All Chapters of I Came Back for Everything: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I took the fall and went to prison for the woman I loved—my girlfriend.She'd just turned twenty-two then. Life's golden girl, finally hitting her first real setback. She looked wrecked—thin, hollow, barely herself.She held my hand. "Luke... could you take the fall for me? I know you love me. I promise—when you get out, we'll get married. We'll build a life together."Marriage.Sweet word. Poison center.I knew prison would be hell—and life after might be even worse.Still, I believed her.Five years.I went in a reckless kid.I came out thirty.The second I stepped out of the prison gates, sunlight slammed into me. Blinding. I could barely keep my eyes open.I lifted a hand to block the glare.Through the haze, I saw Selene Quinn.She looked even better than five years ago. The old innocence was gone, the softness too. In its place—sharp edges. The kind you get from surviving the business world.My chest tightened. Heat crept up my face.This woman was mine.She was g

Chapter 2

The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of an apartment building.Selene's voice turned crisp. "Sixteenth floor. You remember, right? Go up first. We'll talk tonight."And just like that, I was left on the curb.Her Maserati shot off, tossing a thin cloud of dust behind it.I stood there like some stray dog someone forgot to take home.She didn't come back until three in the morning.Drunk.From a distance, she spotted me crouched by the building entrance.October was brutal during the day, but the nights had already turned cold.I was still wearing the same short-sleeved shirt from five years ago. Squatting by the door, staring at the lobby chandelier.Selene frowned. Clearly annoyed."Luke, can you stop acting like this? I know I owe you for taking the fall, but do you have to stand here looking half-dead? It's freezing. Why won't you just go upstairs? Or are you putting on this pitiful act to make me feel guilty?"Her words stuffed my chest like cotton.I could barely

Chapter 3

Selene pushed the door open and handed me a set of pajamas.She started to say something—Then she saw the scars covering my body.Burn marks. Cigarette tips.From my collarbone all the way down to my tailbone.One hundred and eight of them.They looked like eyes, staring straight at her.Selene's face drained of color. She covered her mouth and staggered back.I quickly pulled the pajamas over myself.They obviously weren't meant for me. The fabric hung off my frame like a robe.Had I really gotten this thin?Selene's lips trembled. She reached out like she wanted to touch the scars—then pulled her hand back."What happened? Tell me. What happened?"I pushed her out of the bathroom.What would be the point of telling her?Would the scars disappear if I did?It would only make her feel guilty.And guilt was never what I wanted.***At breakfast the next morning, Selene looked determined to make it up to me. She even brought up marriage on her own.She said LQ Corp h

Chapter 4

"Selene says she feels sick just looking at you. Those cigarette burns on your body? They look like maggots to her. Make her want to throw up."Cody's face was full of that young, reckless arrogance."She says the one she loves is me. She's only marrying you out of guilt. If you didn't exist, she'd marry me. You're still a man, right? Have some dignity. Selene cheated on you. You get that? That makes you a cuckold."I looked at Cody and, for some reason, thought of the husky Selene and I had five years ago.That dumb dog was just like him—thick-headed and restless. Sometimes it had nightmares and howled in the middle of the night. The neighbors complained more than once.I kept ignoring him.Cody stormed out and slammed the door.The apartment was barely fifty square meters, but it suddenly felt huge. Empty. Like a cold wind blowing straight through my chest.***I went to find Selene.It was the first time I'd stepped into LQ Corp in five years. Back then, Selene and I built

Chapter 5

I'd imagined a thousand possibilities.Just not this."Luke, I didn't expect you to be this shameless. Recording people behind their backs? You think this can threaten me?" Selene's brows pulled tight. "Cody's just a kid. He doesn't know any better."But you're almost thirty. You still don't get it? You're actually arguing with a kid. I already said I'll marry you. What more do you want?""Cody's just a substitute. Can you stop being so narrow-minded? Do I have to die before you're satisfied?"Selene shouted, completely losing it. Her whole body shook, like she was the one who'd been humiliated.From start to finish, I didn't say a word.That silence only made her angrier.Like a mother beast that lost her cub, she paced back and forth across the reception room."With my status, my position, what kind of pretty boy couldn't I get? I keep one by my side and you still can't handle it?"She stopped in front of me. "Do you even remember you've been to prison? Someone with a recor

