My Husband Chose His Ex I Became His Regret novel Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Aidan

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Waking up with Lila Stark in my arms is dangerous, because now that I know what it feels like, I don’t think I’ll ever want to wake up any other way.

She’s still asleep. Hair spread across my pillow. Face peaceful. One hand resting on my chest like even in sleep, she needs to touch me.

I don’t move. Don’t want to disturb this moment. Don’t want reality to intrude yet.

Because reality is waiting. Reality is a fourteen-hour flight home. Reality is walking back into Storm Industries and figuring out how to navigate a relationship with my CSO without destroying everything we’ve built.

But for now, in this moment, she’s just Lila. And I’m just a man who somehow got impossibly lucky.

I press a kiss to her forehead. She stirs slightly.

“Too early,” she mumbles.

“It’s almost seven. We need to be at the airport by nine.”

“Don’t care. Sleeping.”

I smile. Kiss her temple. “Come on. Wake up.”

“Make me.”

Challenge accepted.

I trail kisses down her face. Her cheek. Her jaw. The spot just below her ear that made her gasp last night.

She shivers. “That’s not fair.”

“Life’s not fair.” I kiss her neck. “But waking up next to you makes it better.”

Her eyes open. Amber and sleepy and absolutely perfect.

“Good morning,” I say.

“Good morning.” She touches my face. “Did last night really happen? Or did I dream it?”

“If you dreamed it, I had the same dream.”

She smiles. “Best dream ever.”

“Best reality ever.” I kiss her properly. Slow. Thorough. Taking my time. “We should shower. Pack. Get ready.”

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Chapter 50

“We should stay in bed forever.”

“Tempting. But we have a company to run.”

“Five more minutes.”

“We don’t have five minutes.”

“Then make time.” She pulls me closer. “Please?”

I can’t say no to her. Apparently that’s my weakness now.

“Five minutes,” I concede. “But then we’re getting up.”

“Deal.”

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I hold her. Just hold her. Memorize this feeling. This moment. This perfect impossible thing that somehow became mine.

“Aidan?” Her voice is soft. Uncertain.

“Yeah?”

“When we get home. When we’re back at the office. How do we…” She stops. Starts again. “What are we going to tell people?”

“The truth. That we’re together.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.” I tilt her chin up. “Unless you want to hide it?”

“No. I just….people will talk. The board might object. There are rules about relationships between executives…”

“Then we’ll navigate them. Together.” I kiss her forehead. “I’m not hiding you, Lila. I’m not pretending this didn’t happen. We’ll do it properly. Disclose to HR. Make sure everything is transparent and above board. But I’m not giving you up because of company policy.”

“What if they make you choose? The company or me?”

“Then I choose you.”

Her eyes widen. “Aidan …Storm Industries is your life.”

“It was my life. Before you.” I pull her closer. “Now you’re my life. The company is just what I do.”

“That’s very romantic. Also completely insane.”

“I’ve been accused of worse.” I kiss her nose. “Now come on. We really do need to get ready. I’ll shower in my bathroom, you shower in the guest bathroom. Otherwise we’ll never leave this room.”

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Chapter 50

“Would that be so bad?”

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“Yes. Because I have meetings on Monday that I can’t miss. And because I want to take you to dinner tomorrow night. Somewhere nice. Public. Official.”

“Like a date?”

“Exactly like a date. Our first real date. Not a business dinner. Not a working meal. An actual date where I get to show you off.”

She’s smiling now. Full. Genuine. “I’d like that.”

“Good. Now shower. We leave in ninety minutes.”

We make it to the airport with twenty minutes to spare. Barely.

Because I couldn’t stop kissing her in the car. And she couldn’t stop laughing at how ridiculous we’re being. And somewhere between the hotel and the private terminal, we became that couple. The insufferable one that can’t keep their hands off each other.

I don’t care.

I’ve spent fifteen years being controlled. Calculated. Professional. For once in my life, I’m just going to be happy.

“Mr. Storm, Ms. Stark.” Christine greets us at the plane. “Welcome aboard. We’ll be taking off shortly.”

We board. I guide Lila to her seat. The same one she sat in on the flight here. When everything was different. When we were still pretending.

I take the seat beside her this time. Not across from her. Beside her.

“Clingy much?” she teases.

“Extremely. Get used to it.”

She leans into me. I wrap my arm around her. This is unprofessional. Inappropriate. Everything we shouldn’t be doing on a company plane.

I don’t care about that either.

The plane takes off. Singapore disappears below us. Five days that changed everything.

“Regrets?” I ask.

“Not a single one.” She looks up at me. “You?”

“Only that we didn’t do this sooner.”

She laughs. “We did it exactly when we were supposed to.”

