Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Marco pulled into the parking lot of the Riverside Country Club, his hands gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. He had driven here without thinking, needing to escape the house where Margaret was already planning nurseries and picking out baby names. The golf club had always been his refuge, a place where he could think clearly and find peace.

The autumn air was crisp as he walked toward the clubhouse, his golf bag slung over his shoulder. The leaves on the massive oak trees had turned brilliant shades of red and gold, creating a picture that normally would have calmed his nerves. Today, nothing could quiet the storm raging in his mind.

Inside the clubhouse, he nodded to familiar faces and made his way to the bar. A whiskey might help steady his thoughts before he hit the course. He needed something to wash away the image of Margaret’s excited face and the weight of becoming a father again.

“Marco!” James Morrison called out, a business associate who often played the same weekend rounds. “Didn’t expect to see you here today. Thought you’d be home celebrating.”

Marco froze, his glass halfway to his lips. “Celebrating what?”

“The pregnancy announcement, of course. Margaret’s been calling everyone she knows. Congratulations, man. Starting fresh must feel incredible.”

The whiskey burned as it went down, but not as much as the realization that Margaret had already spread the news to half of their social circle. There was no taking it back now, no time to process privately. The whole world would know within hours.

“Thanks.” The word came out hollow.

He paid for his drink and headed toward the pro shop, needing to get on the course where he could be alone with his thoughts. But as he walked through the main dining area, something made him stop dead in his tracks.

At a table near the large windows overlooking the eighteenth green sat two figures he recognized immediately. Alexander Kane leaned back in his chair, laughing at something his companion had said. Across from him sat Lucas, Marco’s fifteen- year-old son, wearing clothes Marco had never seen before and looking more relaxed than he had in months.

Marco’s breath caught in his throat. Lucas looked happy. Really, genuinely happy in a way that Marco hadn’t seen since before the divorce. His hair was neatly styled, his face had filled out slightly, and there was a lightness in his posture that spoke of someone who felt safe and loved.

Without thinking, Marco moved closer, hiding behind a decorative pillar where he could hear their conversation.

“I think I want to write about family for my essay.” Lucas spoke slowly, carefully. “About how sometimes you have to lose everything to understand what really matters.”

“That’s powerful. Very personal.”

“Yeah, well, this year has been pretty intense.” Lucas stabbed at his salad. “But good intense, you know? Like, painful but

necessary.”

Alexander nodded. “Growing up isn’t supposed to be easy. The best lessons usually come from the hardest experiences.” “I’m grateful for all of it now.” Lucas continued. “Even the bad stuff. Because it led me to where I am today. To having a real family again.”

Marco felt his hands clench into fists. Real family. As if the family Marco had provided for seventeen years hadn’t been real.

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Chapter lis

You know what Fm most grateful for though?” Lucas asked, looking directly at Alexander.

“What’s that?”

“Having a dad who actually cares about my future. Who shows up for the important stuff. Who doesn’t make me feel like I’m in the way of his happiness.”

The words hit Marco like physical blows. Each one true, each one deserved, and each one devastating.

Alexander reached across the table and squeezed Lucas shoulder. “You never have to worry about that with me. You’re not an inconvenience or an obligation. You’re my son, and I’m proud of you every single day”

“Thanks, Dad.”

The word ‘Dad’ coming from Lucas’s mouth in reference to another man shattered something inside Marco’s chest. He gripped the pillar so hard his fingernails dug into the wood.

“Dad.” Lucas said it again, like he was testing how it felt. “I still can’t believe how lucky I got. Few months ago I thought my life was over. Now I have this amazing family, I’m getting into my dream high school, and I have a father who actually wants to spend time with me.”

“The luck goes both ways.” Alexander’s response came genuine. “Your mom and all you kids saved me just as much as I saved you. Maybe more.”

Marco watched Alexander signal the waiter for dessert menus, the gesture casual and comfortable. This man was sitting in a country club that Marco had been a member of for twelve years, bonding with Marco’s son, talking about Marco’s son’s future like he had every right to be involved.

“Should we get something sweet to celebrate your acceptance?” Alexander asked.

“You mean if I get accepted.” Lucas corrected.

“When you get accepted. I have complete faith in you.”

Marco had never said those words to Lucas. Had never expressed complete faith in his son’s abilities. He had always been too focused on pointing out what needed improvement, what wasn’t good enough yet.

“Dad?” Lucas spoke, and Marco’s heart leaped for a moment before he realized his son wasn’t talking to him. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“Always.”

“Do you ever regret it? Taking on three broken teenagers and all our baggage?”

Alexander was quiet for a moment, considering his answer carefully. “Lucas, you want to know what I regret? I regret that I wasn’t there sooner. I regret that you and your sisters had to go through so much pain before you found your way to us. But taking you in? Becoming your father? That’s the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

“Even though we’re not your biological kids?”

“Especially because you’re not my biological kids. You chose me, and I chose you. That kind of love is stronger than blood. It’s based on respect and care and genuine affection, not just obligation.”

Marco felt bile rise in his throat. Alexander was implying that Marco’s love for his children had been mere obligation. The worst part was that Marco couldn’t entirely argue with that assessment.

“I love you too, Dad.” Lucas’s words came simple, honest.

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Chapter 153-

love you too, Ser

Marco couldn’t take anymore. He turned and walked quickly toward the exit, his vision blurring with rage and grief. Behind him, he could hear the continued laughter and easy conversation of a father and son who genuinely enjoyed each other’s

company.

In the parking lot, Marco fumbled with his car keys, his hands shaking with emotion. He got behind the wheel and sat there for a moment, staring at the steering wheel as the full weight of what he had just witnessed crashed over him.

His son was calling another man ‘Dad. His son was happier without him than he had ever been with him. His son was getting the father he deserved while Marco sat alone in a parking lot, mourning a relationship he had destroyed with his own hands.

But then the grief transformed into something else. Something darker and more dangerous.

Anger.

Pure, burning, righteous anger.

How dare Alexander Kane waltz into his children’s lives and steal what belonged to Marco? How dare he sit in Marco’s country club, eating expensive meals with Marco’s son, planning Marco’s son’s future like he had any right to be involved?

And how dare Lucas look so happy? How dare he seem so content with his new life while Marco was left with nothing but regret and an unborn child he wasn’t even sure he wanted?

Marco pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found the number he needed. His finger hovered over the screen for just a moment before he pressed call.

“Blackwell & Morrison, Attorney at Law.”

“This is Marco Hart. I need to speak to David Blackwell immediately.”

“Mr. Hart, it’s Saturday afternoon. Mr. Blackwell is…”

“I don’t care if he’s at his daughter’s wedding. Get him on the phone now. This is an emergency.”

There was a pause, then hold music. Marco sat in his car, watching other families come and go from the country club, and felt his resolve harden with each passing second.

“Marco? What’s the emergency?”

“David, I need you to file papers immediately. I want to contest the custody agreement for my children.”

“Marco, I thought we discussed this. Your secretary said you were done fighting for…”

“I changed my mind. I want my children back.”

“What happened? Did something change?”

୮

Marco looked back at the clubhouse where his son was still having lunch with the man who had stolen his place.

“Yes.” His voice came cold as winter. “Something definitely changed.”

“Marco, custody battles are expensive and emotionally draining. Are you sure you want to put yourself and the children through this?”

“I’m absolutely sure. Alexander Kane thinks he can just step in and replace me. He thinks he can buy my children’s love with

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