The Wife You Buried Is Back from Hell novel Chapter 30

No matter how talented she was, there was always someone holding her back. That lingering frustration smoldered inside her.

She wasn't the type to settle for second place. She needed to win—every time.

Next round, she was going to take back her crown.

—

Backstage.

"Oh my God, oh my God!" Kirsten practically launched herself at Danielle, hugging her tight. "You killed it!"

Danielle had been tense ever since the results were announced, anxious she'd fall short. Honestly, she wasn't even sure where she stood, skill-wise. Thankfully, things had gone her way.

Winners were expected to go onstage to accept their awards. Danielle, though, wasn't ready to be in the spotlight. She quietly asked someone else from the team to go up and collect the trophy for her.

Kirsten shot her a look. "Why aren't you going up yourself? Still worried your soon-to-be-ex is lurking around? You should let him see exactly how incredible you are."

Danielle shook her head. "It's the nail that sticks out that gets hammered down. You don't know what he's capable of. If I draw attention to myself right now, he'll come after me with everything he's got. We're not even divorced yet—I don't need the trouble."

"I want to focus on the next round. I don't want any unnecessary drama with him."

She was still a newcomer in this arena, desperate to prove herself. This was not the moment to stand out.

This competition could change her career—and her future. It meant everything for her and her daughter: their quality of life, their social standing. She had to fight for her daughter's sake.

No matter how hard this road got, she had to keep going.

Gian nodded in understanding. "Makes sense."

Kirsten grinned. "Well, we need to celebrate now! We absolutely crushed it!"

She barely finished speaking when there was a knock at the door.

A staff member from the organizing committee stepped into the room. "Who's Sophia? Our CEO would like to meet with her."

Kirsten raised an eyebrow. "Which CEO?"

She could practically smell a headhunter in the air.

"It's not that simple." Danielle's voice was steady. "People like him chew you up and spit you out. Alexander is proof of that—I learned my lesson the hard way."

"Working with people like him means you always have to watch your back. I'm not interested in playing that game—not yet. I want to rebuild what I lost, finish what I started years ago."

"If I jumped ship now, I'd probably never have a moment to breathe."

Her priorities were clear: she wanted a career, yes. But she wanted to be there for her daughter, too.

Kirsten was already planning the victory dinner, full of excitement.

Just then, Danielle's phone buzzed.

She glanced down and saw two messages from Alexander.

One included a location.

His note was brisk: [Come over. We need to talk—]