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CHAPTER 7
Last Updated:
2025-02-07 04:03:36
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My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 8
Alex POV "Rachel, I said no." My voice came out sharper than intended, cutting through the morning quiet of my office."But Ms. Lane, Mr. Coleman is very insistent–" Rachel's voice through the speaker was honey-sweet, almost pleading which was sickening to the least like a whining a child. "I don't care if he's the Emperor of China. The answer is no." I ended the call and slumped back in my chair, the familiar leather cooling my tension-hot skin."That bastard still won't take no for an answer?"I looked up to see Sally in my doorway, a vision in black silk and red-soled heels. The sight of my best friend brought the first real smile to my face all morning."What gave it away?" I asked, gesturing for her to come in."That vein in your forehead that only appears when you're dealing with supreme idiots." Sally dropped onto my office couch with practiced grace. "Or when you're thinking about Michael Coleman.""Same thing, isn't it?""Want to talk about it?"I rubbed my temples, feeling
Last Updated : 2025-02-10My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 9
Alex POVThe atmosphere in the seminar hall crackled with possibility—bright LED lights casting a crisp glow over the sleek mahogany tables arranged in a horseshoe formation for breakout sessions. Two hundred pairs of eyes fixed on me as I wrapped up my talk on disruptive innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship. The space hummed with the energy of young minds eager to reshape the world, their notebooks filled with hastily scribbled ideas and dreams too big for their pages. I thrived here, drawing strength from their raw ambition and unfiltered enthusiasm. This was my element now—inspiring change, not playing trophy wife at cocktail parties.Then the double doors burst open with a crack that felt like a gunshot.The unmistakable rhythm of Italian leather shoes striking marble flooring echoed across the room—a sound I hadn't heard in five years but would recognize anywhere. My heart stumbled over its next beat, but my expression remained fixed in a practiced smile, the kind that had
Last Updated : 2025-02-16My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 10
Alex POVThe late afternoon sun slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the downtown conference center, casting long shadows across the marble floor. I stood there, my hands trembling slightly as I gathered my materials—a betrayal of the composure I fought to maintain. The tablet screen flickered as I powered it down, reflecting my face for a moment: flushed cheeks, lips pressed into a thin line, eyes bright with barely contained fury. Michael Coleman's presence had turned what should have been a triumphant seminar into a battlefield of old wounds. The room still crackled with the electricity of our confrontation, though the young entrepreneurs who'd witnessed it had long since filed out, their whispers trailing behind them like smoke.My fingers brushed against the smooth leather of my Hermès bag—a gift to myself when Lane International landed its first Fortune 500 client. Everything I owned now, I'd earned. Every single thing.The click of my heels against the floor echoed
Last Updated : 2025-02-16My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 11
Alex POVThe neon-drenched streets of New York pulsed beneath a darkening sky as I stepped out of Lane International's headquarters. The city's familiar chaos wrapped around me like a well-worn blanket—a symphony of honking horns, chattering crowds, and the distant rumble of trams. I paused, letting the cool evening air wash over my face, carrying with it the mingled scents of street food and salt breeze from the harbor.My Louboutins clicked against the pavement, each step a quiet reminder of how far I'd come from the wide-eyed teenager who first arrived in this city. Richard, my driver of five years, stood beside the gleaming black Mercedes, his weathered face creasing into a familiar smile."Miss Lane," he greeted, his voice carrying the warmth of a father figure rather than an employee. His silver-streaked hair caught the glow of the street lights as he opened the door."Thank you, Richard." I slipped into the leather sanctuary of the backseat, finally allowing my shoulders to dro
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Michael's POVThe slam of my car door echoed through the underground parking garage, the sound as hollow as the ache in my chest. My fingers found their way to the steering wheel, gripping until my knuckles blanched white against the black leather. The faint scent of her perfume still lingered in my nose—jasmine and something else, something uniquely Alexandra. Even after all these years, she hadn't changed that.Alexandra Lane.The name tasted bitter on my tongue, like expensive whiskey gone bad. I could still see her standing there in that corner office, backlit by the Manhattan skyline, power radiating from her in waves. The same woman who used to wait up for me with dinner growing cold on the table, who used to trace her fingers along my jaw and whisper that I was her everything—she'd just laughed in my face. Not a gentle laugh, not even a cruel one. Worse. It was dismissive, as if I was nothing more than an amusing footnote in her story.The memory played on loop in my mind, a to
