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CHAPTER 16
Huling Na-update:
2025-02-20 18:05:18
Kaugnay na kabanata
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 17
Michael's POVI first heard James Vale's name in passing—just a whisper among the elite. A harmless murmur that might have meant nothing on its own.But when that whisper included Alexandra's name in the same breath, it made my blood run cold.A week ago, at the Crown Summit Business Conference, I had watched her walk away from me with more venom than I'd ever seen from her before. I'd convinced myself she was still playing hard to get, still punishing me for the past. That we were just doing our familiar dance.Now, I realized she wasn't just rejecting me—she was moving on.And I wasn't about to let that happen.It didn't take long to get information on James Vale. Men like him left trails, no matter how much money they threw at erasing them. Money talks, but secrets whisper louder if you know who to pay.I sat in my office on a Tuesday afternoon, blinds half-drawn, bourbon untouched, scrolling through the reports my private investigator had compiled. Each swipe of my finger revealed
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-24My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 18
Alexandra's POVMy phone buzzed against my desk, interrupting the steady rhythm of keyboard clicks that had filled my office for the past three hours. I almost ignored it—another email, another crisis, another demand for my time. But something made me look.James's message glowed on the screen, deceptively simple:"Dinner. Just us. No distractions."My finger hovered over the screen as my heart did that annoying little skip it had started doing whenever his name appeared. I caught my reflection in the window—cheeks flushed, despite my best efforts to maintain composure. God, I was acting like a teenager.Everything about him screamed danger. Not the reckless, impulsive kind that I'd learned to spot a mile away—but something far more insidious. The kind of danger that wore custom Italian suits and spoke in measured tones. The kind that made you question whether you were walking into something you might never want to walk away from.And yet, I found myself typing "Yes."The restaurant w
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-24My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 19
Michael's POVI watched the morning headlines scroll across my tablet screen, each one more sensational than the last. The coffee in my hand had gone cold, forgotten as I absorbed the media storm I'd carefully orchestrated. James Vale's past splashed across every major outlet, old wounds torn fresh again.But Alexandra wasn't reacting the way I expected.When I'd orchestrated this little media circus about James Vale, I'd been certain she would crack. That those perfectly curated headlines about his wife's death would send her running for safer ground. Alexandra had always been obsessed with her pristine reputation—it was one of the things that had driven us apart in the end.But she didn't run.Instead, she stood by him. Publicly. Defiantly.I caught a glimpse of them in some society photographer's lens—her hand on his arm, chin lifted, eyes challenging anyone to question her choice. The image made something twist in my gut. Jealousy? No. Something darker.That's when it hit me—Alexa
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-24My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 20
Michael’s POVAlex thought she could escape the past. She thought she could run from me. But the past isn’t something you run from. The past is something that clings to you so tightly like a second skin, wraps its fingers around your neck. The past is something that follows you.And Alexandra? She is mine. Always be mine. She belonged to me. She just needed a reminder. She needed things that would keep glaring at her face and displaying the absolute truth to her.And all of that was easy to arrange.I mean I’m not Michael Coleman for nothing. Even if my company was going down by numbers, I still had power. A “chance” encounter at one of her favorite spots was something that came to mind. Since her outburst about the gift I’ve been sending her, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Thinking about the fire in her eyes. This particular place was a quiet, exclusive lounge tucked away inside the Phoenix Hotel. It was somewhere she used to frequent those days, and my source there told me tha
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-25My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 21
Alex's POVI should have seen it coming.The moment I stepped into my office that morning, the tension hung in the air like a physical presence. My assistant, Erin, stood unnaturally still near my desk, her fingers hovering over her tablet with obvious hesitation, as if caught between urgency and dread. The morning sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows did nothing to warm the chill that had settled in the room."How bad is it?" I asked, though I already knew the answer from the look on her face.She swallowed hard before answering. "It's... everywhere, Ms. Lane. Every platform, every outlet." Her voice cracked slightly. "Twitter is having a field day. Instagram's flooded with the photos. Even the more reputable publications have run with it."With a resigned sigh, I crossed the room and took the tablet from her trembling hands. One glance at the screen confirmed my worst fears."SCANDAL: Alexandra Lane Spotted Getting Cozy with Infamous Ex-Convict James Vale!""Billi
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-25My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 22