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Chapter 50

“Wise words.”

“I learned from the best.”

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I kiss her hair. Pull out my laptop. “I should check emails. Make sure nothing caught fire while we were gone.”

“I should too.” But she doesn’t move. Just stays curled against me.

I open my inbox. 247 unread emails. Excellent.

I start scanning. Routine updates. Meeting requests. Financial reports. Nothing urgent until-

My stomach drops.

Email from Marcus. Subject line: URGENT – KNIGHT GROUP SITUATION.

I open it.

Aidan,

Mark Knight held a press conference yesterday announcing a “strategic partnership” with three of our major clients. He’s offering them 40% discounts to switch from Storm Industries to Knight Group.

We’ve already lost the Hendricks account. Morrison Industries is “considering their options.” Patterson Corp requested an emergency meeting Monday morning.

He’s targeting every client we’ve acquired in the past six months. This is coordinated. Deliberate. He’s trying to destroy us.

We need to discuss strategy immediately. Call me when you land.

– Marcus

I read it twice. Three times.

“Aidan? What’s wrong?”

I force my expression neutral. “Nothing. Just work.”

“You’re a terrible liar.” She sits up. “What happened?”

I hand her my laptop. Watch her read. Watch her face go pale.

“He’s sabotaging us,” she breathes. “Mark is actively trying to destroy the company.”

“Trying being the operative word. He won’t succeed.”

“Three major clients, Aidan. And he’s offering discounts we can’t match without losing money. How do we counter that?”

“We remind them why they chose Storm Industries in the first place. Quality. Reliability. Innovation. Mark

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can offer discounts, but he can’t offer what we offer.”

“And if that’s not enough?”

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“Then we fight back. Harder.” I take back the laptop. Start typing a response to Marcus. “We have the Lee Corporation partnership now. That’s huge. We leverage it. Show our clients we’re expanding globally while Knight Group is desperately trying to stay relevant domestically.”

She’s watching me. “You’re not worried.”

“I’m furious. There’s a difference.” I hit send. “Mark Knight just made this personal. Again. And he’s about to learn what happens when you come after what’s mine.”

“The company?”

“The company. You. All of it.” I pull her close again. Kiss her temple. “He’s not going to win, Lila. I promise you that.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I have something he doesn’t.”

“What’s that?”

“You.”

She smiles despite everything. “I’m not a competitive advantage.”

“You absolutely are. You know how he thinks. How he operates. What he’ll do next. That’s invaluable.”

“So I’m still a weapon to you?”

I hear the hurt in her voice. Immediately regret my words.

“No.” I cup her face. “No, you’re not a weapon. You’re my partner. In everything. I’m just saying, we’re stronger together. That’s all.”

“Okay.” But she’s pulled away slightly. Creating distance.

Fuck.

“Lila…”

“It’s fine. You’re right. We should use my knowledge of Mark strategically. That makes sense.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“I know. I’m just…” She stands. “I’m going to use the bathroom. Be right back.”

She disappears to the back of the plane. I sit there, mentally kicking myself.

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Chapter 50

Idiot. You just reduced the woman you love to a strategic asset. Again.

My phone buzzes. Text from an unknown number.

I open it.

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Enjoying Singapore, Storm? Hope you fucked her good. Because when I’m done destroying your company, she’ll come crawling back to me. Just like everyone else you think you can keep. – MK

I stare at the message. Read it again. Rage builds in my chest.

Mark Knight just threatened Lila.

My Lila.

I forward the message to Marcus. Type: Trace this number. I want to know how he got my personal cell. And prepare legal. This constitutes harassment.

Another message from Mark comes through:

See you on Monday. Let’s see how loyal your clients really are. Oh, and give my regards to my ex-wife. Tell her I miss her.

I’m going to destroy him. Completely. Utterly. There won’t be anything left when I’m done.

My phone rings. Marcus.

“I got your messages,” he says immediately. “Both of them. Aidan, this is bad. Knight is playing dirty. And that text, that’s a direct threat.”

“I know.”

“We need to strategize. Now. How soon can you get back?”

“We land in eight hours. I’ll come straight to the office.”

“Good. Because there’s more.”

“More?”

“Knight filed a lawsuit this morning. Claims we stole proprietary technology for the Lee Corporation deal. It’s bullshit, but it’s public. The press is already running with it.”

My jaw clenches. “He’s trying to tank our reputation before we can counter the client situation.”

“Exactly. This is coordinated, Aidan. He’s been planning this.”

“Then we’ll outplan him.” I look toward the back of the plane where Lila disappeared. “I have resources he doesn’t. I’ll see you in eight hours.”

I hang up. Sit there. Process.

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Chapter 50