All Chapters of My Ex-Husband, You Will Never Hurt Me Again: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The music thumped against my ribs as I slipped deeper into the underground club.It was the kind of place that didn’t exist on any map. No signs. No rules. Just velvet walls, dim lights, and a sea of people who all moved like they were running from something.I scanned the room carefully, pushing past the crush of bodies, my stomach twisting into knots that wouldn’t untangle.This wasn’t just another reckless mission.This was a test.Ryan’s words echoed sharp and clear in my mind:"Get me what I need from him, and I’ll help you take down Bruce."Simple.In theory.In practice? It felt like standing in the center of a minefield, blindfolded.Javier Morales.That was my target tonight.A slimy informant Ryan had been paying for years, and now? Javier was withholding critical intel.. something Ryan needed badly enough to trust me to go in alone.If I failed?That was it.No Ryan.No resources.No real shot at Bruce.Failure wasn’t an option.I weaved my way toward the private booths tuc

The study still smelled faintly of whiskey and leather, the laptop humming quietly where Ryan had left it closed.I stood there, my fingers digging into the back of the chair, trying to force my heart to slow down.Trying to pull my thoughts together when everything inside me felt like it was splitting apart and stitching itself back together at the same time.Ryan hadn’t moved from where he stood across the room, watching me with that intense, unreadable stare.I could feel the weight of it on my skin, heavier than the air between us.It should’ve pissed me off.It should’ve made me feel cornered.Instead…It burned.Low and sharp and terrifying."You really want to do this?" Ryan’s voice broke the silence, low and rough.Not mocking.Not cold.Serious.Too serious.I lifted my chin, forcing myself to meet his gaze."I’m not walking away now," I said. My voice wasn’t loud, but it didn’t need to be. The truth in it was enough.Ryan crossed the room slowly, his movements measured, deli

New YorkSelena was pacing.Her heels clicked sharply across the polished floor of her office as she moved back and forth, muttering to herself.Her perfectly manicured nails drummed impatiently on her thigh, her hair slightly out of place.. just enough to show how deeply the last forty-eight hours had gotten under her skin.“You just won’t go down easy, huh?” she hissed under her breath, pausing by the window.She stared out at the skyline, eyes narrowed.That woman.That girl who used to laugh too loud, smile too easily.. Sophie Hendricks.No.. Elena Maxwell.Selena didn’t even know what to call her anymore.She had watched Bruce throw Sophie in prison like trash, had taken everything from her.. her man, her home, her freedom.She was supposed to be gone.Forgotten.But now?She was back, crawling out of the ashes like a cockroach.And worse?Ryan DeMarco was shielding her.Selena scoffed under her breath, grabbing her phone from the edge of the desk.She scrolled through her encryp

I hadn’t planned to say it.It wasn’t even a fully formed thought in my head, just this chaotic rush of fear and instinct, tangled together and tightening like a noose.But when I looked at Ryan, still kneeling in front of me, still holding my hand like it was the only thing anchoring me to this world.. The words just slipped out.“I need to marry you. Can you help me?” Ryan blinked once. Then twice. “What?”I didn’t move. I didn’t even breathe.“I need to marry you,” I repeated, firmer now, the weight of it sinking in only as I said it again. “Not for… us. For Jonas.”He stared at me, trying to read my face, probably trying to decide if I’d finally lost it.“I’m serious,” I said. “If Bruce finds out Jonas is his… he’ll use every connection, every twisted legal favor he can cash in to take him from me. I know him, Ryan. He doesn’t even need to love Jonas. All he needs is to know he exists, and he’ll turn him into a weapon.”Ryan didn’t respond right away. He rose to his feet slowly,

“You don’t know what you’ve just stepped into.”Ryan’s words echoed over and over in my head. His voice, steady and calm, had no fear in it. But mine? My head? It was spinning.My heart pounded so loud it felt like it might crack through my ribs. I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until I finally let it out in one long, shaky sigh.Ryan was watching me.His arms folded loosely over his chest, leaning against the wall like this was just another day. His mouth curled into a small smirk.“What?” I asked, blinking at him.He raised an eyebrow. “Having second thoughts already, Mrs. DeMarco?”I rolled my eyes, trying to cover how my chest tightened hearing that. Mrs. DeMarco. What kind of life was I even living?I shifted on the couch and leaned back. “You wish.”His smirk deepened. “You’re not the first person Bruce’s threats have shaken. But trust me on this one, Sophie. Bruce?” He scoffed. “He’s small.”My eyes snapped to his face.“He thinks he’s untouchable,” Ryan said, strai