All Chapters of Too Late to Win Back The Ex-Wife: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

94 Chapters

Chapter 61: Dinner

Claire's POV:The restaurant's ambient lighting was soft, casting a warm glow over the linen tablecloth. Casper was, as ever, a masterful conversationalist. He'd skillfully steered us through a nostalgic trip down memory lane, artfully bypassing the minefield of my marriage, and landed us squarely in the territory of future plans."You should start your own firm, Claire. You have the vision, the talent." He leaned forward, his expression earnest.It was, in fact, my dream. A successful studio of my own would be the proof I needed—to myself, to my parents—that I'd rebuilt a life worth respecting. "It's the goal," I admitted, taking a sip of sparkling water. "But I need to build a reputation first, assemble a team. Right now, I'm content learning the ropes from the best." I gestured vaguely, acknowledging the opportunity Carter had given me.Casper snapped his fingers, a boyish grin spreading across his face. "Let me in. I want to be your first investor."I laughed, the sound light and

Chapter 62: Jealous

Claire's POV:"Always the jealous one, aren't you?" He touched his cheek, his eyes on mine like I was a misbehaving child. "Isabella. It's always about Isabella."He took a slow breath, the martyr. "She was a first love. A memory. If I wanted her, Claire, I wouldn't be here. I'd be with her."A light went on behind his eyes. "Oh. The tabloids. Is that it?" He shook his head, a portrait of disappointment. "She's an actress. It's just business. You used to understand that." Another sigh, heavier this time. "My fault. I should've handled the press better. Come home. Let's talk about this like adults." He reached for my arm.I stepped back. His hand closed on empty air.I thought I was free. That he was a closed door, a bad dream I'd finally woken up from.But he kept showing up. A ghost that wouldn't stay dead.And his words. *Jealous. Understand.*I gave him everything. My time, my faith, every piece of myself when he had nothing. We were a team. We were supposed to be each other's firs

Chapter 63: Taking Care of the CEO

Claire's POV:The plan was simple: collect Leo, say a polite thank you, and escape into the night.The plan evaporated the second the car door opened. A small, determined hand shot out, grabbed my wrist, and yanked. Before I could protest, I was unceremoniously hauled into the plush backseat, landing next to my son."Look, Mommy!" Leo was vibrating with excitement, thrusting a sleek collector's box into my hands. "We got you the thing!"Nestled inside was a Black Widow figure. The Avengers: Age of Ultron vintage version, complete with the batons and that fiercely calm expression. My absolute favorite.My breath caught. "How did you…?""Mr. Carter picked it," Leo chirped, tugging on the impeccably tailored sleeve of the man sitting stiffly beside him. "He said this was the best one."My eyes snapped to Carter Thorne. He wasn't looking at us. His profile was a sharp, unreadable line against the darkened window, his posture radiating a tense silence. "Mr. Thorne, thank you. That's… incre

Chapter 64: Oups

Claire's POV:The apartment went dead silent.Leo stood frozen in the kitchen doorway, water glass in hand, his eyes as wide as dinner plates.Carter Thorne slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at me. Really looked.And the reality of what I'd just done dropped on me like an anvil. I had just shrieked at my boss. My powerful, intimidating, sign-my-paychecks boss. In my own living room.Oh, God. I'm so fired.A cold wave of pure career-ending panic washed over me. I took a shaky step back, my shoulders hiking up toward my ears. I could literally see my job, my independence, my fresh start, circling the drain.I coughed, looking fixedly at a crack in the ceiling. "Right. Well. That was… unprofessional. But you are a grown man who should know that lava wings aren't a food group." I forced my gaze back to his, which was now disturbingly alert and focused. "However. You got sick on my son's watch. So. For liability purposes… let's call it fifty-fifty."I braced for the icy dismissal, the ‘

Chapter 65:A Reward and a Revelation

Claire's POV "A bonus?""A promotion?"Carter Thorne's questions hung in the air, expecting a prompt, sensible answer.I shook my head. "I haven't decided. Can I… take a rain check?"A faint, surprised chuckle escaped him. "Always negotiating for the best terms."My eyes widened. "Wait, is there an expiration date on this offer?""What do you think?"My shoulders slumped. "A month?" I guessed, my voice small. Of course there was a catch. Greed never paid.His amusement seemed to deepen. "A year.""What?""One year. Any time within the next twelve months, you can claim it. Think of it as an open tab."For a second, I thought I might actually cry. A stupid, grateful heat prickled behind my eyes.It was a stark, sudden reminder. One man's cruelty didn't paint the whole world gray. There were still people—decent, fair people—who made the fight worth it."Okay," I managed, my voice thick. "Thank you, Mr. Thorne."He watched me, his gaze turning thoughtful. "If you want to thank someone, t

