My Ex-Wife Begs Me to Stop My Revenge

Three years ago, the day my dad jumped to his death, I knelt in the pouring rain, begging my ex-wife, Amanda. She was the only one who could prove my dad hadn't cooked the books. She refused. The next day, my dad leaped from the rooftop. His dying wish was for me not to blame Amanda. So I truly didn't blame her. Instead, I spent three years leaving this city behind, building a fortune from scratch, and becoming a billionaire. Three years later, we crossed paths at a high-profile charity gala. With tears brimming in her red-rimmed eyes, Amanda asked me, "Silas, do you still hate me?" I raised my glass, offered a faint smile, and said nothing. Hate? Of course I hated her. And because of that hatred, I came back to make every single one of them pay. Three years. Seeing Amanda again, she was just as stunning and polished as ever. Yet beneath her flawless makeup, I could see the exhaustion and hesitation in her eyes. I looked past her. A tall man in a tailored designer suit walked up quickly. With an air of absolute possession, he slid an arm around her waist. It was her assistant, Luke. "Amanda, who are you talking to?" Luke's gaze fell on me, dripping with condescension. "And this is?" Amanda stiffened, her voice dry. "He's... Silas." "Silas?" Luke arched an eyebrow in mock surprise, then smirked. "Oh, right! The Vance heir whose family went belly-up three years ago. Surprised you managed to snag an invite to an event like this. Life sure is unpredictable, huh?" Every word was a needle jabbed into my old wounds. Amanda's face drained of color. She tried to push his hand away. "Shut up, Luke!" "Did I say something wrong?" Luke didn't let go; he pulled her closer and whispered loud enough for me to hear, "Remember who you are, Boss. Mingling with someone like him only drags down your status." Watching their intimacy, the ashes of my dead heart stirred with a faint gust of bitter dust. I ignored Luke's taunt and looked Amanda dead in the eye. "Long time no see, Ms. Cross." That formal title carved a chasm between us. Amanda's eyes reddened. Her lips parted, but not a single word came out. I turned on my heel, grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter, and walked toward the host of the gala—Chairman Hastings of Hastings Group. "Mr. Hastings," I said, raising my glass. "Thank you for the invitation." When Hastings saw me, a broad grin spread across his face. "Mr. Vance, you're far too humble! Our project would never have gotten off the ground without Phoenix Capital's backing!" At the words "Phoenix Capital," Amanda and Luke froze completely. I could feel their stunned, disbelieving stares burning into my back like spotlights. Yes. I was no longer the stray dog begging in the rain. The day after my dad jumped, I took the last remaining connections he left me and walked away. Three years. Over a thousand days and nights clawing my way back from hell. I built Phoenix Capital for one purpose: to show everyone who ever trampled on the Vance name. A phoenix only rises from the flames.After a brief conversation with Hastings, he introduced me to several key partners. Amanda's gaze trailed after me the entire time, like thorns pricking my back. Luke's expression, on the other hand, shifted from shock to raw jealousy and malice. How ridiculous. Three years ago, he stood by Amanda like a victor, sneering as I lost everything. Three years later, he was still nothing more than her pet accessory, while I stood as an equal to his boss. During intermission, I stepped into the restroom. When I walked out, Amanda intercepted me at the end of the dimly lit hallway. Moonlight filtered through a high window, casting her trembling silhouette against the wall. "Silas... is Phoenix Capital really yours?" Her voice trembled with uncertainty. "Yes," I replied flatly. "I..." She opened her mouth, but it ended in a soft sigh. "As long as you're doing well, that's all that matters." A cynical smirk touched my lips. "Thanks to you. People who have died once tend to value their lives a lot more." My words struck like a blade. Amanda swayed, her skin paler than the hallway walls. "I know my decision hurt you back then," she rushed to explain. "But Silas, you have to understand. Summit Advisory took generations of my family's blood and sweat to build. I couldn't let my personal feelings ruin its reputation." The same old excuse. "Industry ethics." "Neutrality." "No signing off on family audits." Those phrases had haunted my ears like a curse for three long years. "I understand," I said calmly. "My dad understood too. That's why he told me in his suicide note not to blame you." I paused, stepping closer until I was inches from her ear. In a whisper meant only for her, I added: "Understanding doesn't mean forgiving." "Amanda, my father paid with his life to keep your pristine ethics and industry prestige intact." "Are you satisfied now?" Tears spilled over her