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Chapter 36 : A New Beginning

ผู้เขียน: Mary Gilliam
last update ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-01-07 05:52:25

Writer's POV

Leaving the Café, Lucas and Mandy drove their way to Mandy's house and as soon as they reached her apartment, they stood in the quiet of her living room as the weight of their conversation was still hanging in the air.

They had talked—really talked—for the first time in what felt like forever. Words had been exchanged, some hard to say, some harder to hear. But they had landed in a way neither of them had expected. The walls that had built up between them, brick by brick, over the past few weeks, were finally starting to crumble.

Mandy had been the first to speak up, breaking the silence that had settled between them like a thick fog. “I’m sorry,” she had said, her voice quiet, yet steady. “For pushing you away.

For not letting you in when I needed you most.” The words had felt heavy coming out of her mouth, like they carried more weight than she had intended. But they were real. She didn’t know how else to say it.

Lucas had listened, his eyes softening as she spoke. H
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  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 37: The Reveal

    Lucas's POV I should’ve known something was off. It’s funny how life can trick you into thinking everything is fine, only to drop a bombshell when you least expect it. That night, it was supposed to be just another quiet evening—no arguments, no heavy conversations. Just me and Mandy, finally getting back to some semblance of normal. We were sitting at the dinner table, the flickering candlelight casting soft shadows over her face. It felt almost... comfortable. For the first time in ages, we were just two people, having a meal, talking about nothing in particular. There was no tension in the air, no undercurrent of things unsaid. It was easy. Too easy. I almost let myself believe that maybe we could find our way back. Maybe we could fix this, whatever this was. I had to admit, I’d missed her. The real her—the one who wasn’t constantly on edge, the one who smiled at the dumb things I said. But then, of course, the phone buzzed. It was Mandy’s phone, not mine. I glanced over w

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-07

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 38 : A Mother's Fear

    Mandy's POV Guilt is like that annoying neighbor who always shows up uninvited. You think you’ve locked the door, pulled the blinds, and settled in for a quiet evening, but there it is, banging on the window, reminding you it’s not going anywhere. And tonight, guilt was practically moving in. I couldn’t stop replaying the look on Lucas’s face. That raw mix of shock, anger, and betrayal—it had been seared into my brain. I didn’t blame him. If the roles were reversed, I’d probably be furious and confused too. But knowing that didn’t make it any easier to deal with. I paced the length of my living room, my phone clutched in my hand like it might sprout wings and fly away. Wendy had texted me earlier, something about Emily asking questions again. I hadn’t responded. What could I even say? “Hey, sorry I didn't tell Lucas about his kid for three years, but thanks for holding down the fort?” Yeah, that’d go over well. My stomach twisted at the thought of Emily asking questions. S

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-09

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 39 : The Café meet up

    Lucas’s POV Sitting in the corner of the café, I stirred my coffee absently, my mind running a thousand miles an hour. The place was busy enough to keep the atmosphere neutral, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that every set of eyes in the room was on me. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel—angry, hurt, relieved? All of it was swirling together, leaving me with this gnawing ache in my chest. Mandy had a lot to answer for, but the part that scared me most was what came next. Soon, the door opened, and there she was. Mandy stepping in, her coat wrapped tightly around her like it was some kind of armor with her eyes scanning the room as it landed on me. I was surprised to see me by the way, I mean how she able to find me, but I guess that's a question for some other day.Though, she hesitated, just for a second, before making her way over. “Lucas,” she said, her voice soft but steady as she slid into the chair across from me. “Mandy,” I replied, my tone sharper than I inte

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-09

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 40 : First Steps

    Lucas’s POVSome days had passed after our meet up at the Café and I guess it was time to really meet my daughter Emily. So, Mandy and I made our way to London and thank goodness I own a house there. I mean, I am a billionaire, so I could get most things at the tip of my hand.Gosh, I was terrified.I know I’d closed billion-dollar deals without breaking a sweat. But this? Meeting my three-year-old daughter for the first time?The park we agreed to meet up with Wendy, who would bring Emily out was quiet, the kind of calm that made the air feel heavier. I stood near a wooden bench, hands stuffed into my jacket pockets, scanning the playground like it was enemy territory. My heart was pounding, and for the first time in years, I felt completely out of my depth. “Relax,” Mandy said softly from beside me as she took notice of every one of my reactions. Then, not too long, her eyes shifted away from me as it was now fixed on a little girl approaching happily with a smile on her face whi

