TOO LATE TO WANT ME BACK
On the night Alice Laurent discovered she was pregnant, her husband handed her divorce papers.
After three years of marriage, Vaylen Morgan had finally gotten back the only woman he had ever loved — his ex-fiancée who disappeared before their wedding and destroyed him.
Alice was never the woman he wanted.
She was only the woman who saved his life.
Heartbroken, Alice asks for one final thing before signing the divorce papers: one real memory with the man she spent three years loving alone.
But that night ends in public humiliation, betrayal, and the final destruction of her marriage.
So Alice disappears.
Vaylen thinks she is just another woman walking out of his life.
What he does not know is that Alice leaves carrying his child… and hiding a secret powerful enough to shake his entire world.
Because the quiet wife he discarded was never ordinary.
She is Alice Laurent — heiress to one of the most powerful families in the world.
Years later, Vaylen meets her again beside a little girl with his eyes, another man at her side, and a life that no longer has room for him.
Now the man who once wanted freedom from his wife is desperate for another chance.
But this time, Alice may never let him close enough to break her again.
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Chapter: { SIXTY NINE }VAYLENI didn't turn the key. I just sat there in the quiet of the Laurent Group parking garage, my hands still on the wheel, my fingers clamped down on the dark leather in the exact same grip I had used weeks ago when the first doubt had cracked my composure in this same slot.The engine remained dark, the low hum of the building's ventilation system filling the enclosed bay with a steady rattle that seemed to vibrate straight through my coat.Five years I had told myself a story to survive. That I imagined her face in a crowd. That grief had rewritten a stranger into my wife because I couldn't live with the alternative, that she was real and had simply chosen to disappear from me completely.Now I knew. She was real. She had been standing across from me for months, in boardrooms and elevators and now, finally, in the one room where the truth couldn't hide behind either of our comp
Last Updated: 2026-09-16
Chapter: { SIXTY EIGHT }ALICEHe was still kneeling on the floor, his hands open at his sides. I stood perfectly still near the window, my fingers resting motionless against the glass as a heavy silence settled over the room.I didn't say a word, and I didn't look away from his face.Looking down at him, I noticed a faint line near the corner of his left eye that hadn't been there five years ago.His frame looked smaller on the floor, stripped of the unyielding corporate armor he had worn into the boardroom that morning.Five years I had practiced this moment in my head. In every version, I stayed strong. I said it flat, like a fact, and walked away with my composure whole.Standing here with him on his knees in front of me, I understood none of that had ever been true. There was no strong version of this. There was only the truth, finally leaving me, w
Last Updated: 2026-09-15
Chapter: { SIXTY SEVEN }ALICEI stood in front of the vanity mirror in the corner of my office, my fingers stopped halfway to my hair.My breath caught completely in my throat, and I stared at my own reflection like it belonged to a total stranger.I had been rushing all morning, my mind entirely consumed by the frantic pace of the day. Between getting Diamond dressed, dropping her off safely at the gates of Eagles Bright Academy, and reaching the office before the team and our new international partners arrived, I had not once paused to look in a mirror.Because of that haste, I had worn mismatched earrings through the entire two-hour morning briefing, and then straight through a live television segment that was watched by half the state.A small gold hoop hung from my left ear, while a plain pearl stud sat on the right. I stared at the ridiculous mismatch in the glass and
Last Updated: 2026-09-14
Chapter: { SIXTY SIX }VAYLENThe boardroom thinned out in a slow stream of dark suits. Chairs scraped against the floorboards, leather folders clicked shut, and a few parting handshakes were exchanged near the exit as the partner representatives filed into the hallway.I remained seated at the middle of the long table, my hands resting against my thighs, deliberately waiting for the room to empty.I watched Alice from my seat as she collected her notes, her movements calm as she finished a conversation with the last staff director near the door.Once the director nodded and stepped into the corridor, the room dropped into an absolute quiet.Alice didn't look toward my chair. She picked up her binder, turned on her heel, and walked out of the hall.I stood up, walked down and stopped outside her door.I knocked once, waiting
Last Updated: 2026-09-13
Chapter: { SIXTY FIVE }VAYLENSince I left Eagle's Bright Academy on Monday, my mind hadn't been at rest. I endlessly reflected on everything Diamond had said to me on that playground bench, her soft voice turning the layout of my history into a complete, unresolved question.More than twice today, I had held my phone, staring at the contact number I copied from her backpack tag. Every instinct urged me to dial it, to hear her small voice, but I resisted.I didn't want to get the little girl into trouble. The last thing I wanted was for Alice to scold her daughter because of me.I spent forty-eight hours forcing my focus back to our shipping reports and port data accounts, trying to maintain a straight business composure while the weeks dropped away.My restraint had broken earlier in the week, on Wednesday. Alice had come into the temporary project office toward the evening, he
Last Updated: 2026-09-12
Chapter: { SIXTY FOUR }ALICEGerald's threat had been sitting on my chest since Monday. It had followed me through board meetings, through quiet elevator rides, through the last waking minutes before sleep. I'd tell myself it was nothing, another one of his manipulations designed to keep me circling back to him.It was Saturday, so I stayed in the living room of the penthouse, reviewing project progress and sorting through reports sent by the different teams. The afternoon light cast long, gray lines across the rug, the quiet of the apartment deep and completely undisturbed. Jessica had gone out to get her hair done, leaving the entire floor to the two of us.When I finally paused and looked around, I didn't see Diamond.She had been practicing her language skills on her iPad right beside me just moments ago, but the spot was empty. I'd bought her that iPad six months ago, after one too many nights of her