lashes, streaming down her cheeks. Just then, Luke's figure appeared at the far end of the hall. "Amanda!" Seeing how close we were, he stormed over, ripping Amanda behind him. "Silas, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" He bared his teeth like a rabid dog guarding a scrap of meat. "Don't think you're untouchable just because you've got some cash now! Do you have any idea how much guilt Amanda carried these past three years?!" Looking at him, I almost laughed. "Guilt? Is she guilty about not cutting ties with me sooner, or guilty about failing to drive the Vance family into the grave with her own hands?" "Shut up!" Luke snapped frantically. "She did it to protect the firm! To avoid a conflict of interest! It was a matter of principle!" "Principle?" I let out a cold laugh. "Is that what you whispered in her ear three years ago, Luke? A single excuse about 'reputational risk' choked off my dad's only lifeline. Thanks for the reminder—it's high time some debts were settled." I looked past Luke, locking eyes with Amanda. "Ms. Cross, what do you think would happen if I went public with how you sacrificed your husband's father for your 'integrity'? Would Summit Advisory be showered with praise, or would the industry drown you in spit?" Every ounce of color vanished from Amanda's face. She stared at me, her eyes filled with terror and desperate pleading. She was terrified. Terrified that I would tear down everything she held dear. And that was exactly what I wanted."Silas, you can't do that!" Amanda's voice shook. "Why can't I?" I shot back. "Isn't that what you thought when you watched my dad jump? Why shouldn't I stand by and watch you fall?" Every word was ground out between clenched teeth. Luke puffed out his chest, hiding his panic behind empty bravado. "Silas, this is extortion! Amanda, let's call the cops!" "Call them?" I laughed as if hearing the punchline to a bad joke. "Go ahead. Let the police weigh in. Let's see what they think of a top auditor driving her own father-in-law to suicide under the guise of avoiding conflicts of interest." "You..." Luke was left speechless. Amanda grabbed his arm. She drew a deep breath, trying to steady herself, her bloodshot eyes fixed on me. "Silas, what do you actually want?" "What do I want?" I took a threatening step forward. The sheer weight of my presence forced Luke back a step. "Simple." My eyes locked onto Amanda. "I want you, and him"—I jabbed a finger at Luke—"to pay for my father's death." Without another glance, I turned and walked away. Back in the ballroom, my assistant Chloe was scanning the crowd anxiously. Chloe was sharp, competent, and fiercely loyal—someone I had personally groomed from the ground up. Seeing me, she hurried over. "Mr. Vance, where were you? Chairman Hastings was just looking for you." "Ran into a couple of ghosts from the past," I said casually. Chloe was clever. She followed my line of sight and spotted Amanda and Luke emerging from the corridor, looking hollow and shaken. Her eyes flickered, but she asked no personal questions. Instead, she leaned in and reported softly: "Mr. Vance, we just got word. Summit Advisory is bidding on a massive corporate contract. Their main rival is Horizon Group." Horizon Group? Details flashed through my mind. Horizon's founder, Marcus Reed, used to work under my dad years ago before branching out on his own. He was an honorable man. "Understood." I raised my glass, masking the sharp glint in my eyes. Amanda, you care about Summit Advisory more than anything else in this world. Then I will make you watch as it slips through your fingers, piece by piece. The charity auction began. Lot after lot went under the hammer. When the centerpiece—a magnificent royal blue sapphire necklace—was brought out, the energy in the room peaked. Starting bid: five million dollars. The moment the auctioneer finished speaking, Luke raised his paddle. "Six million." He threw a smug, provocative glare my way, trying to prove Amanda's wealth still eclipsed mine. I didn't even twitch. Soon, another voice chimed in: "Seven million." "Eight million!" Luke countered immediately, desperate to claim it. The price climbed all the way to twelve million. Only Luke and an unfamiliar billionaire remained in the bidding war. "Thirteen million!" Luke gritted out, sweat beading on his forehead. He kept glancing back at Amanda. Though her complexion was awful, she gave him a slight nod. The other bidder seemed to hesitate. A triumphant grin crept across Luke's face. Just as the auctioneer raised his gavel, I held up my paddle. "Twenty million." The entire room gasped. Every eye swung toward me. Luke's face turned the color of a bruised plum. He shot up from his seat, pointing at me. "You—!" I didn't spare him a glance, keeping my eyes locked calmly on the auctioneer. Amanda stared at me, her expression an agonizing mix of shock, resentment, and a strange, unreadable grief. In the end, the necklace was