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-10

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 41 : The Struggle to Co-Parent

    Mandy’s POVAfter a few days with Emily in London, Lucas and I decided to bring Emily back with us to New york. But one thing was certain to me, she wasn't staying with Lucas but with me.About two days to our departure from London, Lucas and I took our time out to talk about Emily. It's a lot to handle but if we must co-parent, there must be some certain discussions beforehand.However, we chose to meet up at a small restaurant across the street, though the atmosphere in there was a quiet one as the soft hum of conversation and the clinking of cups created a deceptive calm. I sat across from Lucas with a glass of champagne in my hands, but I hadn’t taken a sip. My fingers tightened around the glass cup as I stared at him, his face unreadable. “So,” he began, his voice steady but low, “we need to talk about how this is going to work.” “Yes. Sure.” I nodded, swallowing hard as Lucas leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “I want to be part of her life, Mandy. A real

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-11

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 42 : Proving Himself

    Lucas’s POVI woke up early, the sound of the city outside barely a hum. My mind was already racing, filled with thoughts of Emily—thoughts I’d never had before. I was determined to make up for lost time, to prove to myself, to Mandy, and to Emily that I could be the father she needed. I hadn’t known about her for three years, and that thought ate at me every day. But I am here now. I was going to make sure I did everything I could to be there for her. After we all got back to New York, the first few weeks were a blur of planning. I took Emily to the park, just the two of us, and we spent hours there. She was shy at first, watching me from behind her little pink backpack, but slowly, she began to warm up. I pushed her on the swings, and she laughed, her high-pitched giggle filling the air. “What’s your favorite color, Emily?” I asked one afternoon, as we sat on the grass eating ice cream. She looked at me, her eyes wide with curiosity, and then shyly mumbled, “Pink.” “Pink?”

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-11

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 43 : Bridging the Gap

    Emily’s POVI was sitting on the couch, my legs swinging back and forth, when I looked at Mom and Lucas. They weren’t talking to each other. It wasn’t like when Mom and I were having dinner with Auntie Wendy or when we played games and everyone laughed. They were just sitting there, not looking at me, not looking at each other. It made me feel funny inside, like when I see someone sad but I don’t know why. I didn’t like it. “Mommy,” I said, pulling on her sleeve. She looked down at me, and I smiled. I liked it when she smiled at me. “Why don’t we all have dinner together? Like a family.” Mommy blinked, like she didn’t know what I meant at first. Then she looked at Lucas, and for a second, I thought she was going to say no. But then she nodded, and her lips stretched into a small smile. It wasn’t a big smile, but it was still a smile. “Okay, sweetie. We can do that.” I liked it when we're together. I liked when everyone was at the table, and we talked about silly things, like

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-13

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 44 : A Father's Promise

    Lucas’s POVThe sound of tiny footsteps echoed through the house, and I couldn’t help but smile as Emily darted past me, her little giggle filling the air. It had been a few weeks since I started making more of an effort to connect with her. The last thing I wanted was to remain a stranger in her life. I was her father, whether she understood that yet or not, and I needed to be there for her in ways I hadn’t been before.Today was different. Today, I had planned something special—just the two of us. Mandy had agreed to give us some space, and as much as it pained me to be away from her, this was about Emily. She needed me and I needed to be the father she deserved."Emily!" I called out as she zipped past me. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Yes, Lucas?" she asked, her voice bright with innocence.I smiled, kneeling down to her level. "How about we go out today? Just you and me?"Her face lit up, and she bounced on her toes. "Really? Where are we going?"I g

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-14

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  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 109 : Checkmate

