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Chapter 41 : The Struggle to Co-Parent
Last Updated:
2025-01-11 07:23:50
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The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 42 : Proving Himself
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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
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Mandy's POVReaching home, I didn’t know how I had gotten to this point. One moment, I was walking away with Emily, trying to shield her from the heavy conversation that Lucas had started, and the next, I was standing in the kitchen, my hands shaking as I stared at the empty coffee cup in front of me. I had wanted to protect Emily from all of this—the pain, the confusion, the weight of the truth. But Lucas... Lucas had opened a door that couldn’t be closed again. And now, I had to figure out how to handle it and how to handle him.Then, I heard the door open behind me and tensed. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was him. I could feel his presence, the pull of his energy, even if he wasn’t saying a word."Mandy," Lucas said, his voice low. "We need to talk."I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. "What is there to talk about, Lucas?" I finally asked, my voice tight. "You’ve already said enough."He walked closer, his foot
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Lucas’s POVThe weight of Mandy’s words still lingered in the air, thick and suffocating. She wasn’t the only one who made mistakes, she said. And in that moment, I realized that maybe I had been too focused on my own guilt to see hers. Maybe, we had both been wrong. But there was more to the story, something I wasn’t seeing—something that had been hidden from me all these years.I leaned back against the couch, my mind racing. I needed to understand. I needed to know why Mandy had really walked away, why she had kept Emily from me for so long. There had to be more to it than just her shutting me out. There had to be a reason why she’d kept me in the dark about Emily’s existence. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe it wasn’t just her choice.The sound of my phone vibrating on the coffee table broke my thoughts. I glanced at the screen—an unknown number. Hesitantly, I picked it up."Hello?" I answered, trying to shake off the lingering tension in my chest.
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Writer’s POVHowever, the air in the room was thick with tension, each word that passed between Lucas and Mandy only adding to the weight. They stood on opposite sides of the living room, both frustrated, both unwilling to back down, yet neither truly understanding the other’s pain. The distance between them wasn’t just physical—it was emotional, and it seemed to grow with each passing day.Lucas’s jaw was clenched as he crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes, usually so calm and collected, now blazed with frustration. "You still don’t trust me, do you?" he asked, his voice low but sharp.Mandy stood near the kitchen counter, her hands gripping the edge as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded. She looked at him, her face a mixture of exhaustion and exasperation. "It’s not about trust, Lucas," she snapped. "It’s about reality. You think everything can be fixed with a smile and a nice gesture, but it’s not that simple. We’ve both made mistakes, and there’s no easy way to
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The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 63 : The Trap is Set
Lucas’s POVThe weight of the plan settled heavily on my shoulders as I sat in the dimly lit office, the stack of files in front of me a constant reminder of everything that was at stake. Damian had made it clear—he wouldn’t stop until he had everything he wanted. He’d crossed a line, one that could never be uncrossed. And now, it was time to turn the tables.I ran a hand through my hair, my eyes flicking over the information I had painstakingly gathered. Damian’s network was vast, complex, and deadly. Every step I took felt like walking on a razor’s edge, and one wrong move could cost us everything. But it was the only move left.I leaned back in the chair, staring at the map of connections and safe houses spread across the table. The walls felt like they were closing in, but I knew I couldn’t afford to hesitate. Damian was playing a dangerous game, and if I didn’t play it better, I’d lose everything—Mandy, Emily, and even my own life.The plan was simple, in theory. I would feed
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 62 : A Temporary Peace
Mandy’s POVThe front door creaked open, and my heart skipped a beat. I rushed to my feet, my breath catching in my throat as I saw Lucas standing there, Emily in his arms, her small face pale and her eyes wide with fear. My heart ached at the sight of her, but relief flooded me all the same. They were home. They were safe.“Thank God,” I whispered, rushing to meet them. Lucas’s eyes met mine, a silent message passing between us—one of exhaustion, relief, and something else I couldn’t quite place. He gently placed Emily down on the couch, where she curled up, her little body trembling despite the warmth of the house. I knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face, my fingers trembling as I tried to comfort her. “Hey, baby,” I murmured softly. “You’re safe now. You’re okay.”But Emily didn’t respond. She just clung to me, her small arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I could feel her fear, her confusion, and it broke me inside. I wanted to shield her from all of this,
The Club Star Ex-Wife He Wants Back Chapter 61 : Into the Lion’s Den
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Lucas’s POVIf anything, the more I learned about Damian’s reach, the more dangerous it seemed. And as much as I wanted to protect Mandy and Emily, as much as I was determined to expose Damian for the monster he was, I knew we couldn’t do it alone. I needed help. And not just any help but from someone who knew Damian better than anyone else. Someone who had been burned by him.That’s how I found myself sitting in a dimly lit bar on the outskirts of the city, a place where shadows seemed to gather and whispers were the only currency. The man I was meeting wasn’t someone I’d ever expected to trust, but desperate times called for desperate measures. His name was Derek, and he had once been one of Damian’s closest associates before things went south. Now, he was a man with a grudge—and a lot of useful information.Derek had always been a mystery to me. He was sharp, calculating, and always one step ahead of everyone else. I’d heard rumors about him—rumors that said he was just as dangerou
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Mandy’s POVI sat across from Lucas, his face tight with anxiety, the evidence and Damian’s chilling ultimatum laid out between us. His words had been heavy, and as he spoke, I could feel the tension in the room grow thicker with each passing second. He told me everything—the documents, the flash drive, the truth about Thomas, and the dangerous web Damian had spun. But it wasn’t just the evidence that shook me. It was the choice that hung in the air, the one Damian had given us. “Damian wants us to leave,” Lucas said, his voice strained. “He’s offering us a way out. He wants me to walk away from everything—Mandy, Emily, everything—and disappear. If we don’t, he’ll make sure we regret it. He said it would be worse for you and Emily if I don’t agree.” I stared at him, my mind racing, but my heart felt like it was suffocating in my chest. Though,the weight of the decision was suffocating. But I had always known Damian was dangerous, but hearing it from Lucas, hearing the fear in hi