Last Updated: 2026-09-11
Chapter: THE OFFERLUCYThe door opens.Damian King steps inside.I sit up slowly, ignoring the pull in my ribs. This time I see him clearly.Tall–the kind that makes this already-small hospital room feel even smaller. His hair's a bit too long, like he's overdue for a cut, and there's stubble along his jaw. But what I notice first is the suit. Charcoal gray. The kind that fits like it was made just for him. His watch catches the light when he moves his hand. Expensive. Everything about him looks expensive.But his eyes look exhausted.Haunted.Mrs. Henderson stands. "I'll give you two some privacy." She nods at him on her way out. "Mr. King.""Thank you, Mrs. Henderson."The door clicks shut.We're alone.He steps closer to my bed. Hands slide into his pockets."How are you feeling today?""I'm–"He stops. Leans forward slightly."Are you crying?""N-no." I wipe my face with the towel on my bed. "I'm not crying."But I am. I was. I've been crying since this morning. Since Dr. Jorge told me I'd be disch
Last Updated: 2026-02-16
Chapter: WHAT COMES NEXTLUCYThe beeping wakes me.Steady. Rhythmic. Close.I try to count how long I've been under—hours? Days? My brain won't hold the numbers. Everything feels thick, heavy, like I'm underwater.I force my eyes open. Slowly. The light stabs.A figure moves beside the bed. Mrs. Henderson. Her face comes into focus, and her eyes go wide."Oh thank God—you're awake." She presses the call button on the wall. "Let me get the doctor."She hurries out.I'm alone for a moment. The beeping. The white ceiling. The IV in my arm.Then footsteps in the hall.Dr. Jorge appears, Mrs. Henderson behind him."Good to see you awake, Lucy." He moves to my bedside, checks the monitors. "How are you feeling?"I try to speak—need to ask where I am, what happened, how long—The sound that comes out isn't words.It's a rasp. Broken. Wrong.Pain explodes through my throat like I've swallowed glass.My hand flies to my neck."Don't—" Dr. Jorge steps closer, his hand briefly touching my wrist to stop me from pressing
Last Updated: 2026-02-10
Chapter: MOM'S DYING WISHDAMIAN"You didn't tell me you were coming."Mom's sitting in my office when I walk in. She's thinner. The navy blazer that had always got her hangs loose on her frame. Her skin has a faint yellow tint that wasn't there before–jaundice, probably. And there are shadows under her eyes that makeup can't quite hide.How long has it been since I actually looked at her?Two weeks since her last call. Maybe a month since I saw her in person.Too long."That's because you've been avoiding me." Her voice is sharp. "You haven't taken my calls in two weeks."I close the door. Move to my desk. Don't look at her directly because if I do, I'll have to acknowledge what I'm seeing."I've been busy.""You're always busy."There's something in her voice that makes me stop. Something that sounds like the end of patience.I turn.She's already pulling something from her handbag–thick manila envelope. She places it on my desk carefully, like it's fragile. Or explosive.It lands with a soft thud that feels
Last Updated: 2026-02-08
Chapter: THE MAN WHO STAYEDDAMIAN Three days after the accident, Marcus calls again. "Tell me you're not going back to the hospital." I keep my eyes on the road. "I'm going." "Damian—" "She's awake." Silence. "The hospital called this morning," I continue. "She woke up an hour ago." "That changes nothing. You called the ambulance. You gave your statement to the police. Your legal obligation is done." "She's alone, Marcus." "How do you know that?" "The hospital told me. No ID. No family has come forward." I switch lanes. "No one." "Which is exactly why you need to stay away." His voice sharpens. "If she sues—and she will sue—every hospital visit you make strengthens her case. You're establishing a pattern of guilt." "I am guilty." "You hit someone who walked into traffic at night—" "I should have seen her." "The police cleared you." "I don't care." He makes a sound like he wants to throw his phone. "You're impossible to defend." "I'm not asking you to defend it." I hang up. --- My father di
Last Updated: 2026-02-03
Chapter: FIFTY MILLION REASONSLUCY "I'm sorry," Robert tells them, his voice breaking. "I need to get her out of here." "Of course," David says quietly. "Whatever she needs." Robert helps me stand. My legs won't work. He wraps an arm around my waist, supporting my weight. "Come on," he says gently. "Let's go." I don't remember walking to his car or the gate closing behind us. Just fragments: streetlights sliding past the window. Robert's knuckles white on the steering wheel. My breath fogging the glass. And the thought, over and over: My father died thinking I didn't care enough to come home. --- Robert helps me inside his house and sits me on the couch. He sits across from me, elbows on his knees. "I thought you knew," he says finally. "Lucy, I swear I thought you knew. Kelvin told everyone at the funeral that you'd just had surgery. Emergency surgery. That you couldn't travel. That it was too dangerous for you to come." I stare at him. "There was no s-surgery." My voice comes out hoarse. "I was her
Last Updated: 2026-02-03
Chapter: THE ROSES ARE GONELUCY "We're here, miss." I look up. The iron gates of Oakridge estate stand exactly where they've always stood. Tall. Black. Home. My hands shake as I pay the driver. The Uber pulls away. The gate's right there. Twenty feet away. I walk. My legs feel disconnected from my body. I knock. Metal against metal. The gate opens a crack. A man peers out, suspicious. "Yes?" "I–I need to c-come inside." "Who are you looking for?" "My father. Richard M-Morrison." His brow furrows. "Morrison?" "Yes. He owns this place. I'm his d-daughter." "I don't know any Morrison." His tone sharpens. "Who told you to come here?" "N-no one told me. This is my f-father's house. I grew up here." "Look, I don't know what you're—" Headlights sweep across us. A car slows at the gate. Expensive. Silver sedan. The guard steps back. "That's Mr. Chen." The gate swings open. The car rolls forward, then stops. The window lowers. A man leans out, his wife beside him. Both studying me. "Is there a pro
Last Updated: 2026-02-03
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