Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Margaret’s phone buzzed on the glass table beside her.

She ignored it at first.

Another notification. Then another.

The sound kept coming. Sharp. Annoying. Constant.

She grabbed the phone with irritation.

Unknown number.

A message.

She almost deleted it without reading.

Then she saw the words.

“Board voted. Phoenix Holdings acquired 57%. Lucia Smith is new Chairwoman. Marco demoted to COO.”

Margaret blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Her eyes moved over the message again, slower this time.

“Lucia Smith… Chairwoman.”

“Marco… COO.”

Her fingers tightened around the phone.

“No.”

The word came out quietly.

Flat.

She read it again.

And again.

Each time, it felt more wrong. More impossible.

Lucia.

Chairwoman?

Marco working under her?

Her chest tightened.

“No. No, that’s not possible.”

Her heart started racing.

“How would she even… how would she get that kind of money?”

“How would she buy the company?”

“How would she… take his position?”

Her breathing became uneven.

“No. This is a lie.”

But deep down, something cold was already settling in her stomach.

Something that told her this was real.

That this was exactly the kind of thing Lucia would do.

Carefully. Quietly. Completely.

Margaret immediately hit Marco’s number.

It rang.

Then went to voicemail.

She called again.

Successfully unlocked!

୮

Chapter 76

Voicemall.

Again.

Still nothing.

Her hand started shaking.

“Pick up.”

She dialed again.

“Pick up the phone, Marco.”

Nothing.

Silence.

He was avoiding her.

That realization hit harder than the message.

He wasn’t answering because he couldn’t face her.

Because it was true.

Because he had lost.

Margaret stood up so fast her chair scraped loudly against the floor.

“Fine”

Her voice was sharp now.

Cold.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll find out myself.”

She rushed upstairs, grabbing the first outfit she saw. Designer jeans. A silk blouse. She didn’t even check if it matched.

Her hands were unsteady as she grabbed her bag.

Her keys.

Her phone.

Her entire body was buzzing with anger.

And something else.

Fear.

She drove too fast.

Didn’t care.

Her mind kept replaying the message.

Lucia.

Chairwoman.

Marco.

Reporting to her.

It made her sick.

It made her furious.

It made her feel something she had never felt before.

Small.

She pulled into the company parking lot and stepped out without even shutting the car door properly.

She walked straight into the building.

The receptionist looked up, startled.

“Mrs. Hart…”

“I need to see Marco.”

Her voice was sharp. No patience.

The receptionist hesitated. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Hart. Mr. Hart is in meetings all day. He left strict instructions. No interruptions.”

Chapter 76

Margaret stared at her.

am his wife

“I understand, ma’am, but he was very clear.”

Something inside Margaret snapped a little more.

“He won’t even see me?”

“I’m sorry.”

Margaret’s jaw tightened.

“Where is she?”

The receptionist froze.

“I’m sorry?”

“Lucia. Where is she working from?”

“I… I don’t think I’m allowed to…”

Margaret leaned forward slightly.

“Tell me.”

The pressure in her voice made the girl swallow.

“Kane Enterprises. Fifth Avenue.”

Margaret didn’t wait.

She turned and walked out.

Her heels hit the floor hard.

Fast.

Each step filled with anger.

Lucia.

Lucia did this.

She planned it.

Every exposure.

Every leak.

Every loss.

And now this.

She didn’t just destroy them.

She took everything.

Margaret gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove.

“This isn’t over.”

Her voice was low.

Tense.

“You don’t get to win like this.”

The Kane Enterprises building rose in front of her like something out of another world.

Glass.

Steel.

Power.

Everything about it screamed success.

Real success.

Not borrowed.

Not stolen.

Earned.

୮

Chapter 76

And that made Margaret hate it even more.

She walked inside like a storm.

Security tried to stop her.

“Ma’am, you need…”

“I’m not stopping.”

Her voice cut through them.

She stepped into the elevator and hit the top floor button before anyone could stop her.

The ride up felt too slow.

Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it.

Feel it in her throat.

Her hands were clenched.

By the time the doors opened, she was already shaking with rage.

The receptionist on that floor stood up immediately.