Alex's POV"Mommy, can I get two scoops today? Pleeeease?" He asked in that baby voice that was so hard to say no to.His looked up at me with those big and expectant eyes—the same eyes that had the power that could bend me to his will so easily.I pretended to think about it, tapping my chin dramatically. "Hmm... two scoops? I don't know, buddy. That's a lot of sugar." I crouched down to his level, watching his little face shift from being hopeful to the beginning stages of negotiation. His mother was a businesswoman, so that’s quite expected."But it's Saturday," he pointed out matter-of-factly, his small hands gesturing emphatically. "And you said Saturdays are for fun. You promised, remember? At breakfast?"Sally, who was standing beside me in her thick sunglasses and oversized denim jacket, smirked. "He's got you there, Alex. The kid's already developing good negotiating skills. Wonder where he gets that from?"I shot her a look before sighing dramatically. "Fine. Two scoops. Bu
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-26My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 23
ALEX’S POV"What's wrong?You have nothing to say right now?" Michael's voice slithered over the phone, silky as silk yet sharp as a dagger. My knuckles turned white around the gadget, and a chilly knot formed in my gut. "You know I—" "Impressive timing," I said, trying a nonchalant tone that didn't match the pounding in my chest. "The shot was taken what, five minutes ago? And you are already on my case. I'll grant you this: you're efficient. "The world is about to discover your biggest secret, and that's what concerns you?" Michael challenged, lowering his voice one octave. I shifted my weight, surveying the park as Griffin remained blissfully unaware. "Wrong," I said, my voice firm. "The world—and you—are about to spin another wild tale to try and bring me down." "Another tale?" His chuckle was brittle and hollow. "We have been here before, Alexandra. "You can lie to everyone else, but we both know better." "Who said anything about lying?" I watched Griffin pursue a butterfly, choco
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-01My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 24
Alex POVThe conference room was filled with the subtle hum of murmured conversations, the scent of fresh coffee, and the distinct tension that came with high-stakes negotiations. I adjusted my blazer, keeping my expression neutral as I reviewed the agenda one last time. This deal meant everything for the company, and I wasn't about to let nerves get in the way.The door opened, and the room fell into a hush. I looked up, expecting just another executive, but instead, I met the piercing gaze of James Dean.Tall, composed, and exuding the kind of effortless confidence that came with years of success, he moved with precision, each step purposeful. His reputation preceded him—one of the youngest self-made billionaires, a man who rarely lost in business, and someone who didn’t waste his time on things that didn’t interest him.I was supposed to be unfazed, professional, detached. But when his sharp blue eyes locked onto mine, I felt a flicker of something unexpected—curiosity? Amusement?
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-02
Pinakabagong kabanata
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 63
Coleman Corp Headquarters – Dawn Flames licked the skyline as firefighters hosed down the ruins of Michael's empire, their water arcs catching the first light of dawn and fracturing it into ephemeral rainbows above the destruction. The acrid smell of burnt plastic and melted wiring carried on the cold morning air, mixing with the steam rising from the overheated structure. From where I stood across the street, the Coleman Corp logo—once illuminated in blue neon fifty stories above Manhattan—was now a blackened skeleton against the lightening sky.Reporters swarmed behind the police barriers, their satellite vans creating a secondary perimeter, their cameras and microphones thrust toward anyone who might have information. Their headlines were already writing themselves, scrolling across the bottom of live broadcasts on the screens visible through the media vans' open doors:ARSON SUSPECTED IN COLEMAN CORP INFERNO – INSIDERS CLAIM "REVENGE"I stood on the periphery, Griffin's hand clu
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 62
Manhattan Safehouse – 3:01 AM The pen felt like a blade in my hand, its weight disproportionate to its size, its purpose more dangerous than any weapon. The heavy parchment of the document lay spread before me on the kitchen table, illuminated by the single pendant light overhead that cast long shadows across the room. Michael hadn't moved from where he stood, his silhouette blocking the only exit, his broad shoulders filling the doorframe as completely as he had once filled my life.Three months of careful hiding, of sleeping in different locations, of burner phones and cash transactions—all undone because I'd underestimated his desperation. Because I'd believed, foolishly, that a man on the run from federal authorities would prioritize his freedom over his obsession."You really think I'd sign this?" My voice was steady, but my pulse roared in my ears like a freight train, the adrenaline making my fingers tingle around the silver pen he'd placed in my hand—the same pen I'd used to
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 61
Manhattan Safehouse – 2:47 AM The window alarm didn't trigger. The motion sensors stayed dark. The silent pressure plates beneath the imported Persian rug registered no intrusion. The thermal cameras mounted discreetly in the crown molding detected no heat signature beyond the expected patterns.But I woke anyway—to the scent of bergamot and betrayal.Michael stood at the foot of my bed, a silhouette against the Manhattan skyline visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse. The city lights behind him created a halo effect that was grimly appropriate—Michael had always cast himself as the avenging angel in his own narrative, the righteous force bringing judgment to those who defied him."You forgot," he whispered, his voice carrying that familiar blend of smug satisfaction and menace that had once made boardrooms fall silent, "I taught you how to disable every security system you own."He had. In the early days of our marriage, when I had still mistaken his controll
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 60
