The Return of the Neglected Wife

I thought the worst of it was over. I thought slapping Nixus across the face would be the catharsis I needed. I thought I'd finally found a way to cut him out of my life for good, to move forward with Julian at my side, free from the ghosts of the past. But the thing about Nixus was that he didn't give up so easily. He never had.

That night, after our confrontation at the gala, I expected him to simmer down. I expected him to leave me alone and let me have the peace I'd fought so hard for. But when I woke up the next morning, my phone buzzed relentlessly with messages, emails, and phone calls. The usual noise of a busy life, but today, it felt different. It felt... heavy.

The first sign that Nixus hadn't taken my slap lying down came in the form of an email from his assistant. It was a business proposal—something about a merger. As if he thought I'd just ignore everything that had happened and go back to playing his game.

I didn't even open it. Instead, I stared at it for a moment, trying to suppress the wave of frustration building in my chest. The nerve of him. After everything he had done to me, after how he had treated me for years, he thought I'd just bend to his will again? That I'd let him waltz back into my life with a business deal as if nothing had ever happened?

I hit 'delete' with force, then sat back, wondering how deep he was willing to go to try and reassert control.

Julian had noticed my mood shift right away that morning. We were supposed to have a quiet breakfast together, to discuss his plans for the day. But all I could think about was Nixus and the way he wouldn't let me go.

"What's going on?" Julian asked gently, his brow furrowed in concern. He reached out, his hand resting on mine, and I saw the way his lips pressed together in frustration, as if he knew it had something to do with Nixus.

"He doesn't give up, Julian," I replied, my voice quieter than I meant it to be. "He just won't stop."

"What is it this time?" he asked, his tone guarded.

"Just a business proposal," I said, trying to brush it off, but I could see the skepticism in his eyes. "I don't need it. I don't want it."

Julian was quiet for a beat before he sighed, his thumb lightly brushing against my hand. "He won't stop until he knows you're his again. He can't stand losing control, Malia. And I don't think he'll ever accept that you're moving on."

I hated the truth in his words, but I knew he was right. Nixus was a man of power, and when that power was challenged, he responded with ruthless force. And here I was, once again in his crosshairs.

By the time I got to the office that afternoon, my mind was already reeling with all the possibilities of how Nixus might try to manipulate me. I had a meeting scheduled with my team to discuss the company's future plans, but all I could think about was how to make sure Nixus didn't infiltrate my business like he had everything else in my life.

As I walked into the glass-walled conference room, I felt the tension in the air. My team was ready, but there was something off about it. An unspoken understanding, a sense that something was looming. And then, in the middle of our discussion, it happened. My assistant, Sarah, knocked gently before entering, a stack of papers in her hands. Her face was unreadable.

"Malia," she said, holding up a thick envelope. "This came from Nixus Salvatore's office. They said it's urgent."

I took the envelope from her, my hands steady despite the way my pulse quickened. I hadn't been expecting anything more from Nixus today, and part of me feared what was inside. Without even opening it, I could feel the weight of the contents. Another attempt to trap me, another string to tie me back to him.

"I'll take care of it," I said, forcing a calmness I didn't feel. I waved Sarah out of the room and closed the door behind her, then tore open the envelope. Inside was a contract. A proposal for an acquisition. A deal that would have made my company a subsidiary of his business. The words blurred in front of my eyes, but I could still see the signature at the bottom—his signature.

The audacity. The arrogance.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath. I tossed the papers aside, not even bothering to read the fine print. I already knew what it was—a calculated move to exert control over me, to make me feel like I couldn't escape him.

"Everything okay?" Julian's voice cut through the fog of my thoughts. He had followed me into the room, his eyes narrowed in concern as he took in my fuming expression.

I didn't say anything at first. Instead, I walked to the window, staring out at the city below, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I could feel the anger building in my chest again, rising like an inferno. The nerve of Nixus to think that he could manipulate me into a corner like this.

"This isn't just business, Julian," I said finally, my voice low but firm. "This is him trying to control me. Again."

"What do you mean?" Julian asked, stepping closer, his tone soft but insistent. He had seen Nixus' effect on me before, but I could tell he didn't fully understand the depth of it.

"This is more than just a merger. This is his way of getting back into my life. Of pulling me back into his world," I said, my fists clenched at my sides. "It's a power play. Nothing more."

"I won't let him do this to you," Julian said, his voice hard with resolve. "If you want, we can find a way to make sure this deal never sees the light of day."

I turned to him, offering a tight smile, grateful for his unwavering support. "Thank you, Julian. But I've got this."

I knew what I had to do. I had to make sure that this business proposal didn't become another way for Nixus to dig into my life. I had worked too hard, fought too long to get to this point, to let him destroy everything I had built. But I also knew that if I was going to fight him, I needed to hit back where it would hurt the most.

The next day, I arranged a meeting with Nixus' team. It was bold, it was risky, but it was the only way to make a statement. I wasn't about to let him think he could walk into my life again and dictate my future. Not after everything he had put me through.

The meeting was at his headquarters—his fortress of steel and glass, the place that had once been my prison. As soon as I stepped into the sleek, modern lobby, I felt the weight of the past pressing in on me. But this time, it was different. This time, I wasn't walking in as Nixus' wife. I was walking in as Malia Brown, CEO of my own company, ready to take control.

His assistant led me to the conference room where I was greeted by a team of suits, none of whom looked pleased to see me. But I wasn't here to make friends. I was here to make sure Nixus understood one simple thing.

I wasn't his anymore.

When he walked in, I could see the surprise in his eyes, masked by that cold, calculating stare he always wore. I took a seat, folding my hands in front of me, steadying my breath.

"Malia," he said, his voice laced with mock politeness. "I didn't expect to see you here today. I thought you'd be too busy with your little charade to meet with me."

I didn't flinch at the insult. "I'm here for one reason and one reason only, Nixus," I said, leaning forward, my voice firm. "You've made a mistake."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Oh? And what mistake is that?"

"This proposal," I said, tossing the papers on the table between us. "It's a non-starter. You can't buy me. You can't buy my company. And you can't control me anymore."

His expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. "You think you can just walk away from all this? From me?"

"I don't need to walk away from anything," I said, my voice unshakable. "I've already built everything you tried to take from me. And I'm not letting you destroy it."

His lips curled into a smirk, but it was strained, tight. He knew I wasn't backing down. "We'll see about that, Malia. We'll see."

And just like that, the war had begun.