Alle Kapitel von Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please: Kapitel 251 – Kapitel 260

AVA’S POV I stared at him. “You… you what? How?" "I wanted tonight to be just about you. No noise. No distractions. Just us.” I blinked, completely thrown. “Mike, this is… a lot.” “I know,” he admitted. “I’m not trying to impress you with money or flash. I just wanted to show you how special you are to me and how much I appreciate you agreeing to this." I sat down slowly, still stunned. “You still didn’t have to do all this.” “I wanted to.” A question was tugging at my chest as I glanced around one more time, and before I could stop myself, I blurted it out. "Michael, how can you even afford all this?” I didn’t mean for the next word to come out rude, but the words just slipped. "You’re just an officer… and the car that brought me here, plus booking an entire restaurant, not just any place, but one that’s usually reserved for the super-rich. I mean, be honest, your paycheck alone can’t cover all this. Did you take a loan or something?” I watched his face, waiting for so

LAURA'S POVI’d been sitting in the car for over an hour. Parked two blocks from Ava’s house, engine off, windows rolled halfway down so I could breathe. My hoodie was pulled low over my forehead, big sunglasses covering half my face even though the sun was setting. The scarf I wrapped around my neck made me itch, but I didn’t dare take it off. It's been over six months since I left and nobody knew I was back in the country except Riper, my late parents' dog who was now loyal to me. It was risky being this close. I shouldn’t even be in the country, let alone staking out a woman’s house like some creep in a crime movie. But I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t here to see Mason, not really. I mean, yeah, I thought about it. He’s my son, after all. My flesh. My blood. We haven't even spoken since I left the country. But what could I even say to him if I got close now? “Hey, remember me? Your mother who left without telling you goodbye? And refused to speak with you over the phone?" No. Th

JASON’S POV The first thing I saw when I stepped through Ava’s front door was Rosa, standing in the hallway with her arms open for the kids. “Welcome, welcome,” she said warmly, ushering Emma and Mason inside. They kicked off their shoes in a rush, their voices overlapping as they told her something about school lunch. I set down their backpacks, glancing around. “She’s in the dining room with a guest,” Rosa told me, lowering her voice like it was something private. “Who?” I asked, already guessing. She hesitated for a beat, then said, “Mr. Michael.” I blinked. “Michael?” “You know… Officer Mike.” That pulled me up short. “Since when?” “About an hour or so. He came back home with her.” I didn’t say anything right away, but the words sat heavy in my chest. I told myself it didn’t matter, Ava could have lunch at her place with whoever she wanted. Still, my feet carried me toward the dining room before I even realized it. The kids were already drifting toward the living room,

AVA’S POVThe first thing I became aware of was the smell. A faint mix of antiseptic and something sterile, the kind of scent you only find in hospitals or clinics. My eyelids felt heavy, like someone had glued them shut, but I forced them open. My head throbbed in time with my heartbeat, each pulse sending a dull ache across my skull. The room was dim, the blinds half-drawn. My eyes moved slowly, scanning my surroundings. I wasn’t in my bedroom. This wasn’t even my house. Then I saw two figures, Jason and Sally standing in the far corner of the room, their voices low, their heads bent toward each other. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but Jason’s arms were crossed tightly, and Sally kept gesturing with her hands like she was explaining something urgent. A groan escaped me before I could stop it. Their heads snapped in my direction, and in seconds, they were by my side. “You’re awake,” Sally said, relief flooding her face. “Lie down, don’t try to move.” Jason leaned

AVA'S POV The morning of Laura’s court hearing came too fast. I had hardly slept the night before. My mind kept replaying every moment leading up to her arrest, the way she had been dragged out of the airport screaming. I wasn't there but the video trended on all social media platforms. I knew today was important, the day everything would finally be decided. But I wasn’t prepared to see Jason standing at my door when I opened it. I froze, my fingers still wrapped around the doorknob. “Jason?” I whispered, like maybe saying his name out loud would make sense of why he was here. He stood there dressed sharply in a tailored suit, his tie neatly knotted, his shoes polished to a shine. He looked calm, collected, almost like this wasn’t just another day in court but a business meeting he had been planning for weeks. My chest tightened at the sight. He always had this way of looking like he had it all together, while I felt like I was barely holding myself up. “Are you ready?” he ask