Chapter 6

For the past five years, I sent Mom a letter every month. Told her I was overseas studying.I promised that when I came back, I'd take her out of the nursing home and bring her home.She believed every word.So how could she suddenly jump to her death?It felt like someone cut off my air. I couldn't breathe.I called Mason without thinking.No surprise—he already knew. Mom was dead.That night we ate together. Mason kept starting to say something, then stopping. Again and again.Finally, he let it out."Mr. Langford... I didn't want to tell you. But I can't swallow this." He looked at me, jaw tight. "Your mother didn't just die."She was forced to."Mason told me everything.A year ago, Cody showed up at Selene's company as an intern. No one knew exactly when they started hooking up, but Selene let him get away with anything. Spoiled him rotten. Even bought the kid an Audi.Around the office, Cody strutted like Selene's official boyfriend.Yeah. That went over great.Peo

Chapter 7

Cody hit the floor from the punch.He stayed down for a while before dragging himself up, blood smeared at the corner of his mouth.The blood only made it worse.I rushed him and landed two more punches.Selene grabbed me like she'd lost it and slapped me across the face."Are you crazy? Have you completely lost it?" she snapped. "Cody's right. Anyone who comes out of a place like that—even if they were decent before—comes back dirty."Her eyes raked over me. "Look at you. Do you have even a trace of the polished guy you used to be?"You disgust me."I froze.One hand pressed against my chest, staring at her like I didn't recognize her.Her lips kept moving, but I couldn't hear a word.I cut in."How did my mom die?" My voice came out rough. "Tell me. How did my mom die?"The two of them—rabid a second ago—went dead quiet.Cody edged behind Selene.Guilt flickered across his face. Then something darker.Selene froze for a second, then pulled herself together."Cody did

Chapter 8

Selene looked like she'd just been hit by a truck.When death's staring you down, the past suddenly doesn't matter much.After she found out I was dying, she went a little crazy trying to make it up to me.She stopped caring about the company. Every day she dragged me around to the places we used to go on dates.Like that was supposed to fix anything.She even spent a ridiculous amount of money on a custom wedding suit. Said she wanted me to wear it and marry her.Too bad Cody had already gotten his hands on it.He'd altered it to his size.Now the suit hung off me, loose and empty, like a stiff breeze could knock me over.Selene slapped Cody right there.Then, right in front of me, she fired him from LQ Corp and threw him out.She pulled me into her arms and kept whispering. "He was just a stand-in. That's all. Just a stand-in. The only person I love is you. I only love you."Really?You only love me?***After Cody was gone, Selene handed everything at LQ Corp to Mason

Chapter 9

We once promised it'd be for life.And a lifetime means a lifetime.Not a second less.Only this time, I'll break her wings and keep her in a cage.So she'll never fly out of my grasp again.*****Selene's POV **When the infringement issue hit, I didn't sleep for days.If I went to prison, everything was done. My ambition. My drive. My future—gone.So I begged Luke to take the fall.He loved me. Always did whatever I wanted. All I had to do was look a little weak. He'd agreed.And he did.Five years.After he went in, I drowned myself in work. Partly to prove I could. Partly because I felt guilty.But the nights sucked. Empty bed. No sleep. When my stomach pain got so bad I could barely breathe, I couldn't even call for help. I just clenched my teeth and rode it out.It wasn't like I had no options. Plenty of guys showed interest.I turned them all down.Luke was in prison because of me. I had no right to enjoy anything.Then I heard he'd been behaving in prison. Ear

Chapter 10

Didn't matter.Luke was gonna die soon anyway. If he could be a little happier before that, fine. Worth it.See? I'm that devoted.Girls like me? Rare.I just didn't expect that idiot Cody to turn on me. He reported me.This time, I couldn't run.Ten years.Ten.By the time I got out, I was pushing forty.And Luke?Not dead. Not even close. He was thriving.LQ Corp was gone. It was Langford Corp now.And him? Didn't look forty at all.Sharp suit. Clean. He looked... untouchable.There was a woman next to him. Elegant. Pretty. Just like I used to be.And the way she looked at me?Pity... with a little edge.My chest tightened.Cody used to look at Luke like that.And me?Back then I'd just thought, 'Cody's kinda cute. He even gets jealous. Guess I'll let him take care of me tonight.'And Cody now?I saw him across the street from Langford Corp.I was sweeping.He limped. One eye gone. Skin wrecked. Hair matted into knots.His one good eye locked on the building

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