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Author: Tamara Knox
last update publish date: 2026-03-04 16:40:56

*SELENE*

The call came from my father early in the morning.

"We need to talk. Come home today." He said in a tone that said it was not a request, and hung up without waiting for a response from me. His usual way of forcing his decisions on me, whether I liked it or not.

I sat up slowly, dread settling in my stomach.

The drive back home took forty minutes. My mother was at the kitchen table, and my father was standing by the window, with neither smiling.

"Sit."

I sat.

He placed a folder on the t
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  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   142

    MAXWELLI watch Ariana disappear into the elevator, and even after the doors close, I don't move. My lawyer is saying something beside me, a rundown of the paperwork, the timeline, what comes next, but I'm barely listening. The agreement is better than I expected: expanded time, overnights, more involvement, more opportunities. It's enough, for now, because the twins were never the only reason I wanted this."Mr. Cox?" My lawyer's voice cuts through, and I realize I've been staring at the closed elevator doors for longer than is normal."I heard you," I say, though I didn't, not really.He lets it go, tucking his folder under one arm as we walk toward the exit. Around us, the other lawyers and assistants are already scattering, phones out, calls being made, the machinery of the day resetting itself. I nod along to whatever he's saying about filing deadlines and follow-up paperwork, and none of it sticks.I want Ariana back. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I want the oppor

  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   141

    ARIANAI stand, pick up my bag, and head for the door.He looks at me. "Ariana."I stop. "What?" Irritation in my voice as I half-turn to look at him.His expression softens. "Thank you."I almost laugh. "For what?""For giving me a chance." He takes a hesitant step towards me and stops.I hold his gaze. "This isn't a chance for us," I say firmly.His smile falters. "I know." His hand goes into his trouser pocket."Good." I turn and start to walk away.Behind me, I hear him say quietly, "There's hope... at least."“Absolutely not on your life.“ I murmur to myself as I exit the conference room and head toward the elevator. ***Outside the building, Alaric catches up with me. "You handled yourself well.""I hated every damn second of his ass sitting across from me thinking he can waltz back into my life like that." I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding."That's different." He studies me. "How?" I stop beside my car and turn to face him."You didn't let him see all of that.

  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   140

    ARIANAThursday arrives too quickly, by then, the pain is under control enough for me to sit through the meeting without wincing or unconsciously touching my stomach.At exactly ten in the morning, I sit across a polished conference table from the man I once thought I would spend the rest of my life with.Maxwell sits beside his lawyer, and I sit beside Alaric. There are other people in the room too. Assistants, legal representatives, and people whose job is to take notes while the four of us carefully avoid saying what we actually mean.I look at Maxwell. He looks calm, too calm. I notice that his lawyer is not one of the usual Cox family attorneys.An interesting development.I glance at Alaric. He notices me noticing, but neither of us says anything.Maxwell catches my look, and a faint smile touches his mouth. He knows exactly what I'm thinking.He didn't come here with Victor's people. Good. At least he's learned something. Using the Cox family lawyers would have made this even m

  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   139

    ARIANA"Mason." I challenge the look on his face."What. I didn't say anything." His tone mocks me right back."You don't have to, but it's there on your face." I sit up a little to confront him properly. "Look, I have lawyers, accountants, auditors, financial analysts, executives, people whose entire job is to notice things before I do."He smiles wider. "And yet you have a problem that's messing with your health."I give him a look. "That sounded suspiciously like a lecture.""Maybe it was." He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a business card, holding it between two fingers before handing it to me.I glance down, read the title, then look back at him. "What exactly do you do?""Corporate risk and strategic intelligence."I turn the card over. "That's vague.""It's supposed to be.""Convenient." My gaze leaves his face and return to assessing the card."Very." His eyes still on my face.I look at the card again while Mason leans back. "I work with people who have problems that d

  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   138

    ARIANAThe twins are thrilled because they get to go to the park. And for some unknown reason, the pain reduces just seeing them happy, so the idea of going settles well with me.When we get there, Thea runs toward the swings, and Ethan heads for the slide with his dinosaur tucked beneath one arm. Mrs. Patricia follows them, laughing as she tries to keep up with both.I sit on a bench for a while. The fresh air helps, a little. Then my stomach twists again, and I stand, which turns out to be a bad idea, because the world tilts, and I grab the bench as my knees weaken. I try to breathe through it, once, twice, but the pain only gets worse, then I crouch instinctively, one hand pressed against my stomach.I hear Mrs. Patricia calling my name from somewhere behind me. Then another voice cuts through the noise, familiar in a way that stops me. "Grace?"I try to straighten, but I can't. All I know is that the next second, strong arms catch me before I hit the ground."Mason?" I whisper th

  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   137

    ARIANAI answer the call. "Alaric.""Ariana." His voice is calm and precise. "I have the date for the settlement conference."My stomach tightens for an entirely different reason. I reach for a pen. "When?""Thursday morning, ten o'clock."I write it down. "Both sides?""Both parties and counsel." He confirms.I exhale slowly. "All right.""There is one more thing." He hesitates.I stop writing. "What?""Maxwell's counsel confirmed that he wants to participate personally."Of course he does. "Anything else?""Not from them, but I recommend that you don't discuss the substance of the case outside counsel.""I wasn't planning to," I assure him."Good." I hear him exhale on the other end.We exchange brief goodbyes, and I put the phone down. It rings again almost immediately, and this time the name on the screen makes me go still. It’s Maxwell.For a moment, I consider letting it ring. Then I answer. "Hello.""Hi." His voice is strangely casual. "How are you?"I almost laugh. "You served

  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   30

    *Maxwell*When I stepped off the elevator onto the private floor, I saw them immediately.Two men in dark suits flanked the door to a corner room. Durrell's men. I'd seen enough of them lately to recognize them.Durrell himself stood outside the room, speaking into his phone, watching me approach l

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-05

  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   29

    *MAXWELL*The news came from my assistant."Sir, Theodore Chase was shot again. He didn't make it."I stopped mid-step in my office."What?""The Chase family residence, less than an hour ago. It's all over the news."I grabbed my jacket and was out the door before he could say more.The drive to t

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-04

  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   28

    *DURRELL*When we arrived at the hospital, she was taken straight to the emergency unit before I had her moved to a VIP ward and requested for the family doctor.She is not crying, and that scares me more than anything.There is blood on her hands. It has dried in thin lines along her fingers, and

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-03

  • After the Divorce, My Ex Husband Came Crawling Back   16

    “Involved how?”Victor turned back to me.“Theodore requested a private review of a joint logistics agreement three days before he was shot.”My pulse stumbled.“A joint agreement between whom?”“Chase Construction and one of our automotive subsidiaries.”I stared at him.“You’re saying his shootin

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-22
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