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Auteur: Um_royhan
last update Dernière mise à jour: 2025-09-21 14:15:45

40

Josh

I was angry enough to taste it. Not loud angry. A steady, hot kind that sits behind the ribs and won’t cool. Someone had managed to shove a “family mediation” onto a courthouse calendar with Stella’s name on it, like she was a problem to be solved, like we were pieces to be moved. I hated the idea of strangers in suits saying the words custody and character and best interests while they glanced at the clock.

Anna kept me calm. She showed up with a laptop, a legal pad, and cinnamon rolls the twins devoured in three minutes.

“Let’s break this down,” she said, pulling her hair into a knot. “Mediation is not court. It’s voluntary. No one can force an agreement out of us. We go, we show we’re reasonable, and then we leave if it starts to turn into something else.”

Anna made us list what to bring with us.

The schoolyard video that arrived on Stella’s phone with the message about eyes watching. A printout of the black lilies photo in Stella’s car. A photo of Anna’s vandalized door wi
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  • Divorced by my Billionaire Ex, Now He Wants Me Back!    66

    66Josh.The files from the box were spread across my desk like the aftermath of a storm. Pages rustled whenever someone moved past, notes scribbled by our mom in that familiar looping hand, faded receipts, photocopied transactions with names I recognized and names I didn’t. My chest felt heavy as I looked at them—because it wasn’t just evidence, it was my mother’s voice echoing back through time, urging us to listen.“Josh,” Stella said softly from the doorway. Her face was pale, but her eyes carried a determination I’d only seen in her when she was fighting for the twins. “Do you think we should take it all to the lawyer now?”“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “The longer we hold it ourselves, the more vulnerable we are. If anything happens, at least the lawyer will have it documented.”Anna, who had been standing over the scanner, looked up. “I agree. But let’s make copies first. We’ll organize them, scan everything, and keep backups in separate places. That way, even if someone tr

  • Divorced by my Billionaire Ex, Now He Wants Me Back!    65

    65Stella.The key was heavier than it looked. I carried it in my purse all morning, the metal pressing through the lining like it was reminding me of its importance, whispering that it carried weight far beyond its size. By the time Josh, Anna, and I stood in the lobby of the old city bank, my palms were damp.The building smelled faintly of polished wood and old paper, its walls lined with brass fixtures that hadn’t been changed in decades. People came and went, most of them rushing, but I felt rooted, as though the tile floor beneath me was holding me in place.Josh checked the paperwork one more time, his jaw tight. “We have everything. IDs, Mom’s old documents showing we’re her children. They won’t have grounds to deny us access.”Anna squeezed my shoulder. “Take a breath, Stella. We don’t know what’s in there yet. It could be something small. It could even be nothing.”But I already knew it wouldn’t be nothing. My mother didn’t leave trails for the sake of drama. Every word she’

  • Divorced by my Billionaire Ex, Now He Wants Me Back!    64

    64AlexI had never felt comfortable in my father’s study. The walls were lined with books that looked more like decorations than sources of knowledge, spines stiff and untouched. The curtains were always drawn too tightly, muting the daylight into something heavy, and the air smelled faintly of cigar smoke, though he hadn’t lit one in years. The room was meant to command authority, but sitting there across from David Marwood only ever made me feel like a boy again, scolded for asking questions that didn’t concern me.He leaned back in the leather chair, polished shoes crossed at the ankle, expression carved in stone. I’d come here with a plan to be calm, to keep my temper under control, to coax something out of him. But the longer I sat, the more that plan frayed.“I’m only asking about Eleanor Harrington,” I said carefully. “You knew her. You knew her family. Don’t pretend otherwise.”His eyes narrowed, just slightly. “I knew of her. That’s all. She was a Harrington, Alex. A woman w

  • Divorced by my Billionaire Ex, Now He Wants Me Back!    63

    63Stella.A call came early in the morning, just after I’d dropped Eli and Emma at school. My phone buzzed with an unknown number, and for a moment I almost ignored it—another reporter, another stranger digging where they didn’t belong. But then I heard her voice.“Stella, it’s Mrs. Greene.”I pulled the car over. “Is something wrong?”“No, child,” she said gently. “But there’s more you need to know. If you can spare the time, come by this afternoon.”Her words carried weight, the kind that pressed against my ribs and made breathing a little harder. I promised I’d be there.***Mrs. Greene lived in a modest bungalow at the edge of town. When I knocked that afternoon, she opened the door with the same soft smile she’d worn the first time we met. Her living room smelled faintly of lavender, old books, and something baking in the kitchen.“Sit down, dear,” she said, guiding me to a worn armchair. On the coffee table was a stack of papers, bound together with twine.I recognized the hand

  • Divorced by my Billionaire Ex, Now He Wants Me Back!    62

    62Josh.The morning after Stella’s deposition, the house felt hushed, like the walls themselves knew she needed space to breathe. She’d barely stirred when I peeked into her room, still curled under the covers, exhaustion heavy on her shoulders. I wanted to wake her, to remind her she wasn’t alone, but I knew better. She’d given everything yesterday; what she needed now was rest.So I tiptoed back downstairs and made pancakes for the twins. Eli stumbled in first, hair sticking up in every direction, rubbing his eyes. “Smells good.”“Special breakfast,” I said, flipping one onto his plate. “Your mom worked really hard yesterday, so today we keep things easy. Deal?”Emma appeared a moment later, clutching her stuffed rabbit. She slid onto the bench and gave me a serious look. “We’re supposed to let Mommy sleep, right?”“That’s right,” I said, smiling at her. “She’ll feel better if she knows you two are okay.”They both nodded solemnly, as if I’d just handed them an important mission. A

  • Divorced by my Billionaire Ex, Now He Wants Me Back!    61

    61Stella.The morning of the deposition started the same as any other day, but everything felt sharper. The sunlight through the curtains seemed too bright, the sound of the twins bickering over cereal too loud. My hands shook a little as I poured coffee, though I kept my voice steady when I reminded Eli not to tease his sister.“Are you okay, Mommy?” Emma asked suddenly, tilting her head.I smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Just a busy day, sweetheart. Nothing you need to worry about.”It wasn’t a lie, not exactly. But children always sensed more than we gave them credit for.Josh drove me to the courthouse. Anna came too, sitting in the back seat with a folder clutched on her lap. She was quiet, but her presence steadied me. Clarke had already gone ahead to prepare.My stomach knotted as the building came into view. The tall stone steps seemed to rise like a wall between me and everything I loved. I wanted to run back to the car, to the twins, to the life I had built. But I f

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