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Michael's POV The morning headlines felt like a physical blow, each word a reminder of another failed marriage. Michael Coleman Divorces Maria – A Short-Lived Love Story? splashed across my tablet screen, the third such headline I'd seen today. I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose as I sat in the back of my Mercedes, the leather seat no longer providing the comfort it once did. The familiar scent of success – leather, cologne, and power – now carried an undercurrent of desperation I couldn't quite shake. The ink had barely dried on the divorce papers, my signature still fresh and decisive. Maria had cried when I told her it was over, but her tears hadn't moved me. They weren't the right tears. They weren't her tears. Maria was never meant to last – I had known it with crushing certainty the moment I slipped that overpriced ring onto her finger. The diamond had been bigger than Alexandra's, a detail that had seemed important at the time. Now it just felt pathetic. Maria
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Alex POVThe Shanghai gala sparkled with the same artificial brilliance as every other high-profile event I'd attended over the years. Crystal chandeliers catching on diamond necklaces and gold cufflinks. The ballroom was filled with elites as they chit chatted about their latest accomplishments. Maybe a yacht or a historian building. But I was already internally groaning from the way my feet was starting to kill me – I'd broken my own rule about wearing stilettos to these gatherings, and now I was paying for it with every step. The constant smile was giving me a headache.A waiter passed by with fresh champagne, and I grabbed a glass more quickly than was strictly elegant. The alcohol wasn't helping my headache, but it was making the endless small talk more bearable. I'd already forgotten half the names of the people I'd met tonight, something that would horrify my PR team. Sally was so much better at this part – she actually enjoyed these events, remembered everyone's spouse's name
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Alex POVI arched a brow, trying to ignore the way my heart was racing. Years of subtle therapy after Michael, and apparently all it took was one dangerous man in a well-cut suit to send my pulse skittering like a teenager's. Dr. Chen would have a field day with this. "And why is that?"He took a step closer, the space between us shrinking just enough to feel deliberate. His cologne – something expensive and subtle – teased my senses, but underneath it I caught the faint smell of cigarette smoke. A secret vice, perhaps? His perfectly manicured image cracked just slightly."Because power attracts power, Miss Lane."The way he said my name – smooth, deliberate, almost like a caress – felt like a test. A challenge. I fought the urge to smooth my hair or check my lipstick again.I didn't flinch, though I wanted to. "That sounds dangerously close to flattery, Mr. Vale."He chuckled, a low sound that held genuine amusement rather than the practiced mirth I'd heard all evening. His laugh lin
Last Updated : 2025-02-18
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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
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 52
Family Court – 9:17 AM The mahogany doors of Courtroom 302 had always seemed imposing, but today they felt like the entrance to a gladiatorial arena. The morning sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting long rectangles across the polished floor as spectators and attorneys settled into their places with the quiet murmur of those about to witness something momentous.Five years of legal battles, accusations, and counter-accusations had led to this moment. Five years since I'd fled with nothing but the clothes on my back and a secret that had kept me awake every night since.Michael sat at the respondent's table, impeccable in a tailored charcoal suit that probably cost more than most people's monthly rent. His silver hair caught the light, giving him the distinguished appearance that had graced the cover of Fortune just last month. "Businessman of the Year" – a title that made me want to throw my coffee at the newsstand when I saw it.He didn't look at me when I entered, hi
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 51
Family Court – 9:03 AMThe Family Court of New York State occupied the sixth floor of a nondescript government building on Lafayette Street, its bland institutional interior at odds with the life-altering decisions rendered daily within its walls. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting everyone in the unflattering pallor that seemed reserved for places where human suffering was processed with bureaucratic efficiency.I sat with perfect posture on the hard wooden bench outside Courtroom C, Sally on one side, my attorney Evelyn Morris on the other. Three hours earlier, I'd received the court summons—hand-delivered to my apartment by a process server who had the decency to look embarrassed about the 6 AM wake-up call. Two hours earlier, Griffin had been escorted to Elliott's private plane by James and Clara, destination undisclosed even to me. One hour earlier, Maria Coleman had called with the warning I'd been dreading: Michael had the DNA results.Now we waited, the hallway thick
My Billionaire Ex-husband Won't Call It Quit CHAPTER 50
Coleman Corp Labs – 11:47 PMMichael Coleman's footsteps echoed through the sterile corridors of Coleman Corp's research division, the sound ricocheting off white walls and polished floors like gunshots. Security cameras tracked his progress, their red lights blinking in acknowledgment of the CEO's presence, but no security guards intercepted him. Not at this hour. Not when he was radiating the particular brand of controlled fury that had sent three executive assistants into early retirement this year alone.The biotech department—a recent acquisition that had raised eyebrows among board members more comfortable with traditional construction and real estate ventures—was deserted save for the lone technician Michael had summoned personally. Lights flickered to life automatically as he strode through the laboratory, casting harsh shadows across equipment worth millions: centrifuges, sequencers, incubators filled with cellular secrets that represented Coleman Corp's tentative foray into