Chapter 66: The Hollow House

Nathan's POV:The taxi dropped me at the penthouse. I paid, stepped out, the night air doing nothing to cool the heat under my skin.I'd said my piece. Laid down the law. I should feel the clean satisfaction of a line drawn, a boundary set.Instead, I just felt… scraped raw. Her words. That goddamn picture on her phone. It kept flashing behind my eyes, a sick little loop I couldn't stop. The way Isabella's head had tilted… It *looked* real. It felt real.I shook my head, the motion violent. No. It was a trick. A cheap, manipulative trick. Claire was desperate, angry, getting bad advice from Thorne. She was trying to get under my skin.The private elevator climbed in silence. The doors opened onto the foyer, all dark marble and cold, reflected city lights. A figure stood by the window.My heart actually *lurched*. A stupid, traitorous jump. *Claire.*"Nathan! Oh, thank God!"The voice shattered it. The figure turned. Not Claire. Isabella.She rushed over, a vision of orchestrated distr

Chapter 67: Shopping

Claire's POV:Dropping Leo off at Little Explorers felt like the only normal part of the morning. His hug, his wave—a tiny anchor in the chaos my life had become.I scanned into the office, dumped my bag, and immediately headed back out. Carter had handed me a straightforward task: finalize design preferences with the client for the Emerald Greens clubhouse renovation. The contact was a procurement manager named Fiona Huxley. A name that, according to office whispers, came with a price tag.I'd been to the Finance department beforehand. They'd handed me a discreet black card with a pre-approved limit for "client relationship development." I'd signed for it, my stomach tight. I hated this dance. But I also knew it was the unspoken rhythm of some deals.I met Fiona at the jewelry counter of Nordstrom. She was already there, of course, one manicured finger tracing the glass over a set of emerald and diamond earrings."Fiona, hello. Claire Sterling, from Thorne & Associates."She glanced

Chapter 68: Truth

Claire's POV:Holly Huxley.The name dropped like a stone into the murky pond of my memory. Of course I remembered her. A temp assigned to my office during my brief, ill-fated stint as a VP at Sterling Global. A pretty, vicious girl who'd made life hell for the other interns. Psychological warfare, petty sabotage, and finally, physical intimidation caught on a security camera outside the supply closet. I'd had the evidence. I'd fired her. Clean, swift, by the book. I'd even authorized a generous severance to avoid any messy lawsuit. I'd slept just fine that night.Back then, I'd had the authority to make that call. Now, I was a junior designer. The peon. The one expected to smile through the abuse.I swallowed the hot, metallic taste of rage. "Fiona," I said, my voice strained but calm. "There seems to be a… significant misunderstanding.""Misunderstanding?" She spat the word. "A misunderstanding is when someone forgets your coffee order. This? This was a calculated hit. Nathan told m

Chapter 69: Sue

Claire's POV:I took a step forward, now the one looming. "You can hate me. That's your right. But you are here representing Venturi Holdings. Do they know you're using their multi-million dollar project to settle a petty, misinformed family grudge?"The fight was gone from her. Her shoulders slumped. "All these years… I was wrong?" she whispered, more to herself than to me. "She let me believe…"Then, as if the admission of error was too much to bear, her spine stiffened. The haughty mask, cracked and pathetic, tried to reassemble itself. "Fine. You've explained about Holly. Consider the matter closed. I won't pursue it further."The sheer, breathtaking audacity of it stole my breath. *She* wouldn't pursue it? As if she were the wronged party granting me clemency.A cold, sharp smile touched my lips. It felt foreign. Powerful. "*You* can consider it closed. *I* can't."Her head snapped up. "What?""The matter of your sister is resolved," I said, each word precise as a scalpel. "The m

Chapter 70: Proof

Claire's POV:"Proof?" She scoffed, gesturing grandly at the bags. "You paid for them. I'm holding them. What more proof do you need? You just hadn't gotten around to naming your price yet. But Carter is no fool. He sees through cheap schemes."I nodded slowly, as if considering her point. "So, the mere fact that you're holding items I purchased constitutes a bribe?""What else would it be?""Well, we spent an hour together," I mused, tilting my head. "Plenty of time to discuss illicit terms, if that was the plan. But I never did. Isn't it more likely…" I let my gaze sweep over her, cool and assessing, "…that you were the one applying pressure? That you, an experienced manager, saw a former housewife, nervous and eager to please, and decided to see how far you could push her? To see if she'd max out her credit cards just to avoid your displeasure?"Fiona's eyes bulged. "That's preposterous! You're accusing *me* of bullying?""I'm offering an alternative interpretation of the evidence,

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