Lahat ng Kabanata ng Dear Ex Wife, Please take me back: Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

ATHENAMy heart stutters. That voice.Even if the years had dulled it, even if time had blurred every echo of that night, I’d still recognize it anywhere.Leah.The last time I saw her, she was standing in the doorway of my apartment with Alex’s child in her arms.Rubbing it in my face that she had what I could never give him even if I tried. I looked at the child for the first time, and my heart shattered. He was the spitting image of Alex with his eyes. I shut the door in her face and applied to work in the furthest hospital I could find. And now, she’s here.Why is she here?Dressed in a tailored navy-blue suit with a white coat, her hair pulled back in a bun that does nothing to soften the features on her face. She’s flanked by six doctors, clearly a surgical team, all in identical white coats, all standing like soldiers in formation behind their commander.The same smug expression I remember curls on her lips as she stops just a few steps from me.“Well, well,” Leah muses, her

ATHENA My breath halts. My spine locks.Because the hand holding my waist in a firm, grounding grip belongs to him.My sworn enemy!His touch scorches right through the fabric of my coat despite the glacial look on his face.Up close, he’s even more infuriatingly gorgeous. His blonde hair is slicked back like a halo of arrogance, sharp cheekbones set in stone, and those green eyes, God, those eyes narrow with a cold disapproval. He looks older and harder. But even more good-looking! It's more like the devil with an angel's face.I jerk away from his grip like it burns. “I’m fine,” I say through clenched teeth, already bracing myself for the venom.“Clearly,” he mutters, brushing invisible dust off his sleeve like I’ve contaminated him.Iann turns, and he frowns upon seeing Alex. I guess I'm not the only shocked one. “Quinn.” Alex acknowledges.“Am I supposed to get offended that my best friend showed up without giving me a heads up?” Ian pouts, and Alex rolls his eyes.I step away

ALEXOne year six months.That's how long has passed since I last saw her. I must say I was taken aback when I bumped into her. I must also confess that I've struggled with myself since that night. When I'm not thinking about my son, it's her occupying my head like a damn virus that won't let me go. She's in my head, my skin and in my fucking heart and it's damn annoying. When Iann gave me the paternity results that showed I was Rayen's father, I had so much anger I didn't even stop to think I had cheated. The worst part is I don't even fucking remember doing so. But then I remembered what she did. How she cheated on me. Killed my son just to be with bastard and my anger returned ten folds. But she ruined my fucking plans when I saw her panick attack return. Seeing her struggle to breathe and lose her balance when the elevator stopped did something to me. I thought she was better. Despite what she fucking did, I've been watching her. I'll need to kick Lucas's ass for not having fo

ALEX“Pour me a drink,” I demand the moment I walk into the room and throw myself on Ian's office couch. Iann looks at me like I’ve grown a second head.“Hello to you too,” he mutters, rolling his eyes halfway.Iann and I have been best friends for five years now. Met at some dull conference and clicked, rare for me. But I guess Luca will just have to suck it up.He’s a petty bastard that's for sure. When Ethan threatened to expose my illness over his damn cousin, I was furious at Iann. Thought he’d sold me out. But then I realized... he hadn’t taken sides. He stayed neutral because, as he put it, “I take my career very seriously.”He didn’t betray me. Which left one question:Who the hell did?It couldn’t have been Leah. If anything, that secret is the only thing keeping me tethered to her. Why burn her leverage?“You're a shitty host.” I mutter.“I'm not hosting anything. Besides, this is a hospital office and not a pub. Also, you're supposed to stay away from alcohol!”“It’s not

ATHENAIsabelle's lips curl into a small but encouraging smile. “Alright. I’ll be there. But you, Dr. Dawson will be the one leading the operation.”My stomach drops at the thought. “Lead? But I’m not ready for this. This is a complex case. I don’t think-”She raises a hand, cutting me off. “Listen. I know what you're thinking, but you've been trained for this moment. You know the procedures, the protocols, and the risks. You're ready. Don’t let your doubts cloud your skills. I’ll be there every step of the way, ready to back you up if needed. But you’ve got this. Believe in yourself.”I swallow hard, trying to push down the anxiety that’s rising like a tidal wave in my chest. My palms feel clammy as I grip the file in my hands tighter.“You can do this, Athena,” Isabelle continues, her voice soft and reassuring. “I'm sure you’ve been through worse. This is no different. You’ve got the knowledge, and more importantly, you’ve got the heart. I’ll be right behind you.”Her words give me