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Chapter 12: Ready to face the world
Huling Na-update:
2024-12-09 17:05:30
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The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 13: A welcome Party
Mandy’s POVHowever, I made my way outside the house as I stood frozen, my eyes locked on Lucas as he emerged from the sleek Mercedes Benz. What was he doing here? I wondered, my mind racing.As he approached, his gaze met mine, and for a fleeting moment, his stare paused on my face. I sensed a flicker of surprise, but his expression swiftly returned to its usual composed mask."Ready?" he asked, his deep voice low and even.Though, I nodded, still perplexed by his sudden arrival.With that, Lucas opened the car door, gesturing for me to enter. "I came to pick you up," he explained, his tone matter-of-fact."Why?" I asked, my wariness evident."Why would you want to do that? You didn't have to put on these charades,"Lucas scoffed."Listen, we're attending Grandma's party together," he replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "As husband and wife."Hearing this, my heart sank as the familiar weight of resentment settled in. Pretending to be married again? The memories I'd tried to sup
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-09The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 14: The Welcome Party II
Lucas's POV10 minutes ago, I hung up the phone call, as I began scanning the room for Mandy. But she was nowhere to be found.Then, a flicker of concern crossed my mind as I remembered Mandy wasn't exactly the independent type. She might be scared, alone in this crowded party.I suppressed a scowl, unhappy with her disappearance. Yet, I couldn't shake off the urge to find her."Excuse me," I said to a passing waiter, "have you seen my wife?"Just then, I saw Mary approaching where I stood with her radiant smile calming my growing unease."Lucas," she called out my name. "Don't worry," her voice soothing. "Mandy might be overwhelmed or chatting with old friends. She didn't mean to disappear and upset you."Her words eased my tension, but I couldn't help comparing Mary's composed nature to Mandy's turbulent presence.Mary always prioritized others, never seeking to stir trouble. Even three years ago, when Mandy...terminated her pregnancy, Mary had defended her, suggesting Mandy might
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-10The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 15: Beneath the Surface
Chapter 15Lucas’s POV I should’ve known the night wouldn’t end smoothly. It never does with Mandy. Grandma’s face twisted into a polite but unmistakable grimace when Mandy emerged from the bathroom wearing that ridiculous mini-skirt. My jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth might crack. What the hell was she thinking? “Mandy, dear,” Grandma began, her tone sharp enough to slice through the murmurs in the room. “This isn’t appropriate for the occasion. What happened to the dress you were wearing earlier?” Mandy’s eyes flitted to mine for a fraction of a second before lowering. Her voice was calm, steady even, which somehow made it worse. “I didn’t mean to cause offense, Grandma. This was all I had.” All she had? That was a lie. Mary had gone out of her way to lend Mandy a perfectly good dress just moments ago. Why she refused to wear it was beyond me. I stepped forward, my voice quieter but no less irritated. “Mandy, we talked about this.” Her gaze lifted to meet mine,
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-10The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 16: The Thin Line
Mandy's POVThe morning light filtered through the curtains, but my chest felt heavy, like a storm cloud had settled over me. I couldn’t stop replaying Lucas’s expression from last night—the tension, the frustration, the way his eyes seemed to drill into me, looking for answers I wasn’t ready to give. Let him wonder. Let him stew in his own questions. I’d made my choice long before we started this arrangement. This wasn’t about him, and it never would be. My focus was on saving Grandma Claire, and once she was safe, I’d walk away from Lucas and everything he represented. Still, there was this tiny, infuriating tug in the back of my mind. The way his voice softened when he spoke to me last night lingered longer than I wanted it to. I shook my head and forced myself to focus. Whatever kindness he tried to show didn’t matter. I wouldn’t let it weaken my resolve. I was pulling my hair into a loose bun when my phone buzzed on the dresser. “Hello?” I answered, pinching the bridge
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-10The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 17: Collision
Lucas's POVThe hum of the club hit me the moment I stepped inside—a dim red glow cast long shadows across the room, while the low chatter, and the heavy bass of music thumping through the walls. I shouldn’t have been here. Hell, I knew it was wrong, especially with Mandy always looking at me like I was some kind of monster when it came to my choices. But I couldn’t stop myself. Suddenly, Ethan clapped a hand on my shoulder as we walked toward a table near the back. “You’ve got it bad, man. I’ve never seen you this hung up on someone.” “It’s not like that,” I muttered, my eyes already scanning the room, scoffs. I didn’t even believe my own words. “Sure,” Ethan said with a smirk, sinking into his chair. The truth was, I didn’t know what it was. This woman—the masked dancer—I couldn’t get her out of my head. She was a puzzle I couldn’t solve, and for some reason, that drove me insane. And not long, the lights dimmed suddenly as the music shifted, my attention snapped to the
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-10The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 18: Shattered Truths
