All Chapters of DEAR EX, IT'S TOO LATE FOR REGRET.: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

​RECLAIMING MY SISTER.​Emma’s POV.The elevator ride down to the private garage had been completely silent because Nathan was focused on his phone while giving instructions to his main security team, and the drive through the city streets in the large black car felt incredibly long as the rain kept hitting the windshield, but the very second our driver pulled up to the front entrance of the temporary state shelter, I pushed the door open without waiting for anyone to help me and marched straight into the building with Nathan right by my side. The main lobby looked very basic with plain white walls and a few plastic chairs scattered around a small table, and the regional director was already standing there alongside the social worker we had spoken to on the phone, both of them holding a stack of legal release forms and looking incredibly nervous as Nathan stepped forward to sign the papers without even reading the fine print.​"Where is Gina right now, bec

​TWO SISTERS UNDER ONE ROOF.​Emma’s POV.The large kitchen was completely warm as I stood by the main stove to prepare a simple chicken dinner, and I could hear the quiet clicking of the plates as Nathan helped me set the long dining table for four people, but the overall mood in the penthouse was incredibly heavy because Gina had been sitting on the edge of the white sofa for the last three hours without saying a single word to anyone. Pearl had brought out all her favorite coloring books and stuffed animals from her bedroom to share, trying her absolute best to make her sister feel welcome in our new home, but Gina kept her head down and refused to touch any of the toys, her small hands tightly gripping her own knees while she stared at the floor with a massive look of guilt on her face. I stirred the soup slowly and looked over at Nathan, who gave me a reassuring nod before walking into the living room to gently sit down on the chair across from the girls, hi

​THE EXTORTION MEETING.​Derek’s POV.The small table in the back corner of the harbor restaurant was completely covered in grease stains, and I sat there rubbing my cold hands together while watching the front door because the midnight deadline had already passed, and my nerves were completely shot after spending the last three hours hiding from the local police cars that were cruising near the shipyard. The restaurant was almost empty except for an old bartender who was wiping down a counter with a dirty cloth, and the heavy smell of fried fish and old grease was making my stomach feel incredibly sick, but I couldn't leave this booth because Marcus Vance was my absolute last hope for getting the cash I needed to escape the state before Nathan's legal team locked me away forever. The front door finally opened with a dull rattle, and Marcus walked inside wearing a heavy black coat, his two large assistants stepping in right behind him and scanning the small room

​POSSESSIVE PROTECTION.​Nathan’s POV.The bright crystal chandeliers in the main ballroom were shining directly into my eyes as I guided Emma past the rows of wealthy donors, but my mind was completely disconnected from the charity event because my rage was returning tenfold as I scanned the crowd, and my suspicions were confirmed when I spotted a tall man standing near the entrance of the private VIP lounge who looked exactly like one of the harbor assistants Marcus Vance had used during the shipping negotiations last year. I felt Emma’s small hand trembling against my arm as she looked around the grand space with pure anxiety, so I leaned down to whisper a quick instruction to Mark who was walking closely behind us, telling him to take Emma to the secure media table while I handled the threat personally before these underground thugs could make another single move against my daughters.​"Nathan, please do not leave me alone with these reporters fo

​THE HARBOR TRAP.​Derek’s POV.The small rusted metal chair I was sitting on felt incredibly cold against my back, and I kept checking the glowing digital face of my watch every two minutes while staring out the broken window of the abandoned harbor warehouse, my nerves completely frayed because it was already past three o'clock on Friday afternoon, and Marcus Vance’s crew was supposed to have intercepted Nathan’s jewelry transport vehicle over an hour ago. The entire warehouse district was completely dead and quiet, containing nothing but empty shipping crates and piles of old rotted fishing nets scattered across the cracked concrete floor, and the heavy smell of salt water and stagnant fuel oil from the nearby docks was making my throat feel completely raw as I paced back and forth near the main loading doors. I had spent the last two days locked inside that miserable little apartment Marcus provided, dreaming about the fifty thousand dollars in ca