking at me.

But look at me now, standing in the middle of my own empire. I didn't need him then, and I certainly don't need him now.

memories of Richard and focused on the problem

throughout this entire journey, but I was still cautious, always wondering if his intentions were purely business-or something more. The way he looked at me these days, like he saw more than just

still carried those scars, and no amount of time or success

a mess. Tubes and beakers cluttered every surface, the faint scent of chemicals hanging

team were huddled around

it," I

spent the next few hours troubleshooting, adjusting, and testing. By the time we had a workable solution, it was

my phone buzzing in my pocket, but I ignored it. Whatever it was, it

looked relieved, and I knew they had been under just as much

it off. "We're all

packed up for the day,

to go home and get some rest, but as soon as

holding out a cup of

"You didn't have to

charming smile of his that always seemed to soften the edges of a hard day. "I know, but you look like you could

the cup and sipped, the warmth spreading through me. It was a kind gesture, but part of me couldn't help

a rough one. The formula almost tanked, but we managed to save it in time." Wesley sat on the edge of my desk, too close for

a great support to me since

in the way he looked at me, the way he lingered

all of this with so much strength. You've

it's you who made this happen. You who pushed through

Sarah. I can see it. You're not the same

rise in the room. "I had to change," I said quietly. "I

gaze intense. "I admire that about you. I... I

the cup of coffee, my hands shaking. Wesley's eyes were on me, and I felt the weight of his gaze-too heavy, too intimate. I shifted in my seat, my

home," I said, standing up and grabbing

eyes still on

but a part of me froze.

meaning to tell you something," he said, his voice hesitant now, but still

working together, it was just business. But over time...

at him, not sure what

breaking the silence. "More than just a

catch in my

said

know your relationship with Richard left you with