# Chapter 197: The Queen of Guiltless Calm
Hello again, my lovely readers! How are you doing today? I hope you’re warm, safe, and ready for another deep dive into the complicated, emotionally charged world of **The Untouchable Ex Wife**. Today, we’re unwrapping Chapter 197—a chapter that feels like a slow burn of quiet defiance, bruised pride, and one very dangerous game of appearances. So grab your favorite drink, settle in, and let’s step back into the whirlwind together.
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Leia was sitting alone with her thoughts when the familiar knot of anxiety coiled in her chest again. She had been replaying the morning over and over—the cold looks, the whispered accusations, the sudden distance of people who had once smiled at her. She had hurt Shirley. There was no way around that fact. And now, everyone was treating her like the villain of this story.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to get along with them,” Leia admitted, her frown deepening. “Everyone avoids me now. They think I’m some wicked woman who goes around pushing innocent people into danger.”
She wasn’t wrong about the fickleness of the crowd. The other guests had already read the temperature of the room. If they saw Xavier and Shirley walking side by side, caring and friendly, they would turn on Leia faster than a summer storm. They would suck up to Shirley, drag Leia’s name through the mud, and make the filming set feel like a battlefield. And if she had to shoot the show under that kind of pressure, Leia feared that she would end up crossing words—or worse—with them right in front of the cameras.
But then Adam stepped forward with a refreshing lack of patience for all the sugarcoated nonsense.
“It’s fine,” he said simply. “If you can’t get along with them, then you don’t have to. You can fight with them. You can fall out with whichever pretentious person you want. Just be yourself, Leia. Don’t pretend to like anyone. I can’t stand those fake people either.”
Adam had always appreciated Leia because she was genuinely unpolished in an industry full of plastic masks. Most stars were one person in front of the camera and a completely different person when the lenses were off. They used the show as another stage for their hypocrisy, performing humility and kindness while their real motives hid behind manicured smiles. Leia was not like that. And Adam saw it.
So, after a long moment of quiet thinking, Leia finally made her decision. She signed the contract with the crew, agreeing to become a fixed cast member for the upcoming episodes. For her, it felt like killing two birds with one stone: she would use this chance to spend time near her idol, while also keeping a watchful eye on Shirley for any useful clues.
But in her heart, Leia knew it wouldn’t be easy.
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Two days passed like drifting clouds. Then Shirley finally returned to the filming crew, her arm wrapped up in a heavy cast. Walking beside her, with the same unreadable expression he always wore in public, was Xavier.
Leia had been lying in a hammock under a big, leafy tree, soaking in the sunlight like she had no cares left in the world. The grass between her lips was a small green foxtail, and for one beautiful moment, her mind was quiet. Body and soul both released the tension of the last few days. She was just on the verge of peace.
Then she saw him.
Xavier was carefully guiding Shirley toward the house, one hand hovering near her arm as if she were made of glass. The image was all tenderness and protection—everything Leia used to dream about when she was foolish enough to believe those dreams could come true. Her good mood evaporated instantly.
“Hey! You’re back! Oh, we missed you guys so much while you were gone…”
The other guests swarmed them like hungry seagulls. Lily and the rest of the cast rushed over, all bright smiles and eager questions about Xavier and Shirley’s health. It was a warm, welcoming scene, the kind of group reunion that would make anyone feel loved and important.
Leia, on the other hand, did not move. She didn’t even look up. She stayed right there in her hammock, chewing on the green foxtail, looking like a true loner who didn’t have a single care in the world. She was not about to join the circus.
Shirley lowered her eyes, adopting that sweet, gentle expression she was so famous for. “I’m sorry for delaying all the shooting, everyone. I asked the doctor, and he said I can move around a little now, so I came back as soon as I could. I hope I won’t be a burden to all of you.”
It was such a noble, selfless speech. Sacrificial even. But here was the truth behind the mask: Shirley had been perfectly capable of moving around long before she stepped back on set. She simply enjoyed lying in bed with that cast while Xavier fussed over her. She wanted his care, his attention, his presence every second of the day. But after two days of being stuck inside, she had grown restless and bored. So she decided to return, making it look like an act of professional dedication. That way, people would whisper about how strong she was, how inspiring.
It was the perfect plan.
Xavier, as always, said very little. He left Shirley in the hands of her assistant and agent, stepping away from the noisy crowd with a few quiet words. The instant he stepped back, his gaze searched the area almost unconsciously. And then he found her.
Leia was still lying under that wide tree, golden sunlight filtering through the leaves, a green foxtail lazily between her lips. The sight of her—healthy, relaxed, completely at ease—made something in Xavier’s chest twist. Part of him was genuinely relieved that she was okay, that she hadn’t been hurt or broken by what happened. But there was another feeling too, one that stung like a hidden splinter. A strange, dark disappointment that she was thriving without him. That she seemed entirely unaffected by his absence.
So he strode over to her, his tall figure casting a long shadow across her peaceful face. When he looked down at her, he was the same cold, condescending man he had always been in public.
“You caused a lot of trouble,” Xavier said, his voice low and cutting. “But you don’t look guilty or remorseful at all.”
Leia still didn’t move. She just watched him from the hammock, the sunlight catching the faint mischief in her eyes, wondering if he had any idea how little she cared for his judgment anymore.
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## Reader’s Impressions & Star Rating
Oh, this chapter was delicious in that quietly tense way! I loved watching Leia choose peace over panic—there’s something so satisfying about seeing her refuse to beg for forgiveness from people who never respected her in the first place. Adam’s advice was the shield she needed, and her decision to join the show permanently? Brilliant. It gives her a long-term mission and puts her right in the thick of danger. As for Xavier, that mix of relief and disappointment when he saw her happy? Powerful. He wants to punish her for not suffering without him, and that says more about him than any grand romantic speech ever could. Shirley’s manipulative side is also fully exposed here—that poor, dedicated act is wearing thinner every day. It all sets up so much tension, I couldn’t stop reading.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars.
## Next Chapter Prediction
I think in the next chapter, Leia will not let Xavier’s cold question go unanswered. We might see her fire back with that sharp tongue of hers—maybe even point out that if he’s so sure she’s guilty, he should prove it. And knowing Shirley, she won’t waste any time in trying to make Leia look bad in front of the cameras again. But this time, Leia has Adam in her corner, and she’s no longer afraid to burn a few bridges. Get ready for a verbal showdown—and possibly Xavier’s first real crack in that icy armor.
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