“Ma’am, you can’t be here…”

“I need Lucia Smith.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No.”,

“Then I’m sorry, she’s not available.”

Margaret stepped closer.

“Make her available.”

Her voice was louder now.

Sharp enough to echo.

“I said I need to see her.”

“Please lower your voice…”

“Tell her Margaret Hart is here!”

The entire floor went quiet.

A door opened.

And Lucia stepped out.

Calm.

Composed.

Untouched by the chaos.

Her hair was neat. Her suit perfectly fitted. Every detail controlled.

And around her neck, the Sea of Hart diamond rested like a statement.

Like a reminder.

Like a victory.

Margaret’s chest tightened.

“Mrs. Hart,” Lucia said calmly.

Her voice didn’t shake.

Didn’t rise.

Didn’t break.

“What an unexpected visit.”

Margaret laughed.

A harsh, broken sound.

“You think this is funny?”

Chapter 76

Lucia said nothing.

You did this. Margaret said, stepping closer. “You took everything. His company. His position. You humiliated him.”

“I made a business decision,” Lucia replied simply.

“A business decision?” Margaret’s yoice rose. “You destroyed him!”

Lucia’s eyes were steady.

“He destroyed himself.”

The words hit harder than any/slap.

Margaret’s face twisted.

“You were nothing. Do you hear me? Nothing. He left you because you weren’t enough. Because I was better.”

Lucia didn’t react immediately.

Then she stepped closer.

Just enough.

“You weren’t better,” she said quietly. “You were just louder.”

Margaret’s breath caught.

“You were exciting,” Lucia continued. “New. Different. Easy to show off. But that fades. It always does.”

“You don’t know anything.”

“I know exactly what you are.”

The calm in Lucia’s voice made it worse.

Made it feel like truth.

“I know what you did. Every affair. Every lie. Every time you used someone and walked away.”

“That’s not true!”

“Then explain the money.”

Margaret froze.

“The transfers. The properties. The men who paid for your lifestyle.”

“Those are my privacy”

“You made my marriage public.”

Lucia’s voice sharpened for the first time.

“You stood there while I was humiliated. You helped destroy my life. And now you want privacy?”

Margaret felt heat rise in her face.

“You don’t get to act like the victim.”

“I don’t act,” Lucia said. “I respond.”

Margaret stepped closer.

Too close.

“You think you’ve won?”

Lucia didn’t move.

“I know I have.”

Something inside Margaret snapped completely.

Her hand lifted before she could think.

She swung.

Lucia caught her wrist mid-air.

Fast.

୮

Firm

Margaret struggled, shocked.

Lucia’s grip didn’t move.

Chapter 76

“Don’t,” Lucia said softly.

that quiet warning felt more dangerous than shouting.

Margaret tried to pull away.

Couldn’t.

‘Let go of me!”

Lucia tilted her head slightly.

‘Look around.”

Margaret turned.

And froze.

A camera.

A woman standing there, filming everything.

Her stomach dropped.

‘No.”

The word came out weak.

The journalist lowered the camera slightly.

‘I’m Fachel Morrison. Manhattan Daily.”

Margaret’s breathing stopped for a second.

‘No. You can’t use that.”

Rachel gave a small, professional smile.

‘This is public behavior.”

Margaret yanked her hand free.

‘You need to delete it!”

She moved toward her.

Lucia stepped back.

_et her move.

Let her look out of control.

Rachel didn’t move.

‘I’m not deleting anything.”

This will ruin me!”

‘It already has,” Lucia said quietly.

Margaret turned toward her.

Eyes burning.

‘This isn’t over.”

Her voice was shaking now.

‘I will find a way to destroy you.”

Lucia looked at her for a long second.

Not angry.

Not emotional.

Just… certain.

“You already tried.”

Margaret’s throat tightened.

“And you failed.”

That was it.

That was the moment something inside Margaret broke.

Chapter 76

Not Icudly

Not Violently.

Just.. cracked.

She stepped back..

Her balance slipped slightly.

She caught herself.

But the damage was done.

She knew how she looked.

Everyone could see it.

The camera.

The staff.

Lucia standing there untouched.

Perfect.

Controlled.