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CHAPTER 4
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2024-12-27 16:41:16OLIVIA'S POV
The morning sun gleamed against the polished hood of my Mustang as I turned into the parking lot, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. Today was my first day as CEO of Nexus —a position that my father had given me despite the fact that I had zero working experience.
I could still picture the smug look on his face when he had offered me the job. I knew he was expecting me to fail in the business world, so that he could quickly marry me off to Ryan, and that had been my biggest motivation.
I had spent the weekend buried in spreadsheets and reports, memorizing every detail about the company to ensure I wouldn’t be caught off guard. This wasn’t just a job; it was my chance to prove to everyone—and to myself—that I wasn’t a failure, that I could stand on my own.
As I stepped out of the car, smoothing my tailored blazer, my gaze automatically swept over the parking lot and just then, a familiar figure caught my eye.
Lucas.
He stood casually by his sleek black Audi, dressed in his signature perfectly tailored suit. His secretary was with him, giggling at something he’d said, as her hand brushed playfully against his arm. My stomach churned in a mixture of anger and hurt. He was laughing so heartily now. That could only mean that he had quickly moved on, that everything we built together didn’t matter to him as much as I thought.
For a split second, his eyes met mine. The carefree smile slipped from his face, and it was instantly replaced by an expression I couldn’t quite understand. Surprise, perhaps? Shock? Whatever it was, he quickly masked It, and turned his attention back to his secretary.
I tilted my chin up and walked past him without a word. My heels clicked against the pavement as I headed toward the building.
“Morning,” Ethan greeted me at the entrance. “Saw your darling husband outside. What’s he doing here?”
“No idea,” I muttered.
Ethan looked like he wanted to press the matter, but I cut him off with a pointed glance. “Let’s just get to work, Ethan.”
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Fine. But if he so much as looks at you wrong—”
“I can handle Lucas,” I said firmly, my jaw tightening. “Trust me.”
Ethan shrugged but he didn’t say another word about it as we made our way to the boardroom. When we finally got to the door, he stopped me.
“Are you ready?”
I heaved a deep sigh and nodded.
He pushed the door open and together, we stepped in. The boardroom exuded power and I was almost intimidated at the sight of the advanced men sitting at the oak table. I had barely even had the time to settle down when the murmurs started.
“She’s too young for this.”
“Another one of Ethan’s whores as the CEO of this company.”
“Bet she won’t last a month.”
Their remarks stung, but I forced myself to ignore them. I had anticipated the resistance—after all, I was an outsider, stepping into a role that others had likely vied for. But they didn’t know me, and I wasn’t going to let their negative comments derail me.
I walked to the head of the table with confidence, and looked up to meet their steely gaze.
“Good morning,” I began, my voice calm but commanding. “I’m Olivia Smith, and I’ll be stepping in as CEO of NEXUS.”
The murmurs grew louder, some of the older board members exchanging looks of disdain.
“This company values experience,” one man said, his voice laced with venom. “What exactly do you bring to the table, Ms. Smith?”
I turned to him, my expression cool and composed.
“Experience is valuable, yes. But so is vision, adaptability, and innovation. I suggest you wait to see what I bring to the table before making assumptions.”
His lips pressed into a thin line, but he said nothing more.
“And if anyone among you here is reluctant to work under my leadership,” I added, gesturing toward the door, “You’re welcome to leave. I won’t hold it against you.”
The boardroom fell silent immediately and I smiled to myself.
“I’ll take that as a vote of confidence,” I said.
Just then, the doors swung open and my secretary, Natalia walked in.
“Good morning, Mrs. Olivia,” She muttered. “The CEO from the other firm is here for the meeting.”
I heaved a deep breath and stared into space. If there was one thing I knew about father’s business strategy, it was the fact that he preferred to do business with the older CEO’s – veterans in the business world. No matter how rich you were or how exciting your business proposal seemed to be, you rarely stood a chance as a young CEO.
Hence, I knew what I was expecting to see – a bald headed and pot bellied pervert whose concentration would be on my body rather than the important details of the meeting.
The mere thought of it made me nervous and I didn’t realize that I had not given Natalya an answer yet.
“Mrs. Olivia?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “Kindly invite him in.”
I turned to Ethan who was sitting beside me and he linked his fingers in mine, underneath the table.
It was enough to quell the storm that was brewing beneath my chest, but it was something.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally swung open. And when he walked in, my breath hitched in my throat.
Lucas. Lucas Preston. He was the CEO I was having a meeting with on the first day of work.
I turned to Ethan and glared hard at him, but I could see the same anger in his eyes. Of course, he was not aware of this.
It was then that the realization hit me. It was Father. He had set me up to fail, and what better way to do it than to throw me in a meeting with an ex husband I had barely gotten over.