mine. After the gala, Chloe drove me home. "Mr. Vance, that necklace... did you buy it to..." She trailed off cautiously. "To deliver a gift," I murmured, leaning back with my eyes closed. "To whom?" "Marcus Reed over at Horizon." Chloe paused, then caught on instantly. "I understand, Mr. Vance. You want Horizon to gift it to the lead commissioner's wife—she has a well-known obsession with sapphires." "Yes," I opened my eyes, watching the city lights streak past the window. "I want Summit Advisory to lose everything."By the next afternoon, word had spread across the entire elite circle: Silas Vance of Phoenix Capital had dropped a fortune on a jewel just to back a rival firm. Everyone knew Silas Vance was targeting Summit Advisory. He was back for revenge. That evening, my phone rang. It was Amanda. Her voice sounded hollow and exhausted. "Silas, can we meet?" "Is there business, Ms. Cross? We can talk over the phone. I'm busy." I kept my tone coldly professional. Silence stretched over the line, followed by a choked, suppressed sob. "Please, Silas... I'm begging you. Just meet me." I agreed. We met in a secluded teahouse. She looked far worse than the night before, dark circles bruising the skin under her eyes. "Do you really have to do this?" she asked, her voice raspy. "Does it have to end in mutual destruction?" "Do we even have a relationship left to destroy?" I blew gently on my steaming tea. "I thought the moment you locked that safe three years ago, all that remained between us was hatred." Under the table, her knuckles turned white as she clutched her dress. "That project is life or death for Summit. We spent months preparing." "And so what?" I looked up at her. "Was my father's life's work not important to him? Didn't he prepare? With a single refusal, you wiped out decades of his blood, sweat, and tears. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, you feel wronged?" "No!" she protested emotionally. "That's not what I meant! Silas, there was more to what happened back then..." "More to it?" I scoffed. "Was Luke's whispering not loud enough, or was your hand locking the vault not fast enough?" My words hit a raw nerve. Her face went deathly pale. "I will handle Luke. Silas, please, withdraw your support for Horizon. I'll compensate you—whatever you want, name your price." She stripped away every shred of her pride, practically groveling before me. Looking at her, I felt no thrill of victory. Only a cold, hollow void. When my dad begged her on his knees, did she show him even an ounce of mercy? "Compensation?" I set the teacup down with a soft click. "Fine. What I want is simple." "Tell me," she said, a spark of desperate hope igniting in her eyes. "Go to my father's grave. Get on your knees, placed a bouquet of white camellias and stood in silence, and tell him you were wrong." The spark died instantly. Amanda recoiled as if struck, staring at me in sheer disbelief. "You... want me to..." "Can't do it?" A cold smirk crossed my face. "Then don't ever mention compensation to me again." I stood up to leave. "Silas!" she cried out. "The books really were dirty back then! It wasn't as simple as you think!" I stopped, not turning around. "So that gave you an excuse to watch him die?" "No! The people behind those fake numbers... they're people we couldn't afford to cross!" she pleaded frantically. "I refused to sign to protect you!" Protect me? That was the most sickening joke I'd heard in three years. Using my father's life to protect me? I spun around, closing the distance between us, towering over her. "Amanda, cut the bullshit. It makes me sick." "My father was an honest man his entire life. He would never cook the books! Are you so desperate to clear your conscience that you'd fabricate lies about a dead man?" "I'm not lying!" She jumped to her feet, pulling a file from her purse and shoving it toward me. "Look! This is what I dug up later! What happened back then was tied to—" Before she could finish, the door crashed open. Luke barged in, fury contorting his face, flanked by two burly bodyguards. He snatched the file from Amanda's hands and ripped it to shreds. "Amanda! Have you lost your damn mind?! You can't show this to anyone!" Scraps of paper fluttered like snow, landing in Amanda's despairing eyes. After tearing up the file, Luke glared at me with pure venom. "Silas, I'm warning you—stay the hell away from Amanda! You'd better drop this, or I swear you'll end up just like your dead father!" He actually dared to use my father's death to threaten me. A tidal wave of rage shattered my restraint. My fists clenched, knuckles popping loudly. For three years, I had held back, calculated every move, all for this day. And now, this spineless puppet dared bark in my face. Looking at Luke's twisted face, and then at Amanda, pale and swaying, the dark resolve I had harbored for three years crystallized. Some truths could only be uncovered through absolute destruction.