    Lucas’s POVIvan’s smirk was a razor slicing through my control. He stood there, holding Emily, his grip just tight enough to send my pulse into overdrive. My daughter whimpered, her big, frightened eyes darting between me and Mandy. “Let her go, Ivan,” I said, my voice low, even. Controlled. Because if I let the rage take over now, I’d lose her. Ivan chuckled, shifting Emily slightly in his arms. “You think it’s that easy?” His gaze flicked to Mandy. “You’ve always been so predictable, Lucas. Always acting like you’re the one in control. But look at you now.” He tilted his head. “Powerless.” Mandy stood frozen beside me, her hand gripping my arm like it was the only thing keeping her upright. I could feel her shaking, but she didn’t break. She didn’t scream or lunge at him. She trusted me. And she should. I forced a slow breath. I couldn’t make a mistake. Not with Emily in his hands. “What do you want?” I asked, keeping my voice steady. “Money? Territory?” I knew what his

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 108 : The Calm Before the Storm

    Lucas’s POVMy hands shook as I put the phone back in my pocket. The words burned in my mind, like an acid that wouldn’t stop eating away at everything I’d fought for.So, I turned to Mandy, her face pale, eyes wide with fear. Her breath was shallow, and for a split second, I saw everything I’d worked to protect hanging by a thread. Emily. Her daughter. My child, too, whether we’d ever said the words out loud or not.“Lucas…” Mandy whispered my name like it was a plea, but I didn’t have an answer. There was nothing to say because I felt it too—everything we’d been through, everything we’d fought for, now felt like it was slipping through my fingers.I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “We’ll fix this, Mandy. I promise you.” But even as the words left my mouth, I wasn’t sure if I believed them.Her eyes locked onto mine, but her voice cracked as she spoke. “How? How do we fix this when he has Emily?”I didn’t have an answer. Not yet.But I knew one thing for sure: Ivan had c

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 107 – Into the Lion’s Den

    Lucas’s POVThe moment Viktor’s voice crackled over the radio, my stomach dropped. “Ivan knows we’re coming.” The air in the van grew heavy, like we were all holding our breath at the same time. Mandy’s hand tightened around mine, her nails digging into my skin, but I didn’t care. Her fear was my fear, and it was all too real. “What do you mean he knows?” James’s voice came sharp and fast over the comms. “He’s moved his men,” Viktor replied, his tone clipped. “The hub isn’t empty. It’s crawling with guards. This isn’t going to be the surgical strike we planned.” My jaw clenched, anger bubbling just beneath the surface. “Then we adapt,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos brewing inside me. “We didn’t come this far to turn back now.” Viktor’s silence was answer enough. He wasn’t going to argue, but he wasn’t happy about it either. “Stay sharp,” he said finally. “And for God’s sake, don’t get yourselves killed.” The radio went dead, leaving us in a suffocating sile

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 106 : Shadows Closing In

    Mandy’s POVThe dust from the van’s tires still hung in the air, gritty and suffocating. My hands were trembling as I clung to Lucas, the warmth of his body grounding me in the chaos around us. But Viktor’s words rang in my ears like a death knell. *This was just the beginning.* “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice shaky. “What beginning?” Viktor crouched beside us, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “Ivan isn’t the kind of man who lets go of his prey. He wanted to make a statement tonight, and he succeeded. But this? This was just his opening move.” I looked down at Lucas, his face battered and bloodied but alive. Relief warred with terror in my chest. “Then we need to stop him. We can’t just wait for him to come after us again.” James appeared at my side, his jaw tight. “She’s right. We can’t keep playing defense. If we don’t take the fight to Ivan, he’ll keep coming until there’s nothing left of us.” Viktor let out a dry laugh. “And what exactly do you propose, James? Marc

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 105 : The Clock is Ticking

    Mandy’s POVThe bloodied man collapsed to the floor, his words echoing in the tense silence. Ivan’s men were here. The weight of those words hit me like a punch to the gut. Viktor didn’t flinch. He leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze flicking to the man crumpled on the floor. “So, it begins,” he said calmly, as though he’d been expecting this all along. James, however, wasn’t so composed. He grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward the door. “We need to leave. Now.” But Viktor’s voice cut through the panic. “Running will only get you killed. Ivan doesn’t leave loose ends.” James turned, his hand already reaching for his weapon. “Then maybe it’s time someone took care of Ivan.” Viktor chuckled, slow and deliberate. “Ah, the bravado of the unprepared. You think you can waltz into Ivan’s world and take him down? He’s been playing this game longer than you’ve been alive.” I stepped forward, my voice shaking but firm. “Then tell us what to do. If you know how to stop him, te

