Semua Bab Too Late to Win Back The Ex-Wife: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Claire's POV:The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of vectors and color palettes. After Sloane left, I dove deep into the design, letting the logic of it quiet my mind. Just before five, I sent the files to Carter Thorne and headed out to get Leo.The preschool pickup was its usual happy chaos. When my phone rang, I answered without looking, my eyes scanning the playground."Hello?"I spotted him. Leo's face lit up like a sunrise, and he barreled toward me. I caught his hand, the phone wedged between my shoulder and ear, all my focus on steering us clear of the stroller traffic.Only when we reached the quiet of the side street did I notice the silence on the line.I glanced at the screen.The number was a ghost. A relic from a buried life. My heart gave a single, hard knock against my ribs.I thought I was over it. That Nathan Sterling was a closed chapter, archived and shelved. But those digits were a key, and they fit a lock I'd sworn was sealed. Memories didn't surface—they

Claire's POV:He looked up, his eyes now swimming. "Why are you so mean?!" he yelled, the tears breaking free. "Just stop asking!"He was crying now, huge, gulping sobs, as if *I* had inflicted some great wound. The evening wind picked up, chilling the tears on my own cheeks. The old, exhausting impulse to explain, to justify myself, rose and then died. I'd done that dance for years with Nathan. It led nowhere."I'll call Hannah," I said flatly.This seemed to shock him more than my scolding. The tears stopped for a stunned second. Where was the frantic comfort? The desperate hugging and pleading for forgiveness?"You… you…" he sputtered, enraged. He shoved me, a weak, childish push. "I hate you!" He turned to flee."Ben, no!" Instinct overrode caution. I caught his arm. "You don't have to like me right now. But it's dark, and there's traffic. You're staying put until Hannah arrives."He struggled, betrayed. This wasn't the script. "You just want Dad to come! Aunt Isabella said you'd

Nathan's POVThe charity gala was a major event. Isabella, with her celebrity status, had not only secured an invitation but was also the newly appointed "Goodwill Ambassador." She'd be doing press and visits for the foundation afterward.She arrived at the hospital armed with a shopping bag from a high-end children's boutique. Ben had been moping since his return from Claire's, and I, battling my own recovery and exhaustion, had little patience left. After a tense night, I'd withdrawn, and he'd finally fallen into a sullen silence. I looked like hell—dark circles, bloodshot eyes, running on fumes.Isabella fussed over me briefly before steering the conversation to the gala. Normally, I'd send a senior VP. But this was her moment, and she wanted me there."You can't stay in this sterile room forever. We all need some air, especially Ben." She held up a miniature tailored suit. "Look what I got him! Come on, Nathan, you need to get up too. And…" she added, a practiced plea in her voice

Nathan's POV:A flicker of surprise, quickly masked by a low chuckle. "Unusual. Carter Thorne with a plus-one. Is it the head of your accounting department? Or that senior director from design?"As rivals, I knew his habits well. Notoriously private. While his company employed women, they were strictly professional. No scandals. The only two women ever seen near him socially were the divorced, pragmatic CFO and the brilliant but decidedly past-her-prime design lead. I doubted his taste was *that* lacking, but the opportunity to needle him was too good to pass up.Normally, Carter would ignore such a juvenile jab.Today, he was in an uncharacteristically responsive mood."No."My eyebrow arched. He'd not only acknowledged the question but confirmed he *did* have a date, and it wasn't a company employee.Then came the unexpected elaboration. "She's quite remarkable."I scoffed. "High praise. Now I'm curious about this mystery woman." I paused, layering my tone with deliberate, mocking s

Claire's POVMonica Reed's voice continued, warm and amplifying over the applause. "And on that note, I must extend a special thanks to Claire. For the next five-year licensing term, she has generously offered a fifty percent discount on the emblem rights. The full value of that discount will be directed entirely to our rural education fund."The room erupted in fresh, thunderous applause. I was ushered onto the stage.The microphone felt familiar yet foreign in my hand. I spoke about why I started, why it mattered—not with practiced PR polish, but with a quiet conviction that seemed to resonate. It had been years since I'd commanded a room like this, but the muscle memory was there. Poise. Clarity. A light I thought had been extinguished flickered back to life, then burned bright under the barrage of flashing cameras. For these few minutes, the gala wasn't about Sterling or Thorne. It was about the cause. And I was its unexpected, galvanizing face.Isabella's smile from the front row