Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 107

Chapter 107

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Alexander stood by the tall widows of his study, phone pressed to his ear. The morning light cast sharp shadows across his face as he spoke in low, careful tones.

“Nancy, I need your help.”

The voice on the other end was crisp. professional. Nancy Bake controlled half the news outlets in the country. Her media empire could make or break reputations with a single phone call.

“Alexander Kane asking for favors? This must be serious.” Nancy’s laugh was cold. “What do you need?”

“Maroo Hart. I want him destroyed.”

Silence stretched across the line. Then Nancy spoke again, her voice curious. “The Marco Hart? Hart Industries? What did he do to you?”

Alexander glanced at Lucia, who sat curled in the leather chair beside his desk. She looked small, fragile, but her eyes burned with quiet fury. “He hurt someone I care about. Someone who didn’t deserve it.”

“Ah” Nancy’s tone shifted, becoming sharp with interest. “Business or personal?”

“Both.”

“I see. And you want me to…”

“Dig deep. Find everything. The affair, the financial games, the way he treats his family. Make sure every news outlet in the country knows exactly who Marco Hart really is.”

Lucia’s hands tightened in her lap. She could hear Nancy’s voice through the phone, cold and calculating.

“This won’t be cheap, Alexander. And once I start, there’s no stopping it. The machine doesn’t have a reverse button.”

“I understand.”

“Do you? Because when I’m done with Marco Hart, he won’t just be ruined. He’ll be radioactive. No one will touch him. His name will be poison.”

mination.

Alexander met Lucia’s eyes. She nodded once, her jaw set with determination.

“Do it.”

“Consider it done.”

The phone went dead. Alexander set it down slowly, then moved to sit beside Lucia. Neither of them spoke for a long

moment.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked quietly.

Lucia stared out the window at the city below. Somewhere out there, Marco was probably sitting in his office, thinking he’d won. Thinking the flowers and letter would bring her back. Thinking his fabricated innocence would erase seventeen years of lies.

“He destroyed me without thinking twice,” she said. “He threw away our family like garbage. He turned my children against me. Her voice grew harder. “Now it’s his turn to lose everything

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Chapter 107

Three hours later, the first story hit.

Lucia was having lunch when Lena burst into the dining room, tablet in hand. “Mom, you need to see this.”

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The headline blazed across the screen: “BUSINESS MOGUL’S SECRET AFFAIR Hart Industries CEO Abandons Wife for Employee Half His Age.“**

Below it, a photo of Marco and Margaret at a reaurant. They were holding hands across the table, Margaret’s ring catching the light. The article detailed everything, the two–year affair, the anniversary dinner ambush, the cruel way Marco had discarded his wife of seventeen years.

Lucia’s hands shook as she read. Someone had talked. Maybe a waiter from the restaurant. Maybe one of Margaret’s friends. It didn’t matter. The truth was finally out there for everyone to see.

“Look at the comments,” Lena said, scrolling down.

Hundreds of them. Thousands. All expressing anger at Marco’s behavior. Women sharing their own stories of betrayal. Men calling Marco a coward and a fool.

*“Seventeen years of marriage thrown away for some gold–digger? Disgusting.”

**That

poor woman. How could he do that to the mother of his children?“:

**Marco Hart is exactly what’s wrong with powerful men. They think they can treat women like objects.“*

Lucia felt a strange mix of pain and satisfaction. The pain of seeing her private humiliation spread across the internet. The satisfaction of watching Marco’s carefully built image crumble.

Her phone rang. Alexander.

“Have you seen it?” he asked.

“Yes”

“This is just the beginning. Nancy works fast when she wants to destroy someone.”

By evening, three more stories had appeared. Different outlets, different angles, but all painting the same picture. Marco Hart as a cruel, selfish man who destroyed his family for a young woman’s body.

The business news picked it up next. **“Hart Industries Stock Drops as CEO’s Personal Life Explodes.“** The financial press loved a scandal, especially one involving a man who’d built his reputation on family values.

Lucia sat in Alexander’s study, watching the news on his large screen. The anchor, a serious woman in a dark suit, spoke with barely hidden disgust.

“Marco Hart, once considered a model family man, has been exposed as having conducted a two–year affair with his employee Margaret Mills. Sources close to the family say Hart blindsided his wife Lucia at their anniversary dinner, announcing his intention to leave her for his much younger mistress.”

The screen showed file photos of Marco, at charity events, business conferences, always looking respectable and trustworthy Then it cut to the restaurant photo again, showing him holding Margaret’s hand.

“The couple, who were married for seventeen years and have three children together, are now divorced. Hart has since married Mills in what sources describe as a hasty ceremony just weeks after abandoning his family.”

Lucia’s phone buzzed constantly. Text after text from numbers she didn’t recognize. Social media mentions. Friend requests. Everyone wanted to know her side of the story.

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Chapter 107

She turned the phone face down and closed her eyes.

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“Having second thoughts?” Alexander asked quietly. He’d been watching her carefully all day, ready to pull back if she showed any sign of regret.

“No.” Her voice was steady. “He’s getting exactly what he deserves.”

But even as she said it, something twisted in her stomach. This wasn’t just about Marco anymore. The stories mentioned her children too. Ria, Lucas, and Monica were being dragged through this public humiliation because of their father’s choices.

The next morning brought fresh horror.

“HART INDUSTRIES UNDER INVESTIGATION” screamed the headline. Nancy had found something in Marco’s business dealings. The article was vague but threatening, mentioning “irregularities” and “potential fraud.”

Lucia’s coffee grew cold as she read. Marco’s photo stared back at her from the screen, looking older and more tired than she remembered. The caption underneath read: “Embattled CEO faces mounting pressure as scandal deepens.”

Her phone rang. The caller ID showed Ria’s name.

Lucia hesitated, then answered.

“Mom.” Ria’s voice was thick with tears. “Please make it stop.”

“Ria.”

“Everyone at school is talking about it. About Dad, about Margaret, about you. They’re showing me the articles and asking questions I can’t answer.” Ria sobbed. “Some girl in my class called Dad a cheating pig in front of everyone. I had to run to the bathroom to cry.”

Lucia’s chest tightened. “I’m sorry you’re going through this.”

“Are you? Because it feels like you want us to suffer.” Ria’s voice cracked. “Lucas got suspended for punching a boy who said something nasty about our family. Monica won’t even go to school anymore. She’s been hiding in her room.”

Each word hit Lucia like a physical blow. She’d wanted Marco to pay, but she hadn’t thought about how the scandal would hurt her children. They were innocent in all this. They’d made mistakes, yes, but they didn’t deserve to be humiliated in front of their friends.

“Please,” Ria whispered. “Can’t you make them stop writing about us? I know you hate Dad, but we’re your children too.” The line went dead. Lucia stared at her phone, Ria’s words echoing in her mind. *We’re your children too.*

Alexander appeared in the doorway, his face grim. “Another story just broke. Nancy found evidence of Marco using company funds for personal expenses. The board is calling an emergency meeting.

Lucia looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. “My children are suffering.”

“They chose their side, Lucia. They rejected you when you needed them most.”

“They’re still my babies.” Her voice broke. “Ria is crying. Lucas got suspended. Monica won’t leave her room. What have we done, Alexander?”

Alexander sat beside her, pulling her close. “We’re giving Marco exactly what he gave you. Pain. Humiliation. The feeling of watching everything you built fall apart.”

“But the children.”

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Chapter 107

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Will learn that getions have consequences. That you can’t betray someone and expect no punishment.” His voice was hard, unforgiving. “Marco used them as weapons against you. Now they’re paying the price for his choices.”

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