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 104 : Into the Lion’s Den

    Mandy’s POVJames’s hand hovered near his jacket, ready to draw whatever weapon he had stashed there. But the man standing by the car didn’t even flinch. His calmness was unnerving, like he knew he had all the power in the world. “I said,” the man repeated, his voice sharp, “get in the car if you want to save Lucas. This isn’t a request.” I glanced at James, my heart pounding in my chest. “What do we do?” I whispered. James’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. “We don’t trust him, that’s for damn sure.” The man smirked, as if he could hear us. “You don’t have to trust me. But you don’t have time to argue. Lucas’s life is ticking away with every second you waste.” Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist. He wasn’t bluffing. Whoever this man was, he knew exactly what was happening, and he wasn’t here to play games. “We don’t have a choice,” I said, my voice trembling. “If there’s even a chance he’s telling the truth, we have to take it.” James hesitated, hi

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 103 : A Debt in Blood

    Mandy’s POVThe room erupted into chaos. People screamed, chairs toppled, and glass shattered as the armed men pushed through the crowd. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst. Lucas moved instantly, stepping in front of me like a shield. His hand gripped my arm, pulling me closer. “Stay behind me,” he growled, his voice low and commanding. The man who had barked Lucas’s name stepped forward, his gun aimed directly at us. He was tall, broad, and radiated an air of menace. “Mr. Vanderbilt, you’ve been a hard man to find. But you know how this works. You can’t run forever.” Lucas’s jaw tightened, his body coiled like a spring. “I don’t owe you anything.” The man smirked. “Oh, but you do. Ivan doesn’t forget, and he doesn’t forgive. You know that better than anyone.” “Ivan’s beef is with me,” Lucas said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. “Leave her out of this.” The man’s gaze shifted to me, and I felt ice crawl up my spine. “Her? Oh, Lucas, you don

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 102 : A War on Two Fronts

    Mandy’s POVDeliberate. The word echoed in my head like a gunshot, deafening and disorienting. Someone had intentionally hurt Emily. I felt Lucas’s hand tighten around mine, but I couldn’t look at him. My gaze was locked on the doctor, who stood there with an expression that teetered between pity and professional detachment. “What do you mean... deliberate?” My voice sounded foreign to my own ears—shaky, distant. The doctor hesitated, clearly choosing his words carefully. “The type of toxin we suspect—based on her symptoms—isn’t something one would encounter in everyday life. It’s... rare, and it would require deliberate exposure.” “Deliberate exposure?” Lucas’s voice was low, deadly. “Are you saying someone poisoned her?” The doctor nodded slowly. “That’s what we’re investigating. I’ve already informed the authorities. They’ll need to speak with you both as soon as possible.” Authorities. Police. Poison. I couldn’t process it. My daughter—my innocent, bright, beautiful

  • The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back   Chapter 101 : The Thin Line Between Hope and Despair

    Mandy’s POVThe room erupted into chaos. Nurses and doctors flooded in, their movements quick and precise, but to me, it felt like slow motion. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think—my feet rooted to the spot as I watched them surround Emily’s bed. “Clear the room!” one of the nurses barked, her voice sharp and commanding. “No!” I screamed, trying to push past Lucas, but his arms locked around me, holding me back. “Mandy, let them work,” he said, his voice firm but trembling. “I can’t leave her!” I cried, clawing at his chest, desperate to break free. “Lucas, let me go! She needs me!” His grip tightened, his face inches from mine. “She needs them to save her. Please, Mandy, don’t make this harder for her—or for yourself.” I sagged against him, my strength gone, and he guided me out of the room. The door shut behind us with a heavy thud, cutting me off from my baby. The hallway was eerily quiet compared to the chaos inside. My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, my hands t

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