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Chapter 20: A Glimmer of Hope
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2024-12-11 03:18:51
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The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 21: A fragile beginning
Mandy’s POVSitting at the edge of my bed, I stared at the chipped mug in my hands. It was one of those small, stupid things that you don’t realize holds meaning until it’s too late. The faded lettering on it—Queen of Everything—mocked me in the dim light of my room. Grandma Claire had given it to me when I was still in high school, a little reminder to never let anyone make me feel less than I was worth. Back then, it was a joke. Now, it felt like a taunt. Lucas had apologized last night. A real apology, the kind where he didn’t just say the words but looked me in the eye, laid himself bare, and admitted he’d screwed up. It wasn’t something Lucas did often—admit fault, I mean. He was the man who had everything figured out, the one with the answers, the solutions, the damn checklist for how the world should work. But last night, he’d been different. Raw. Real. Vulnerable, even. And I... I didn’t know how to feel about it. I turned the mug over in my hands, my thoughts circ
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-12The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 22: A Quiet Effort
Lucas’s POVI’d spent hours in my office today, looking over everything I could find on Mandy’s financial situation. It wasn’t just the bills or the debts that haunted her. No, it was something deeper—something that clung to her even when she smiled, even when she pretended everything was fine. The weight of it all had been too much for her, and I’d been too blind to see it. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my face. How the hell had I not seen it before? Mandy had been living like she was carrying the weight of the world, all while I’d been focused on my own damn problems. Her pride, her independence—they had always been part of who she was, but I never stopped to think about what those things might cost her. I thought about the way she’d looked at me the night before—unsure, guarded, but still willing to listen. There was hope in her eyes, but it was fragile, like glass. And I didn’t want to break it. I knew I had a lot of work to do to make up for everything I’d done. But
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-12The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 23: Unspoken Struggles
Mandy’s POVI shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. It was a quiet Monday morning when I walked into the club and saw the look on Dan’s face. He didn’t even have to say anything—his expression said it all. I knew the moment I’d been informed about my canceled performances, the ripple effects were inevitable. I hadn’t expected it to be this bad, but there it was. “Mandy,” Dan started, his voice cold, even though I’d worked for him for over two years. “Can you explain to me why you’re not following through on your contract? The club needs you. You know that.” Hearing this, I stood there for a moment, trying to steady my nerves. My hands had started shaking, and I hated that. I hated feeling so out of control. The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint anyone—especially not Dan, who had always been fair with me. But the truth was, I couldn’t go on like this. “I know,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended. “It’s just... I need a break. Things have been rough lately. I’m
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-12The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 24: The Past Uncovered
Lucas’s POVThe truth was, I hadn’t expected the last few weeks to be this hard. I had hoped—naively, maybe—that all the damage I’d done would somehow fade away, that time and a few apologies would be enough to rebuild what I’d broken. But Mandy wasn’t something that could just be fixed with a few words. She was complicated, layered with history and pain, and a part of me had always known I’d have to dig deeper if I wanted to truly understand her.I had made up my mind a while ago that I was going to make things right, not just for the sake of getting back together, but for her—for her peace of mind. She’d let me in, little by little, but there were still pieces of her that I hadn’t touched, parts of her past that she kept hidden. However, one night, as I sat at my desk at home, sorting through a mix of emails, paperwork, and random thoughts, a thought crossed my mind. Grandma Claire. Maybe Grandma Claire held the key to understanding Mandy better despite her being my grandmother.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-12The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 25: Bridges of Hope
Mandy’s POVI sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the phone in my hand. The screen was lit up, but I didn’t touch it. I hadn’t called Emily in what felt like weeks. I missed her voice—her laughter, her little jokes, the way she’d say “I love you” before hanging up, like it was the most natural thing in the world. I knew I should call her, but something inside me held me back. There were too many things I was hiding from her. Too many things I didn’t want her to worry about. But today, I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I needed to hear her. I needed to feel that connection, that bond I’d built with her over the years. So, I finally tapped my phone screen and selected Wendy's name from my contacts, waiting for the call to connect. I didn’t know what I’d say once Emily answered, but the thought of hearing her voice was enough to push past the hesitation.When Wendy picked up, it was as if a weight I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying lifted off my chest."Hi Wendy, sorry for disturb
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-12The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 26: Truths and Consequences
Mandy’s POVI sat at the kitchen table, my fingers running over the edges of the letter, the words blurring together in front of me. It was a letter from the club’s manager, something about my canceled performances and some backdoor deal that had been made to cover my financial losses. The numbers were high, too high for someone who had been in my shoes for the past few months. It was generous, but it felt wrong.I hadn’t asked for this. I hadn’t wanted it. It felt like someone had swept in and fixed things for me without asking if I needed them fixed at all.The realization hit me like a cold wave, one that I couldn’t ignore Lucas. He had done this. He had found a way to fix my mess, just like he always tried to do—whether I wanted him to or not. Part of me wanted to be grateful. Hell, it was hard not to be, considering how close I’d been to losing everything. But the other part of me felt suffocated by his actions, trapped in this constant cycle where I was always the one needin
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-12The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 27: Patience in progress
Lucas’s POVIt had been weeks since that conversation with Mandy. I’d spent most of those weeks walking on eggshells, trying not to overstep, trying to be more patient, more understanding. But what I’d learned in all that time was that patience wasn’t something I was particularly good at. I was used to getting what I wanted, to making things happen with a push, with influence, with money. But none of that worked with Mandy despite knowing her all my life. She wasn’t like everyone else. She was stubborn, but not in the way I was. She wasn’t built to rely on anyone, not even me.I leaned back in the chair in my office, staring out the window. The view was the same—tall buildings, busy streets—but today, it felt different. More distant.Maybe because I wasn’t feeling as in control as I usually did. The business, my life, everything had always been about control. But Mandy, she wasn’t someone I could control, and that had been a hard lesson for me to learn.I picked up the phone, about
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-12The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 28: Shadows of the Past
Mandy's POVThe apartment was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt deliberate. Lucas sat across from me on the couch, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, like he was trying to read me without overstepping. For once, he wasn’t trying to fix anything. He wasn’t offering solutions or apologies or declarations of how much he’d changed. He was just... there. It was strange, this version of Lucas. Softer. Patient. It made me nervous, like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel myself relax, just a little. We talked about nothing in particular—work, the weather and somehow the conversation drifted to the past, and we ended up laughing about a memory I hadn’t thought of in years. It was one of those rare moments when things between us had been easy, uncomplicated. I mean, I didn’t realize how much I’d missed that. “I’ll grab us some tea,” Lucas said, standing and heading to the kitchen. So, I nodded and watched him go. The silence
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-01
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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
