Chased By My Billionaire Ex-husband

Susan’s POV

It had been a week since I got George under my control, and I had finally sent him to meet the man I knew could help.

Arthur—Colten’s closest friend and the richest man in the country. He belonged to a hidden circle, rarely making public appearances. Years ago, when Colten died, Arthur cursed Evander, and it was evident how he hated him.

Back then, rumors spread that Colten could have lived if Evander had donated a kidney. But the truth was different—Colten died from an undiagnosed heart condition. But the false narrative floated around the circle, fueling Arthur’s hatred for Evander.

Now, I planned to use that hatred to my advantage. Arthur’s desire for revenge would align perfectly with my own goals.

===

As I had planned, George’s meeting with Arthur went smoothly even far too smoothly. I had watched from the shadows as George, the obedient pawn, delivered my message with just the right amount of desperation. Arthur’s icy demeanor never wavered as he listened, but I knew the moment he agreed to help—it was the quiet, calculating look in his eyes that confirmed it.

By the time George returned to report to me, the deal had been struck. Diana was going to walk free.

"It’s done," George said, his voice lacking the usual edge of uncertainty. "Arthur agreed. Diana’s out by tomorrow evening."

It took a long time for me to take Diana out, and it almost took a month for me.

I almost allowed myself to smile. Almost.

"Good," I replied, my voice steady, though my mind raced with possibilities. "Make sure she is ready to meet Arthur. He won’t like to be kept waiting."

The next day, Diana’s release was as swift as I had promised, orchestrated by Arthur’s connections. He had made sure there was no public spectacle, just a quiet exit from the prison. It was as if she had never been there. Never went in and never came out!

When Diana stepped into the world once again, I knew she would be a different person. Arthur didn’t do favors without expecting something in return. I didn’t know what his end game was, but I wasn’t worried. I had a much bigger plan in motion.

But Diana, naive as ever, was ecstatic. She didn’t see the strings I was pulling or the dark side of Arthur’s world. All she cared about was being free.

A week after her release, things started moving faster than I anticipated. Diana and Arthur soon started dating that I had never expected.

At first, I didn’t understand what the hell was going on there. Arthur wasn’t the kind of man to make things personal, but then I realized—he was using her just like I was using George. Diana’s presence would help Arthur in ways that went beyond revenge against Evander. They were two players in a dangerous game, and their shared hatred for Evander made them perfect allies.

But I didn’t care about their budding relationship. I didn’t care if they fell in love or if they became a power couple. My focus was on what I could extract from this alliance. And soon, I would have everything I needed to destroy Claire and Evander.

I let Diana bask in her newfound freedom, allowing her to taste the life of luxury she had longed for behind the bar. She dined at the finest restaurants, adorned herself in the most exquisite designer outfits, and surrounded herself with people eager to please her. For a while, I allowed it because I knew that such a life would only sharpen the bitterness inside her.

It must have made her think about how much she had missed while staying behind bars, and no matter what, she felt embarrassed meeting her friends. That was the reason, I wanted her to feel freedom while burning with even more revenge.

But I wasn’t foolish enough to let her indulge forever. Diana was a pawn in my game, and it was time to guide her back to the board.

The opportunity came one afternoon when I visited her at her mansion. It was as lavish as I had expected. But most of the things were newly furnished, as it seemed it was Arthur’s influence. As I stepped into her home, I went directly to her room as I saw Diana talking to herself in a hateful way.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked sharply, pulling the Diana out of whatever thoughts she was lost in.

Diana blinked, startled, before narrowing her eyes at me. "Why are you here?" She shot back as her tone was equally sharp. "What do you want from me?"

I tilted my head slightly, a playful smirk tugging at my lips. "Is that how you greet your savior?" I said, my voice laced with mockery.

"Savior?" Diana scoffed, leaning back as a bitter laugh escaped them. "Who do you think you are to call yourself that?"

I pointed to myself, my smirk growing wider. "Who do I think I am?" I repeated, letting the words hang for a moment. "I am the one who pulled you out of the abyss. If it weren’t for me, you would still be drowning in your misery. Shouldn’t you be thanking me for that?"

Diana’s gaze hardened, and she folded her arms across her chest. "Pulled me out?" She said as her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Is that what you call it? Don’t act like you did me some grand favor. I never asked for your help."

"True," I replied with a shrug, my tone annoyingly casual to counter their hostility. "You didn’t ask. But I gave it anyway. And whether you like it or not, you owe me for it."

"Owe you?" Diana spat, shaking their heads with a loud laugh. "You must be delusional if you think I will ever repay you for something I didn’t want in the first place."

I could see Diana’s defiance, but it didn’t bother me. Instead, I allowed my smirk to drop slightly as I leaned in closer. "You can deny it all you want," I said, my voice calm but cold. "But deep down, you know I saved you. And one day, you will realize just how much you owe me."

"Dream on," Diana said, her voice steady but full of venom. "I am Diana. I owe nothing to anyone. But if you are here for what I think you are here for..." She paused, her eyes narrowing further. "Then you are at the right place." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

I smiled, stepping back slightly as if amused. "Good," I said, my tone measured. "That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. But you should be a little polite to me."

Diana’s confidence wavered, just for a split second, but I saw it, and I seized it. "Let’s not waste time," I continued. "You think you don’t need me, but you will find out soon enough that’s not true. I will give you what you need, Diana, but don’t mistake this for charity. This is business, and you are part of my plan now." I said as I made myself clear.

Diana’s jaw tightened, but they said nothing. They wouldn’t admit it, not yet, but I knew I had them exactly where I wanted them.

"Now," I said, leaning back with a smile. "Let’s talk about how we are going to move forward. Together."

We chatted for a while, the air between us thick with tension as Diana’s expression darkened. Her narrowed eyes bore into me like daggers as she leaned forward slightly. "So, are you saying that you are gathering everyone who hates Evander and Claire to destroy them... and you used me while introducing Arthur to me?" Her voice carried a mixture of disbelief and simmering anger in her eyes.

"Are you dumb?" I replied, suppressing the urge to burst out laughing. I let a mocking smile stretch across my lips. "Seems like your dear father hasn’t told you a thing, has he? He didn’t tell you who lent you a hand when you needed it most, who paved the way for you to enjoy your newfound freedom."

Her brows furrowed, confusion flickering across her face. "What are you talking about?"

I leaned back in my chair, feigning indifference, but I could feel the thrill bubbling inside me. "Do you really think Arthur came to you out of nowhere? That he suddenly decided to risk everything for someone like you?" I shook my head, clicking my tongue. "How naive, Diana. Every move, every connection, every opportunity your father suddenly got... that was all me."

Diana’s hands clenched into fists on the table, her nails digging into her palms as she stared at me. "You used me," she said, her voice trembling with barely contained rage.

I raised a brow. "Used you? Let’s get one thing straight. I gave you freedom, Diana. I gave you Arthur, your so-called knight in shining armor. Without me, you would still be rotting in that prison cell. So, before you accuse me of using you, remember this— you owe your life outside those bars to me." I repeated once again.

She stood up abruptly, her chair screeching against the floor. "You think I am going to be your pawn? That I will let you control me like some puppet?"

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "Oh, Diana, you misunderstand. This isn’t about control. It’s about having the same goal— a common enemy. You hate Claire, don’t you? You hate Evander? I am simply giving you the tools to channel that hatred into something productive." I said with a confident smile.