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DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 154
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Lucas's POV Amelia’s scream—“My water broke!”—echoed through the phone, a jolt that sent my heart racing, my breath catching in the dim confines of the safe house. My body froze, my hands trembling as I gripped the receiver, fear and urgency flooding me, the reality of her labor crashing over me like a wave. My child—our child—was coming, and I was free, out of prison just in time, a twist of fate that felt like a miracle after the hell I’d endured. My chest tightened, a mix of joy and dread warring within me, the memory of my escape—bribing my way out, leaving a stand-in to wear my name—still a raw wound, a risk that had paid off for this moment. I dropped the phone, my bruises aching, my mind racing as I grabbed my jacket, my voice a hoarse shout to the safe house’s lone guard. “I need a car—now! Hospital, nearest one!” The city lights streaking past as I drove to the hospital. My heart pounding with a fierce hope, a desperate need to be there, to witness my child’s birth, to
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Lucas's POV The prison mess hall dissolved into chaos as the same group of inmates descended on me, their fists and boots a blur of violence, their eyes glinting with malice. Pain exploded across my body—my ribs, my already bruised face, my barely healed shoulder—as I fought back, my fists swinging, my voice a raw shout of defiance. But they were too many, too coordinated, and before I could break free, guards swarmed in, their batons raised, their shouts drowning out the din. I was yanked to my feet, my vision swimming, my body screaming, and rushed to the prison hospital, the fluorescent lights blurring overhead, the guards’ grip on my arms a lifeline I barely registered. My heart pounded, fear and fury coursing through me, a chilling certainty settling in my gut: someone was out to get me, and I couldn’t stay in this prison anymore. The beatings, the knife attack, the whispered threats—they weren’t random. This was a hunt, and I was the prey.In the hospital wing, the beepin
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DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 150
Olivia's POV I stormed out of my father’s house, the front door slamming behind me. My chest heaved, tears streaming down my face, my hands trembling as I fumbled with my car keys, the autumn air sharp against my skin. My heart was a storm of anger, guilt, and desperation, my father’s refusal to help Lucas, his accusation that I was disrespecting Austin, crushing me with every step. Austin’s words—“Her heart’s his, always has been”—cut deepest, a truth I couldn’t fully deny, even as I fought to prove I was choosing him, to rebuild the trust I’d shattered by running to Lucas. My throat ached, my sobs wrenching as I slid into the driver’s seat, my vision blurred, my mind racing with the chaos I’d created.As I started the engine, my thoughts spiraled, a torrent of frustration and self-reproach. I’d known deep down that I couldn’t sway my father, not with business offers or logical arguments—his hatred for Lucas was too entrenched, his protectiveness too fierce. I’d hoped, foolish
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 149
Olivia's POV The dining room was warm with the glow of late morning light, the table set with my father’s favorite brunch—golden waffles, fresh berries, and strong coffee—a deliberate effort to soften the conversation I knew would be fraught. My heart pounded, a nervous rhythm that hadn’t slowed since Amelia’s visit yesterday, her desperate plea to help Lucas echoing in my mind, her gaslighting about her unborn child a hook I couldn’t shake. Agreeing to call my father, to leverage his connections to aid Lucas, had been a decision born of pity for an innocent child, not love, but it weighed heavy, stirring a storm of guilt, fear, and resolve. I’d hurt Austin again, promising to focus on our trip, yet here I was, about to beg my father for a favor I knew he’d hate, risking his disapproval, our bond, for a man I’d vowed to let go. My hands trembled as I poured coffee, my throat tight, my chest aching with the memory of Lucas’s bruised face, his plea for trust, and my refusal to stay
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 148
Olivia's POV I stood in the kitchen, my hands busy with the rhythmic whisking of cake batter, the scent of brewing coffee mingling with the promise of bacon sizzling on the Gas. My heart was a tangled knot of guilt and hope, the weight of yesterday’s chaos. I’d barely slept, Austin’s words—“Don’t keep my hopes high”—echoing in my mind, a reminder of the trust I’d strained, the promises I needed to keep. Waking early, I’d resolved to make amends, to show him I was trying, that I chose him, even if my heart still ached for Lucas. A special breakfast felt like a small gesture, a way to bridge the gap, to bring back the warmth we’d shared before I’d shattered our plans at the airport. My hands trembled slightly, my throat tight with the effort to focus, to drown out the memory of Lucas’s bruised face, his plea for help, my refusal to stay in his life.The kitchen was my sanctuary, the clatter of pans and the hum of the coffee maker grounding me, but a sudden, incessant blaring of a
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 147
Olivia's POVTears streamed down my face, hot and relentless, as I stumbled out of Lucas’s hospital room, the door’s soft click behind me a final severing of the fragile thread that had pulled me back to him. My chest heaved and sobs wrenching from my throat. His bruised face, his limping form, his plea for help with his company haunted me, a love I still carried but couldn’t act on, not with Amelia’s pregnancy and the prison walls now between us. My heart ached, torn between the man I loved and the life I was choosing to protect myself, my resolve to let him go a wound that bled with every breath. The police station’s cold corridor blurred through my tears, my hands trembling as I clutched my bag, my steps unsteady as I headed for the parking lot, desperate to escape the pain, the guilt, the love I couldn’t shake.I was halfway to my car, the autumn air sharp against my tear-streaked face, when a hand grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around with a force that jolted my heart. I g
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