All Chapters of TRAPPED AS THE CEO'S ex-wife : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Lena’s POVLucian pulled back slightly, his brows drawing together as he studied my face.“You didn’t sound too happy this morning,” he said quietly.I forced a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Yeah… I was just sleepy.”He nodded like he accepted that, but Lucian had always been observant—too observant. He stepped closer, his hands resting lightly on my waist.“Your dress is beautiful,” he murmured before leaning in, pressing soft kisses along my neck.My body reacted before my mind could stop it—but then it happened.Xander’s lips.The way he had looked at me.The heat.The mistake.My chest tightened, guilt crashing into me so hard I felt breathless. I shifted away abruptly, breaking the contact.Lucian froze.“Lena?” His voice softened. “Is anything wrong?”I shook my head too fast, panic flickering through me. “No. Nothing’s wrong.”But he didn’t look convinced.The walls suddenly felt too close. The air felt heavy. The hotel—this hotel—felt like a ticking bomb.“Lucian,” I

Lena’s POVThe boardroom felt colder than usual.That was the first thing I noticed as I stood beside Lucian, my hands clasped tightly in front of me like I was trying to hold myself together. Lucian was seated, composed as always, his expression unreadable. Xander was there too, seated a little farther away—not close, not far—his eyes fixed on the polished table as if it held answers he wasn’t willing to voice.Mr. Robert stood in front of the board, hands behind his back, pacing slowly like a man who enjoyed the tension in the room.That alone made my stomach twist.It wasn’t every day that Mr. Robert personally conducted a board meeting. Usually, Lucian did. The fact that he wasn’t today felt… deliberate.“We’ve received several reports,” Mr. Robert began, his voice firm and formal, “about some incompetent behavior within this company.”My heart skipped.“Three employees have come forward,” he continued, “and it was voted that we hold a board meeting so the CEO himself can hear it.”

Lena's POV I straightened the last file on my desk, aligning the edges with more care than necessary. It wasn’t because the files needed perfection—it was because my hands needed something to do. Something to distract me from the heavy knot sitting in my chest since that board meeting.Once upon a time, I thought ignorance was bliss. I thought if no one said anything to my face, then nothing was wrong.Turns out, silence can be louder than insults.Turns out, eyes had been on me all along—watching, measuring, waiting.Watching how I walked beside Lucian.Watching how close I stood.Watching how often he called my name.And now that I knew, I couldn’t unknow it.I exhaled slowly and stood up, picking up the neatly stacked files. This wasn’t something I could keep burying. If I kept pretending everything was fine, I’d drown in it. So I walked toward Lucian’s desk, every step heavier than the last.“Sir,” I said softly. “I’m done arranging the files.”Lucian looked up from his laptop, h

Xander's POV Xander looked slightly surprised when I told him to stay.It wasn’t shock exactly—more like he hadn’t expected me to say it out loud. As if the word had slipped past my defenses before my mind could catch it. He stood there for a moment, eyes searching mine, like he was trying to figure out if I’d change my mind in the next second.I remembered Lucian’s face when I told him I wasn’t leaving him to be with someone else. I remembered how firm my voice had sounded then, how sure I’d been.And the truth was—I hadn’t lied.I wasn’t choosing Xander.Xander was just… here.Here while I was trying to heal from him.Here while I was trying to heal through Lucian.The irony of it made my chest tighten.Was I playing both of them?No.No, no, no.I wasn’t playing anyone.I was just tired. Broken in places I didn’t know how to explain. Grasping for balance when everything inside me felt like it was tilting.“Do you want me to help you with anything?” Xander asked gently. “I can make

LUCIAN'S POV I was still boiling from yesterday.Lena breaking things off had hit harder than I expected. She had looked me straight in the eyes and told me she was not leaving me for anyone else. And for a moment, I believed her. I wanted to believe her. I held onto that like it was the only solid thing left after everything collapsed.But then today happened.Seeing Alexander Knight hovering around her, touching her, caring for her like he had some right to do so, made something ugly twist inside me. The way he stood close, the way he looked at her like she was still his. Like he never lost her in the first place.It irked me.No. It infuriated me.Alexander Knight did not know me. He did not know the real Lucian Valentino. He did not know how far I could go when something I wanted was slipping through my fingers.And Lena was slipping.I stepped out of my office with purpose, my jaw tight, my hands clenched. I spotted him down the hall, calm and composed like he had not just cross