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Chapter 22: A Quiet Effort
Last Updated:
2024-12-12 05:35:33
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The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 23: Unspoken Struggles
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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.
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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
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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
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Last Updated : 2025-01-02
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Lucas’s POV The man stepped out of the shadows, his face partially illuminated by the dim streetlight. I froze, my hand instinctively tightening around Mandy’s arm. “Elliot,” I said, my voice cold. Elliot was a name I hadn’t spoken in years—a former business partner who had disappeared after a falling out that nearly cost me my company. Now, here he was, standing in front of me, looking far too comfortable in the chaos. “We need to talk,” he said, his tone calm but edged with urgency. I didn’t move. “Talk about what?” He glanced at Mandy, his gaze lingering for a moment before shifting back to me. “Not here. It’s not safe.” Mandy stiffened beside me, and I could feel the tension radiating off her. “Why should we trust you?” she asked, her voice sharp. Elliot’s lips curved into a faint smile, though there was no humor in it. “You don’t have to trust me. But if you want to survive, you’ll listen.” With that, I exchanged a look with Mandy, her unease mirroring my own. A
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Mandy’s POVThe picture on Lucas’s phone was burned into my mind. As his family was unaware of the danger closing in.The tension in the room became much more suffocating as Lucas paced back and forth with his jaw clenched so tight I thought he might crack a tooth. His phone was still in his hand, the screen dark now, but the threat it carried lingered like a storm cloud. “We can’t stay here,” he said finally, his voice low and steady, though the fury behind it was unmistakable. “They know too much and they’re watching us.” I nodded, my heart thundering. “Where do we go?” Lucas stopped pacing, his sharp gaze locking on me. “Somewhere they can’t follow. But first, we need to figure out what they’re after.” I hesitated, my mind racing. The thought of leaving felt like admitting defeat, but staying was a risk we couldn’t afford. “I might have a lead,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. Lucas frowned. “What kind of lead?” “My dad had contacts,” I explained, my fingers twi
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Mandy’s POV The headlights tailing us didn’t feel like a coincidence. My stomach churned as Lucas glanced at the rearview mirror for the third time in under a minute, his jaw clenched. “Someone’s following us,” he muttered, his voice low but tense. Peter, slouched in the backseat, groaned. “They don’t give up, do they?” “Stay down,” Lucas ordered, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “Mandy, call Ethan. Tell him to prep the security team.” I fumbled for my phone, my fingers shaking as I dialed Ethan’s number. The car behind us stayed close, the headlights glaring through the rear windshield like a predator stalking its prey. “Ethan,” I said as soon as he answered. “We’re being followed. Get the team ready.” “On it,” Ethan replied, his tone sharp. “Are you okay?” “For now,” I said, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to stay calm. “Just be ready.” I hung up and looked at Lucas. “What do we do?” “We lose them,” he said simply, his voice steady even as he
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 79 : Trust Issues and Close Calls
Lucas’s POV However, the morning after the mysterious phone call, Mandy was quiet but focused as she’d barely slept, and I could see the weight of everything pressing down on her. I didn’t push her to talk. Instead, I focused on what needed to be done. Though we were meeting someone who could give us answers—a man who had once worked alongside her father at Horizon Enterprises but had managed to distance himself from the mess. It wasn’t easy tracking him down, but I had my resources. “Are you sure about this?” Mandy asked as we pulled into a secluded parking lot behind a rundown diner. I glanced at her, taking in the tension etched across her face. “No. But we don’t have many options.” She nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Let’s get this over with.” The diner was almost empty, save for a few regulars nursing their coffee. In the far corner sat our contact, a wiry man in his late fifties with sharp eyes that seemed to miss nothing. He looked up as we approached,