Mandy’s PovAs Lucas forced me into his car, the silence in the air became suffocating as Lucas’s grip on the steering wheel was so tight his knuckles turned white. I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, staring out the window, with my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel his anger radiating off him, and part of me wanted to say something, anything, to break the tension. But the other part—the part that had been living in survival mode for months—kept my lips sealed. But when we were almost halfway home, I couldn’t take it anymore so I broke the silence.“Lucas,” I said softly, testing the waters. “I didn’t mean for you to find out like this.” His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look at me. “Didn’t mean for me to find out at all, you mean.” I flinched at the bitterness in his voice. “I wasn’t trying to lie to you. I needed to survive and it was my only option,"“Your only option?” he repeated, his voice rising. He finally turned his head, his eyes flashing with anger. “You could
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-10The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 19: A Step Toward Healing
Lucas's POVI sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on my knees, head in my hands, as Ethan’s voice rang out over the phone, blunt as always. “So let me get this straight,” he said. “You stormed into the club, dragged her out, and then lost your damn mind at her?” “Yeah,” I muttered, already regretting my decision to call him. “That about covers it.” “You’re an idiot.” “Thanks, Ethan. Super helpful.” “No, seriously. What were you thinking? Mandy’s not one of your employees, Lucas. She doesn’t need a boss—she needs a partner, don't be a fool,"That word hit like a sucker punch partner. How had I missed that? Ethan sighed. “Look, man, I get it. You’re used to fixing problems, keeping things under control, making sure nothing spirals out of hand. But Mandy isn’t some situation to manage. She’s a person, Lucas. And instead of trying to understand her, you bulldozed right over her, same way you did to her three years ago,"I leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Damn it. He w
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-11The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 20: A Glimmer of Hope
Lucas’s POVThe house felt emptier than usual that evening and the silence seemed to stretch on endlessly, filling up the space where her laughter, her voice, her very presence used to be. It was hard to remember what it felt like to have Mandy here. Even harder was the reality that, no matter how much I tried to fix things, I still hadn’t figured out how to fix us.I tossed my keys on the kitchen counter and dragged my fingers through my hair, staring at the table where we’d shared meals, arguing, and laughing. That damn mug she always used, the one with the chipped handle, still sat there like a cruel reminder that I’d screwed everything up. I’d spent the entire day digging into her financial situation. The club, the debt, the medical bills—none of it had surprised me, but it stung to see how much she’d been hiding. Mandy had always carried her burdens alone, even when I was right there, a damn fool, too stubborn and too proud to see what was happening right under my nose.Howeve
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-11
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The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 135 : Wanted Man
Lucas’s POVThe moment the police stormed in, their weapons raised, I knew Sophia had been waiting for this. The blue and red flashes of sirens painted the dim warehouse in a kaleidoscope of chaos. The tension in the air thickened like a noose tightening around my throat. "Lucas Vanderbilt, you’re under arrest."The lead officer’s voice rang with authority, cutting through the heavy silence that followed. Beside me, Mandy tensed, her fingers twitching at her sides. I could hear her sharp intake of breath, but my focus stayed on the officers, on Sophia, and on the pieces of this twisted game she was playing. "For what?" I asked, keeping my voice controlled, even though my pulse pounded in my ears. Sophia let out a delighted hum, stepping forward as if she were the one running the show. "Oh, Lucas. You didn’t think I came empty-handed, did you?"My stomach tightened. Of course, she hadn’t. Sophia had never been the type to strike without a plan. She had been pulling the strings
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 134: The Rift Between Us
Mandy’s POVI stood there, frozen, the weight of everything pressing down on me. The room felt suffocating as my chest was tight, my pulse racing as I tried to make sense of the video, of what I had just seen. My hands shook, my mind in a whirlwind of disbelief, hurt, and anger. "I trusted you!" I finally shouted, my voice breaking, raw with emotion. The words left my lips before I could stop them, and the pain behind them was suffocating. I had let my guard down. I had believed in Lucas, in us. But now, everything was shattered. The man I thought I knew, the man I had given my heart to, had lied to me—about something so crucial, so fundamental. I couldn’t even look at him. My eyes blurred with unshed tears, but I refused to let them fall. Not now. Not when I was this angry, this betrayed. Lucas’s expression faltered, his usual calm demeanor giving way to something more vulnerable—more desperate. "I didn’t leave her. I thought she was dead, Mandy. I thought I lost her that night
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 133: The Night That Changed Everything
Lucas’s POVI could see Mandy hesitating, her finger hovering over the play button, but her eyes were locked on the screen, as if she were trying to prepare herself for what was coming. I could see the turmoil in her face, the confusion, the disbelief, and it made my stomach churn. What was about to unfold was something I had buried so deep, so far away from her, that I had hoped we would never have to confront it. But Sophia... she had found a way to drag it all back into the light.My heart pounded in my chest as the screen flickered to life. The darkness of the alley filled the frame, shadows stretching long and ominous. I could see myself, younger, desperate, pacing with a sense of urgency that was palpable even through the grainy footage. My voice echoed through the alley as I shouted Sophia’s name. "Sophia!" I could hear myself calling out, panic in my tone. "Sophia!"The air around me felt like it was thick with dread, and I could almost feel the weight of the night again.