Lane International HQ – 3 Weeks Later The boardroom erupted into startled applause as Griffin's coding demo concluded, the screens around the room displaying the elegant solution he had developed—a cybersecurity algorithm that outmaneuvered every Coleman Corp defense system our team had been able to replicate. The lines of code seemed to dance across the monitor, a digital ballet orchestrated by hands still small enough to struggle with tying shoelaces."He's ten?!" The CTO, Marcus Chen, gaped at Griffin, then at me, as if suspecting some elaborate practical joke. Marcus had joined us six months ago from Google, bringing decades of experience and a healthy skepticism about the hype that often surrounded child prodigies. That skepticism had just evaporated before my eyes as Griffin's program systematically identified and exploited vulnerabilities that Marcus's own team had missed.Griffin adjusted his glasses with his index finger, a perfect mimic of my boardroom stance—the gesture I
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 59
Griffin's Bedroom – 11:08 PM The nightlight cast shadows of rocket ships across the walls as I sat on the edge of Griffin's bed, the starscape projector James had bought him rotating slowly overhead. The room smelled of graphite and apple juice—the telltale scents of my son's peculiar combination of artistic precision and childish appetites. Griffin's small hands clutched the drawing he'd sent Michael, the paper now creased from being folded and unfolded countless times, as if he was trying to reconcile himself with what he had done."Why this one?" I asked softly, careful to keep any judgment from my voice. When Maria had called to tell me Griffin had sent something to Michael's satellite phone—against her explicit instructions—I'd expected to feel anger. Instead, watching my son's solemn face in the dim blue light, I felt only a profound sadness for what he had lost. For what we had all lost.Griffin traced the falling man with his finger, following the pixelated outline with the
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 59
Private Jet En Route to Dubai – 3:22 AM Michael Coleman pressed a bloodied handkerchief to his split lip as the jet climbed through turbulent clouds. The G650 shuddered around him, the luxury cabin's warm lighting contrasting with the darkness that enveloped both the sky outside and his prospects. The handcrafted Italian leather seat that had once felt like a throne now seemed to mock him with its opulence. The metallic taste of failure coated his tongue—worse than the blood.He glanced at his reflection in the darkened window—disheveled hair, the purple bloom of a bruise forming along his jawline, the crisp white collar of his bespoke shirt stained crimson. He barely recognized himself. Just twelve hours ago, he had stood at the podium at Coleman Corp headquarters, assuring shareholders that the SEC investigation was "a minor administrative review." Six hours ago, he had been in his corner office, watching as federal agents seized servers and hard drives. Three hours ago, he had s
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 57
Reykjavik Server Farm – Midnight The Arctic wind howled through the open door like a living thing, carrying stinging particles of ice that bit at exposed skin and infiltrated the seams of even the most technical cold-weather gear. Negative fifteen degrees Celsius according to the readout on my watch, though the windchill made it feel much colder. My breath crystallized instantly, hanging in the air before being whipped away by the relentless gale that swept across the barren Icelandic landscape surrounding the facility.James disabled the last security panel with gloved fingers, the specialized equipment he'd brought bypassing the biometric scanner that would have required Maria's fingerprint or retinal pattern. The facility looked innocuous from the outside—a low-slung concrete structure nestled against the side of a dormant volcano, its exterior designed to weather the brutal conditions of an Icelandic winter. Only the satellite dishes and transmission arrays on the roof hinted at
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 56
Lane International Safe House – 4:47 PM The brownstone in Brooklyn Heights stood unremarkable among its neighbors, its weathered red brick and black shutters offering no hint of the state-of-the-art security system embedded in its walls or the bulletproof glass behind its vintage-looking windows. The deed was held by a shell corporation owned by another shell corporation, traced through seven layers of legal separation before connecting, tenuously, to a holding company that occasionally did business with Lane International.In security parlance, it was a ghost house. In my world, it was the only place I trusted to keep Griffin safe while the storm raged.Maria's knock came in our childhood rhythm—three quick, two slow. The code we'd used at boarding school in Switzerland when one of us needed saving from a cruel headmistress or a midnight interrogation about broken curfews. A pattern I hadn't heard in fifteen years, not since the night she'd shown up at my Manhattan apartment with a
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 55
St. Luke's Hospital – 2:14 AM The heart monitor beeped a steady rhythm as Griffin slept, his small hand bandaged where the IV Michael had tried to force into his vein had torn the skin. The bruising had already begun to bloom in purples and yellows, like a watercolor painting of violence on my son's fragile wrist. His dark curls—so like mine—were matted with sweat against the sterile white pillow, and the overhead fluorescents cast his face in a pallor that made my heart constrict.Outside the room, through the observation window, two NYPD officers in rumpled uniforms took James' statement for what seemed like the hundredth time. Their faces betrayed nothing as they scribbled notes, occasionally glancing at Griffin's sleeping form with the detached sympathy of men who had seen too many children caught in adult crossfire."Third time's the charm," James muttered when he finally joined me, rolling his shoulder where the bullet had grazed him. The bandage was already seeping through wi
