All Chapters of After 18 Years, Mr. CEO Wants Me Back: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Two days later, the lawyer came.I heard the doorbell ring while I was sitting in the living room.When I opened the door, I saw a middle-aged man in a three-piece grey suit, carrying a thick folder in his hand."Mrs. Alissa?"I nodded."Edward Whitmore," he said while handing me his business card. "I'm from Whitmore & Associates law firm. I've been sent by the Kingsley family to handle the divorce proceedings. May I come in? We need to talk inside, this is quite complicated."I stepped aside, letting him in. He walked to the living room with steady steps, placing his folder on the wooden table that me and Damian bought together at the antique market two months ago."Would you like some tea?" I asked."No, thank you. Let's get straight to the point." He opened the folder, pulling out stacks of documents. "This is the divorce petition. Damian has already signed it.""I'm six months pregnant. Does UK allow divorce while the wife is pregnant?" I asked."In UK, madam, there's no law that

I spent the rest of that day in the airport waiting area, sitting on a hard plastic chair while holding my stomach which still ached. Several security officers came to ask if I needed medical help, but I refused.The plane took off at 2 PM. I sat in a window seat, watching the city of London grow smaller from above.The journey was very long, over a dozen hours. I changed planes twice, sat in cold waiting rooms, and tried to sleep on uncomfortable chairs. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Damian's face when he shoved me.Finally, after an exhausting journey, I arrived at the airport in my home country. The warm air was so different from London's cold. I stood in the arrival area with my suitcase in one hand and my large belly on the other side, watching people being picked up by their families with happy smiles.I called a taxi and gave my uncle's address. My uncle was my only remaining family after my parents died in an accident three years ago. He was my mother's younger brother, a

I heard my name slip from his lips, and for a moment, the world felt like it stopped spinning. But only for a moment. I've spent eighteen years rebuilding myself from scratch, and I won't let this man—the man who destroyed me tear down everything I've built with just a whisper of my name.I took a deep breath, pressed my fingers against my sides, and put on a perfectly professional smile. The smile I've practiced for years in the operating room, in front of important patients, in front of people who tried to intimidate me. The smile that never shows what's really happening inside my heart."I'm very pleased to meet you and our potential investor. But I must apologize, I can't join today's tour," I said.Mr. Alan frowned. "What's wrong, Doctor? Is there a problem?""There's no problem, sir. It's just that I have a patient already waiting in my practice room. Mr. Hartono's daughter is scheduled for a rhinoplasty surgery today, and I need to do a final examination before the procedure. I

I felt my name slip from his lips as if it had stopped time. My feet immediately froze in place.I turned around slowly, letting go of Nicholas's hand without meaning to. Damian stood before me, only a few meters away. His eyes were fixed on me, and for a moment, I saw the man I used to love."Can I help you, Mr. Kingsley?" I asked, my voice cold and professional.Damian looked at me, then at Nicholas beside me. His eyes narrowed, studying Nicholas carefully. But then he shifted his gaze back to me, and his expression softened into something calmer."Actually, I'd like to talk to you about business. I heard that the plastic surgery department at this hospital is in need of the latest equipment for reconstructive surgery. I'd like to offer a donation. The latest plastic surgery equipment from Germany. I think it would be very beneficial for your patients," Damian said.I stared at him suspiciously. Damian Kingsley, the man who left me eighteen years ago, now offering medical equipment

But for now, I wasn't ready. Not ready to explain the complicated past, not ready to admit the lies I'd built over the years. Louis still saw Damian as a foreign investor with blue eyes that happened to look like his. I wanted to hold onto that illusion for as long as possible."Let's go home, Mom?" Louis broke through my daze. "I'm hungry. You promised you'd make your famous spaghetti.""Yeah, let's go home. But you have to help me clean the kitchen after we eat.""Deal!"Louis stood up, took his coffee cup, and walked to the door. I followed him, feeling the weight on my shoulders lift just a little. Louis's presence always gave me strength, even in the darkest moments.Once we arrived at the apartment, Louis immediately threw himself onto the sofa, while I headed to the kitchen. I took out a pot, started boiling water for the spaghetti, chopping garlic and tomatoes for the sauce. The sound of the knife on the cutting board and the aroma of sautéed garlic always brought me a sense o