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 132 : The Truth Lucas Hid
Mandy’s POVThe world around me felt like it was slipping away. My body trembled, not from the cold, but from the weight of the words in the air. Each one felt like a stone being dropped into the abyss, echoing through me, making everything I thought I knew shake. I had always believed in Lucas, in the man who stood beside me, and yet now, his past was unfurling before my eyes, and I wasn’t sure if I even knew him at all.Sophia leaned in closer, her breath hot against my ear, and I froze. There was a dangerous calmness in her voice as she whispered the words that made my heart stop."He let me die, Mandy. He chose himself over me."Her words rang in my ears, and for a moment, everything inside me froze. He chose himself over her? The very idea cut through me like a knife. I could barely breathe, let alone process the enormity of what she was implying. Lucas was beside me, his fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tight with barely contained fury. His voice cracked through the silen
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 131 : Lies in the Shadows
Lucas’s POVThe video continued to play, the grainy footage pulling me back into a past I thought I had buried. The young faces staring back at me were mine and Sophia’s, but they were from a time when things were simpler—or so I had convinced myself. I watched as I laughed with her, the smile on my face completely different than the one I wore now. It was a carefree moment, one that seemed so far removed from the man I had become, but it was still mine. Still part of the story I had left behind.Mandy’s breath hitched beside me, a sharp intake of air that made my heart clench. I could feel her confusion, her pain. The flicker of doubt in her eyes sent a wave of guilt crashing over me. "Lucas… what is this?" Her voice was strained, barely above a whisper, but the question hung between us like a heavy cloud. I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to hold it together, trying to keep the storm from breaking loose. "This was before," I forced out, my voice low, almost as if I was tr
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 130: The Unfinished Game
Mandy’s POVMy heart pounded in my chest, each beat sending a sharp pulse of panic through my body. As the cold barrel of the gun pressed against my temple, and I could barely breathe, every inhale was shallow and desperate. My hands shook uncontrollably as I tried to hold Emily closer, to protect her, but I couldn’t even protect myself. Lucas was beside me, his gaze locked on the masked figure holding the weapon. His muscles were tense, his body coiled with fury, but he was frozen, caught in a web of fear and helplessness. I could see the struggle in his eyes, the desire to protect me warring with the overwhelming power that Sophia held over us.Then, before I could even process what was happening, Lucas moved—instinctively, without thinking. He threw himself in front of me, shielding me from the masked figure, his body blocking mine as he faced Sophia’s men with steely determination.But Sophia, standing just a few steps behind, merely watched, a smirk playing at the corners of h
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 129 : Someone from before
Lucas’s POVI couldn’t move. My body was frozen, a prisoner to the woman standing before me. The one I had mourned. The one I had buried in the deepest part of my heart. Sophia. She was alive. The world around me had blurred, her presence the only thing clear. I couldn’t comprehend it, couldn’t make sense of it. This—this was impossible. Mandy’s grip tightened on my arm, her voice a faint whisper, barely reaching my ears. “Lucas… what’s going on? Who is she?” But I couldn’t answer her. The words lodged in my throat, a heavy stone I couldn’t move. All I could do was stare at the woman I had thought was long gone, my pulse pounding in my ears. Sophia stepped forward, her heels clicking on the floor with a rhythm that felt too calculated. Her lips curved into a smile, one that I could only describe as both wicked and seductive. “Miss me, Lucas?” Her voice was a blade, cutting through the thick tension that hung in the air. I wanted to scream, wanted to lash out, but I couldn’t. My
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 128 : The Truth in the Dark
Lucas’s POV The moment Gage disappeared into the shadows, the weight in my chest grew unbearable. My long lost friend. The one I thought was dead, the one I had buried in my past, forced myself to forget. And yet, here he was, standing with Damian, warning me that something worse was coming. Mandy’s grip on my arm tightened. "Lucas, what the hell just happened?" I turned to her, but before I could answer, Damian let out a weak chuckle from the ground. "Oh, Lucas. You always thought you had control, didn’t you?" Ethan pressed his boot harder against Damian’s back. "You’d better start talking before I make sure you don’t leave this warehouse alive." Damian groaned but smirked through his pain. "Killing me won’t stop it. It’s already set in motion." A sinking feeling churned in my gut. "What are you talking about?" He licked his bloody lips, his eyes burning with amusement. "Your past, Lucas. You spent years running from it. But you never really buried it, did you?" I clen
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 127 : The Unknown Threat
Lucas’s POV Damian’s laughter echoed through the warehouse, a haunting sound that seemed to rattle my every bone. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to listen to his sick, twisted amusement while Mandy held Emily close, both of them trembling with fear. But his words—the warning—echoed in my mind.I took a steadying breath, the weight of the situation sinking deeper. The last thing I needed right now was another layer of complication, especially when it came to people I loved. Ethan’s grip on Damian tightened as he pressed his boot harder into his back. "What do you mean by that?" Damian chuckled through the pain, blood dripping from his shoulder where I had shot him. "You think you’ve won? You think it’s over? You have no idea who you’re really up against." My hand tightened around the gun in my grip. "If you think you’re getting away from this alive, you’re mistaken." But even as the words left my mouth, doubt crept into my mind because Damian had been one thing—dang
