Semua Bab The Ex-wife He Regrets Losing!: Bab 41 - Bab 50

MABEL I stared at Damian, trying to reconcile what he'd just told me with the Ethan I knew. "Ethan was your best friend?" The words felt surreal. "You and Ethan?" "Is that so hard to believe?" "Yes." I thought about Ethan, weak, indecisive, always choosing the path of least resistance. "He doesn't seem like someone you'd befriend." "He wasn't always like that." Something flickered across Damian's face. Pain, quickly hidden. "The Ethan I knew in business school was different. Ambitious. Principled. He actually cared about things." "What happened to him?" "His mother happened." Damian's voice was flat. "Claire has a way of destroying everything good in people. Especially her own son." I moved closer, studying his expression. Beneath the cold calculation, there was real emotion. Real hurt. "You really cared about him." "I did." He turned away, looking out the window at the party still winding down outside. "He was the brother I never had. We used to talk for hours about our plan

MABEL I stared at Damian, my mind reeling from everything he'd just revealed. He was the anonymous messenger. He'd been helping me for months. He knew where Liam was all along. And he'd said nothing. "Wait." I held up a hand. "You've been sending me messages for months. You knew where my son was. You knew he was with Vanessa." "Yes." "And you said nothing." Anger started to replace my shock. "You watched me search. Watched me suffer. Watched me piece together clues you could have just given me." "Yes." "Why?" The word came out sharp. "If you wanted to help me, why not just tell me? Why the games? Why the mystery?" Damian moved to Vanessa's desk, pouring himself another whiskey. He took his time answering, and that deliberate pause only made me angrier. "Because you weren't ready," he said finally. "Ready for what?" "To fight Vanessa. To take on Claire. To actually win." He turned to face me. "When I first discovered you were searching for your son, you were a mess. Broken.

MABEL The next morning, I woke up with a singular purpose. I needed proof. Real, undeniable, court-admissible proof that Liam was my biological son. The DNA test I'd run months ago had been informal—a sample from Liam's toy that he'd drooled on, my own cheek swab, sent to a private lab under false names. It proved what I already knew, but it wouldn't hold up in court. I needed something better. Something official. Which meant I needed a fresh sample from Liam. One I could submit to a certified lab with proper chain of custody documentation. My phone buzzed. A text from Vanessa: **Thank you again for yesterday. Liam hasn't stopped talking about you. Can you come by this week to discuss the charity gala outfits?** Perfect timing. **Of course,** I typed back. **Tomorrow afternoon?** **Perfect. 2 PM?** **See you then.** I set down my phone and started planning. Getting into Vanessa's penthouse was easy—I had a standing invitation. But getting Liam's DNA without anyone noticing?

HAILEY Marcus Vega's report arrived via encrypted email at eleven PM. I'd been waiting for it, refreshing my inbox obsessively since dinner. When it finally appeared, I opened it immediately, scanning through the pages. Mabel James. Born Mabel James, married name Mabel Hoss. Thirty-two years old. Stylist based in Los Angeles, recently returned to New York. I already knew all of that. I scrolled down, looking for something useful. Something I could actually use against her. And then I found it. Family Connections; Father, Andrew James, 58, currently residing in Queens. History of alcohol abuse. Recently entered rehabilitation facility (Meadowbrook Recovery Center). Half-sister, Bella James, 24, recently relocated to New York. Currently employed as assistant to Mabel James. Half-sister, Lily James, 12, Type 1 diabetic. Also recently relocated to New York. I sat up straighter, reading the section again. Mabel had sisters. Two of them. Living in New York. And she'd hired one of

MABEL I saw the article at seven AM. Bella burst into my bedroom, phone in hand, her face pale. "Mabel. You need to see this." She handed me her phone. The Post article filled the screen. My stomach dropped as I read the headline. Then the photos. Then the vicious quotes from "unnamed sources." "Oh my God," I whispered. "It's everywhere. T*****r, I*******m, everywhere." Bella's voice shook. "They're saying you're using Lily. That you brought her to New York as a sympathy prop." "That's insane. I would never…" "I know that. But they don't." She grabbed her phone back. "The comments are brutal, Mabel. People are calling you a monster." I got out of bed, my mind racing. "Has Lily seen it?" "Not yet. She's still asleep." "We need to keep it from her…" "How? It's everywhere. Her friends will see it. Their parents will see it." Bella's voice rose. "How do we protect her from this?" Before I could answer, my phone rang. Vanessa. My heart sank. "Hello?" "Mabel." Her voice was