# Chapter 517: The Leap of Desperation and the Masked Phantom
Hello, dear readers! It's me again, your faithful storyteller. How are you all doing today? I hope you're ready for another heart-pounding journey, because this chapter brings us to the edge of a cliff—both literally and emotionally. Grab a cup of tea, find a cozy spot, and let me guide you through this gripping and soul-shaking chapter of **"The Untouchable Ex Wife."**
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The night stretched overhead like a dark, endless shroud. The wind howled across the jagged lips of the cliff, carrying with it the cold breath of oblivion. And there, on the precipice of death, stood Tess—her body trembling, her spirit shattered—holding nothing but the weight of her guilt.
She had climbed that winding, treacherous path not to find peace, but to end her suffering. Maybe there, at the edge of the world, she could undo everything she had done. Maybe dying was the only way to make things right.
Tess closed her eyes, tears streaking down her pale cheeks. She spread her arms wide, feeling the wind tug at her clothes, calling her into the darkness below... and then she fell.
Backwards. Into the void.
But fate, it seems, was not finished with her yet.
"No!" A desperate cry ripped through the air.
Stefan lunged forward with every ounce of speed he had left, his fingers closing around her arm just as she began to plummet. His muscles screamed in protest as he braced himself against the cliff's edge, holding onto her with a grip forged of pure stubbornness.
Tess's eyes flew open. Shock rippled through her as she looked up at the man who should have hated her, who had every right to let her fall, and yet there he was—gripping her with white-knuckled determination.
She sobbed, shaking her head as tears continued to spill from her eyes.
"Mr. Hunt, I'm a sinner. Why did you save me? I should die... Let go!"
Her voice cracked with agony. She wasn't trying to threaten him. She genuinely meant every word. In her heart, death was not a punishment; it was a release—both for herself, and for the family she was desperately trying to protect.
"I believe that you didn't harm her on purpose, so you can't resolve this by ending your life." Stefan's voice was strained, his brow furrowed as he fought against gravity itself. His jaw tightened as he hissed, "Come back and make up for it!"
But Tess only shook her head more violently.
"No, I can't... I really can't. If I don't die, she won't let go of my family. My family will become worthless to her if I'm dead, and only then will they be safe!"
Her confession spilled out like a flood of bitter truth. This wasn't just about her guilt—it was about survival. She had called that woman to the cliff earlier so that Stefan could confront her and learn the truth. And after that, Tess had planned to take the final step. She believed with all her heart that by dying, she could throw herself between her loved ones and danger, becoming a shield soaking in the hatred that would otherwise destroy them.
"Cut the crap! I can't hold you any longer... Come up!" Stefan growled, his face dripping with sweat as he struggled against her dead weight pulling them both toward the edge.
The cliff was steep and merciless. Beneath them, loose rocks crumbled away, tumbling into the darkness below. The ground under Stefan's heels began to slip. He was losing the battle. Every second, her weight dragged him closer to the abyss, and there was no strength left in his muscles.
Just when hope was about to slip through his fingers, a new presence appeared.
Elijah! Having finally reached the top, the loyal man dashed forward without a second thought and joined Stefan, their combined strength hauling Tess back onto solid ground. The three of them collapsed onto the rocky surface, chests heaving, hearts pounding, minds racing.
"Why did you save me? Why? I deserve to die!"
Tess lay sprawled on the cold ground, gazing up at the dark, indifferent sky through tear-filled eyes. The guilt inside her was an inferno, consuming every part of her soul. She couldn't bear to look at them—to face the kindness she didn't deserve.
Stefan slowly pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his clothes with practiced calm. He didn't even bother to look at her. His voice was flat, almost cold.
"You have to wait for my wife to recover if you want to die. We'll let her decide if you should die or not."
He made no pretense of being a saint. He didn't care whether Tess lived or died in some noble, selfless way. His heart was reserved for one woman alone—Renee. The reason he had risked his own life to save Tess wasn't out of pity or mercy for her. It was because deep in his soul, Stefan knew that if Renee were standing where he was–if she had seen Tess about to fall into the abyss–she would not hesitate to save her.
Renee would forgive. Renee would offer grace.
And so, in his own way, Stefan was simply keeping faith with the woman he loved.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the top of the cliff—a slim, silent shadow emerging from the darkness like a phantom. Elijah's eyes widened in alarm as he pointed toward the mysterious newcomer.
"Mr. Hunt, look!"
Stefan spun around, his gaze meeting the eyes of the stranger. She was wrapped in thick black clothes that seemed to swallow all light around her. A mask covered her features, and from her radiated a grim, suffocating aura. She looked like a ghost risen straight from the depths of hell itself, summoned by fate to witness this scene.
Yet, despite the disguise, despite the darkness that shrouded her—Stefan knew.
"Briar?" he said, his voice laced with surprise.
Her body shuddered. A tremor ran through her as if she had been struck by lightning. She hadn't expected to stumble upon him here tonight. And she most certainly hadn't expected him to recognize her, especially wrapped in all that fabric, hidden behind her mask, so far from the woman she used to be.
"You... you recognize me?" Briar choked out, and tears began to roll down her cheeks beneath the mask.
In that moment, something broke open inside her. Whoever she had become—whatever pain had twisted her path into this dark shape—Stefan still saw her. Beneath all the shadows and armor she had built around herself, he still recognized *Briar*. And that simple act of recognition touched her in a place that had been buried under years of suffering.
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**Reader's Impressions & Star Rating:**
Oh my heart! This chapter is an emotional storm from beginning to end. We see so many layers peeled back: Tess's desperate belief that her death could save those she loves, Stefan's cold exterior hiding his loyalty to Renee's spirit, and the sudden appearance of the mysterious Briar—shaking with the shock of being truly seen. The cliff scene had me gripping the edge of my seat, the tension so vivid I could almost feel the crumbling rocks beneath my fingers. And that ending? Chills. Absolute chills. I'm completely hooked and need more!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
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**Next Chapter Prediction:**
The cliffside reunion between Stefan and Briar is bound to spark revelations! I predict the next chapter will pull back the curtain on who Briar has become and what dark purpose brought her to that exact spot. Could she have been following Tess? Does she hold the missing pieces of the puzzle behind Renee's suffering? And just when Stefan thought things were complicated enough, Briar's sudden presence might trigger a dangerous chain of events—especially if she has unfinished business with the woman Tess feared so much.
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