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.

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 a business partner... It

no amount of time or success

the lab, the lab was a mess. Tubes and beakers cluttered every surface, the

were huddled around the workstation, staring at the

it," I said, rolling up

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

pocket, but I ignored it. Whatever it was, it could

knew they had been under just as much pressure as I had. "Thanks, Sarah," Nina said, giving me a tired smile. "I don't know what we would've done without

off. "We're all

packed up for the day, I headed back to

go home and get some rest, but as soon as I stepped inside, I was

asked, holding out a cup of

didn't have to bring

that always seemed to soften the edges of a hard day. "I know, but you

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

sitting down in my chair. "It's been a rough one. The formula almost tanked, but we managed to save it in time." Wesley

wasn't sure if I wanted to. He had been a great support to me since we

lately, there was something more in the way he looked at me, the way he lingered a little too

of this with so much strength. You've really built something amazing here." I smiled, but it felt forced. "I've

happen. You who

eyes searching mine. "You've changed, Sarah. I can see it. You're not the same woman you

feeling the tension rise in the room. "I had to change," I said quietly. "I couldn't stay

intense. "I admire that about

felt the weight of his gaze-too heavy, too intimate. I shifted in my seat, my stomach

said, standing up and grabbing

not moving away, his eyes still on me. "Sarah, wait. Before you

a part of me froze. I wasn't ready. Not after

to tell you something," he said, his voice

we first started working together, it was just business. But over time... it's become

not

he said, finally breaking the silence. "More

felt my breath catch in my throat.

hear me out," he said quickly, holding

left you with scars. But