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CHAPTER 23
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2025-04-01 22:57:57
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My 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?
Dernière mise à jour : 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
Dernière mise à jour : 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
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-03My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 27
Michael POVThe expensive whiskey in my crystal glass remained untouched, the hand-carved ice slowly melting into a diluted amber pool as I stared with growing intensity at the high-resolution photograph displayed on my phone's screen.Alexandra.My wife. My wife, regardless of what legal papers might claim to the contrary.Even after all these years of calculated distance and deliberate indifference, the unexpected sight of her sent a violent, uncontrollable rush of heat through my veins like molten steel. But this time, it wasn't just her familiar silhouette that captured my attention—it was the impeccably dressed man standing confidently beside her in the dimly lit street.James Dean.Billionaire entrepreneur. CEO of the rapidly expanding Dean Holdings. A man whose carefully cultivated name carried significantly more weight in elite boardrooms than mine ever had, despite my own considerable success. And there he was, his manicured hand resting possessively on the small of my wife's
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-04My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 28
Alex POV"Mom, is he a dinosaur expert?" Griffin asked, bouncing on his toes as we waited at the park entrance. His dinosaur t-shirt—the one insisting "Paleontologists Dig Deeper"—was freshly washed for the occasion, and he'd insisted on wearing his special fossil-hunting hat despite the perfect weather."I don't think so, sweetie," I replied, smoothing down a stubborn cowlick in his sandy brown hair. "But he said he's been reading up on them just for you."Griffin considered this with the serious deliberation only a six-year-old could muster. "That's acceptable. But I'll test him."I bit back a smile. "Be nice, Griffin.""I'm always nice," he protested, then spotted something over my shoulder. His eyes widened. "Is that him? The one with the blue car?"I turned to see James parking his sleek Audi—notably not one of his more ostentatious vehicles. He'd been listening when I mentioned Griffin's fascination with blue things. As he approached, I was struck by how different he looked—casu
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-05My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 29
James POVThe children's section of the Natural History Museum buzzed with the controlled chaos of weekend visitors. Excited voices echoed off the vaulted ceilings as parents chased energetic children between exhibits. Through it all, I focused on one small figure in a paleontologist vest, currently pressing his face against the glass of a fossil display with reverent attention."The Archaeopteryx is my third favorite," Griffin informed me solemnly, pointing to the delicate impression of feathers preserved in stone. "It proves the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds.""Third favorite?" I asked, genuinely curious. "What are the first two?""Triceratops is second because of the defensive capabilities," he explained with the air of a military strategist. "And Ankylosaurus is first because it has the best armor and a tail club that could break a T-Rex's leg with one hit.""Practical choices," I nodded. "You've thought about this carefully."Griffin beamed at the recognition of h
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-06My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 30
Alex's POVThe shrill ringing of my phone jolted me awake. Sunlight barely filtered through the curtains as I fumbled for the device, my heart already pounding before I even saw Sally's name flashing on the screen. Four-thirty in the morning—never a good sign."Alex, turn on CNBC. Now." Her voice was razor-sharp, the kind of tone that meant disaster. Not the usual crisis we could manage with a carefully worded press release or strategic silence. This was something else.I grabbed the remote, my fingers numb with sleep and dread. The screen flickered to life, and there it was—my face, a decade younger, splashed across the news ticker:"LANE INTERNATIONAL CEO ALEXANDRA LANE LINKED TO BILLIONAIRE MICHAEL COLEMAN IN SHOCKING SECRET PAST."A cold wave crashed over me. The headline was bad enough, but the photo beneath it—our photo—was worse. Michael's arm draped possessively around my waist at some forgotten charity gala, my smile bright but naive. The Guggenheim benefit, 2013. Back when I
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-07My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 31
Alex POV Lane International Headquarters – Midnight The office was silent except for the hum of servers in the tech room. The skyline glittered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, a stark contrast to the darkness I felt gathering around me. I scrolled through the flagged emails on my laptop, the blue glow casting shadows across my face as I hunted for the leak that had been draining company secrets for weeks. "Got you," I whispered, satisfaction curling through my veins. A series of encrypted messages between a Lane employee—Daniel from Accounting—and an unnamed external party. Attachments: financial projections, client lists, merger strategies. All marked "For EC's Eyes Only." EC. Elias Coleman. Michael's shell company, the one he thought I didn't know about. The one he'd used to purchase that vacation property in the Caymans where he'd taken his mistresses. The one that now, apparently, he was using to orchestrate corporate espionage. My fingers tightened around the mouse u
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-08
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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
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 54
Abandoned Airfield – 6:59 PM Twilight had transformed into full darkness by the time we reached the outskirts of the city, the storm intensifying into sheets of water that reduced visibility to mere yards. The windshield wipers of James' SUV worked frantically, barely keeping pace with the deluge. The headlights caught droplets mid-fall, creating an illusion of moving through a tunnel of liquid silver."The signal's coming from inside that hangar," Sally said from the backseat, her face illuminated by the blue glow of her tablet. "The aircraft filed a flight plan for Toronto twenty minutes ago."In the passenger seat, I gripped the door handle so tightly my fingers ached, eyes straining to penetrate the darkness ahead. "Are we sure Griffin's on board? What if Michael separated him from the watch?"James' jaw tightened, his hands steady on the steering wheel despite the torrential conditions. "The biometric monitor shows elevated heart rate and movement. He's there, and he's consciou
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 53
Lane International – 3:33 PM Rain lashed against the windows of Lane International's headquarters, transforming the Manhattan skyline into a smeared watercolor of grays and silvers. I'd been in back-to-back meetings since leaving the courtroom, fielding calls from investors concerned about the media coverage of this morning's revelation. Despite the personal victory, stock prices had dipped three percent on news that Lane International's CEO had been involved in a melodramatic custody battle with the CEO of Coleman Corp.The markets hated drama. They hated unpredictability even more.I'd changed from my courtroom attire to a crisp white shirt and black slacks, my armor for the trenches of damage control. My phone hadn't stopped buzzing with messages from Elliott—who was handling press inquiries from Hong Kong—and James, who had taken Griffin for ice cream and then to his therapist to process the morning's revelations.Sally walked beside me as we headed toward the emergency board me
