Married To My Ex-Husband’s Rival

Richard strode into Elena’s office, a stern expression etched on his face as he faced his elder sister.

The air crackled with tension as he wasted no time in demanding answers. “Elena, care to explain why

you called me here? What’s this about saving Marlene from Kayden?”

Elena raised an eyebrow at Richard’s brusque tone, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. “Ah, Richard, always so quick to get straight to the point. As much as I appreciate it, a simple ‘hello‘ wouldn’t hurt, you know.” She allowed a small smirk to play on her lips before continuing, “But fine, let’s get to the point. Sit down, and I’ll explain.”

Richard rolled his eyes but complied, his impatience evident in his voice. “Don’t you try to mess with me, Elena? I’m not in the mood. Just tell me why I’m here and why you want me to save Marlene of all people. You know how much I despise her and that crazy bastard she’s married to, so why exactly do you think I’m obligated to care about whether or not he wants to kill her?”

Elena leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful look crossing her features as she regarded her brother. “Richard, I understand why you hate both of them, but this situation is not about acting on your personal feelings. Kayden intends on killing that woman, but before that happens, I want you to stop it.”

Richard’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “And so what? What do their marital problems have to do with me, and why should I care if he wants to take out his own wife? It seems like their mess to me, and to be honest, I would be happy if he took her out because that would mean I have one less problem.”

Elena let out a chuckle, a glint of mischief in her eyes as she leaned forward. “This is the difference between you and me, Pietro. You’re way too emotional, and you always choose to work hard. on the other hand, work smart. Which is why I called you. I have a plan, but you need to trust me on this.”

Richard’s skepticism was palpable as he leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. “What plan, Elena? And why should I trust you when you’ve been keeping tabs on Kayden’s every move, despite how you made i seem like you couldn’t care less about Kayden and what he did to Giorgia and me? You even saved the life of someone he killed and sent him to me as a present, like it was nothing. What exactly are you up to, Elena? What twisted game are you trying to play?”

With a sly smile, Elena leaned back, the pieces of her plan falling into place in her mind. “Oh, Richard, you’re way too dramatic and emotional. And someone like you will never understand my methods. I take the easy way and the smart way, and that’s why I’m steps ahead of you. It’s not a

twisted game; it’s simply a more efficient alternative.”

Richard scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Efficient? Right. Keep your efficiency talk to yourself, and just tell me why I should care about saving Marlene from Kayden’s madness. They’re both two idiots who can kill themselves for all I care, and since I’m pretty sure you’re not telling me to save her because you care about her, I want to know what’s going through that demented mind of

yours.”

Elena’s demeanor shifted, her expression turning serious as she looked at her brother. “Well, you’re not wrong. I don’t know Marlene, nor do I care to know about her. But it turns out that she is the only person who can make Kayden feel fear, and because of this, he wants her dead. And that wouldn’t be good, because keeping her alive traps Kayden, so we need to save her life.”

Richard’s brow furrowed in confusion as he stared at Elena, a quizzical expression on his face. “Elena,

what on earth are you talking about? Kayden is afraid of Marlene? That doesn’t make any sense at

all. Those diabolical idiots are married, so why would he be afraid of her?”

Elena let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair in frustration. “I know it sounds unbelievable,

Richard, but it’s the truth. Kayden is genuinely terrified of Marlene. He sees her as a threat, and

she’s the one person who can truly challenge him and make him feel like he’d lose. That’s why he’s so

desperate to get rid of her. He doesn’t want her to have that power over him.”

Richard shook his head in disbelief, trying to process the information. “I still don’t get it. How

can Kayden be afraid of Marlene? As far as I know, he has always been the bigger bully, the more

ruthless one. Why would he fear her of all people? She’s nobody.”

Elena raised an eyebrow at Richard’s question, a tinge of impatience in her voice. “Richard,

sometimes fear is not about physical strength. Marlene has something–some leverage, some power-‹ Kayden that makes him quake in his boots. Trust me, I have my sources, and I’m not wrong. I may not know her well, but I know enough to know that she’s a bigger psychopath than Kayden.”

Richard’s confusion deepened, and his skepticism was evident in his tone. “And how do you know all

this, Elena? What exactly have you found out that I don’t know? Because from where I’m standing, it Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

all sounds too far–fetched.”

Elena let out a frustrated groan, her patience wearing thin. “Richard, stop questioning every detail.

Richard leaned back in his chair, studying Elena with a skeptical gaze. “Elena, forgive me for being cautious, but this all sounds a bit too convenient. How can you be so sure about Kayden’s fear of Marlene? It just doesn’t add up, except, of course, you have some sort of relationship with Kayden, which I wouldn’t put past you.”

Elena frowned at Richard’s words, a hint of false bewilderment in her eyes. “Richard, what are you implying? That I have some secret connection to Kayden? That we’re friends or something?” She let out a disbelieving chuckle. “That’s preposterous, little brother. Why on earth would you think that?”

Richard raised an eyebrow, his mockery in expression evident. “Well, Elena, you’re a well–known docto and you encounter a lot of people in your line of work. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for you to have crossed paths with Kayden, especially since you’re around the same age and you’re both busybodies who like to be everywhere like the attention seekers that you both are.”

Elena reclined in her chair, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she regarded Richard with a knowing look. “You know, Richard, the only reason I let your disrespect slide is because I’m a good sister, and I still regard you highly no matter how stupid I believe you are. But anyway, let’s get back to the business I called you here for.””

Richard rolled his eyes, a hint of impatience creeping into his voice. “Exactly, Elena. Cut the theatrics, and just tell me what you have in mind and why I have to be involved.”

Elena leaned forward, a glint of mischief dancing in her eyes. “So here’s the thing: I have my people keeping an eye on Marlene now because I don’t want Kayden to off her just yet. What I want is for him to try to kill her but fail at it, thanks to our interruption.”

Richard’s confusion deepened, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. “Wait, what? Why on earth would y want Kayden to make an attempt on Marlene’s life? What’s it to you?”

Elena leaned back, a calculating expression on her face. “You see, Richard, I believe in an eye for an eye, a life for a life. This means Kayden has to die, just like Giorgia did. But since I’m not one to soil my hands, as the prestigious busybody that I am, I want Marlene to be provoked by him, to be pushed to her limits through his attempt to murder her. And when that time comes, she’ll end up taking care of Kayden for me.”

Richard’s eyes widened in shock, a sense of disbelief coloring his features. “You want Marlene to

kill Kayden? Elena, even if it would be great if that happened, there’s no assurance about it, What if she doesn’t go through with it like you think she would, or if she fails?”

Elena’s smile turned confident, adding a dangerous edge to her tone. “Oh, don’t worry, Richard. Even if Marlene doesn’t do the deed herself, it doesn’t matter to me. Kayden’s attempt to kill her will be-

backed with evidence, and that would create the motive I’ll use to make sure she becomes the prime

suspect. The rest will all fall into place after that.”

Richard stared at Elena, a mixture of bewilderment and skepticism clouding his gaze. “I find this all weird, Elena, but then again, you’ve always been weird. That’s why working with mentally ill people s the perfect job for you. My question now is, Are you sure there are no risks that could put you in

rouble?”

Elena waved off Richard’s concerns with a dismissive gesture. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, Richard. I, unlike you, can never be caught, and I have it all under control. You just need to ensure Marlene’s safety while I’m away from the States, and I’ll pull the strings from behind the scenes.