LOGINShare
CHAPTER 18
Last Updated:
2025-02-24 22:17:15
Related chapters
My 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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?
Last Updated : 2025-04-02My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 25
Alex POVThe restaurant James had chosen was tucked away on the top floor of a historic building downtown, the kind of place that didn't bother with signage because those who belonged there already knew. I smoothed down my navy dress—professional enough if this turned out to be strictly business after all, but with just enough elegance to acknowledge it might not be."Ms. Coleman," the hostess greeted me with practiced warmth. "Mr. Dean is waiting for you."Of course he'd arrived early. Another power move in what was beginning to feel like an elaborate chess match.James stood as I approached, his eyes taking me in with undisguised appreciation. He'd traded his business suit for dark jeans and a charcoal button-down that somehow looked more expensive than his formal wear."You look beautiful," he said simply."Thank you." I accepted the compliment without deflection—another lesson hard-learned from my marriage. Michael had hated when I couldn't take a compliment, until eventually he s
Last Updated : 2025-04-03My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 26
James POVI watched her car disappear around the corner, the taste of her still on my lips. Alex Coleman was nothing like I had expected, and exactly what I hadn't known I was looking for.My driver appeared silently beside me. "Home, sir?""Not yet," I said, suddenly restless. "Let's take the long way."As the city lights blurred past the window, I replayed every moment of the evening—the way her guard had gradually lowered, how her eyes crinkled slightly before she laughed, the protective tone when she spoke of her son. In my world of calculated risks and strategic moves, Alex represented something I rarely encountered: authenticity.The business merger that had brought us together now seemed secondary, a fortunate coincidence rather than the purpose. I'd researched her thoroughly before our companies' negotiations began—standard procedure—but what I'd discovered had intrigued me beyond professional interest. A brilliant strategist who'd rebuilt her career while raising a child alon
Last Updated : 2025-04-03
Latest chapter
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 65
Outside the Courthouse – 11:47 AM The October sun cast long shadows across the courthouse steps, but none as dark as the black Mercedes sedan idling at the curb. Its engine purred like a waiting predator, patient and menacing against the backdrop of victory cheers and reporter questions that followed us from the building. I kept my eyes forward, chin high—the pose I'd perfected for cameras since taking over Lane International—but I felt the weight of that car's presence like a physical touch.Griffin's fingers tightened around mine, his sixteen-year-old hand now nearly as large as my own. He'd grown so much in the two years since choosing to leave his father's house. The transformation from the withdrawn, frightened boy who'd appeared at my door with a duffel bag and his coding manuals to this tall, observant young man still amazed me. But now I felt his composure waver, sensed the childhood fears resurface as the sedan's tinted window rolled down another inch—just enough to reveal
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 64
Federal Courthouse – One Week Later Michael's cuffs gleamed in the harsh fluorescent lighting of the courtroom as marshals led him past the cameras and the packed gallery. The orange jumpsuit hung loosely on his frame—he had already lost weight in the seven days since his arrest, his cheekbones more pronounced, the skin beneath his eyes shadowed with exhaustion or calculation or both. Yet he maintained the ramrod posture that had intimidated boardrooms across three continents, his gaze sweeping the courtroom with the confidence of a man who still believed, against all evidence, that he would somehow emerge victorious.When his eyes found mine in the front row, something flickered across his features—not quite regret, not quite defeat, but a momentary crack in the facade of invincibility. He held my gaze as he was guided to the defense table, his lips forming two words, distinct enough that I could read them even from a distance:"You win."Beside me, Griffin tensed, his fourteen-yea
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
