Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Marcus called at seven in the evening. He was Alexander’s head of security, the man assigned to watch Lena whenever she went out alone. Lucia trusted him because he was careful, quiet, and never spoke unless something mattered.

“Ms. Smith,” he said, his voice steady, “I need to report something from this afternoon.”

Lucia sat still, phone pressed to her ear. “Go on.”

“Miss Lena met two teenagers at Central Park A boy and a girl. Around fifteen and thirteen. They sat on a bench near Mountain Ville Garden and spoke for about twenty minutes. The conversation seemed emotional. The younger girl was crying. When Lena left, she looked upset. I thought you should be informed.”

Lucia’s fingers tightened around the phone. Her breath slowed as she tried to hold her composure.

“Did you recognize them?” she asked quietly.

“They match the descriptions from your briefing. Lucas and Monica Hart.”

The words landed hard.

Lucia closed her eyes for a moment. Her chest felt tight, like the air had thinned inside the room. Lena had met them. Her children had been sitting in front of her, talking to her, and she had not said a word.

Not during dinner. Not during the celebration. Not afterward.

“Tharık you, Marcus,” Lucia said, her voice controlled but distant. “That will be all.”

She ended the call and sat in silence.

Her thoughts moved quickly, but her body felt frozen. Lena had met Lucas and Monica. She had seen them, spoken with them, and carried that secret alone.

Lucia pressed her hand against her mouth. Questions came all at once, crowding her mind.

Why would Lena meet them without telling her? What had they said to each other? Had Lena promised them anything? Had she revealed something Lucia had tried to protect?

Lucia had drawn a clear boundary. Five years. That was the condition she had set. A period meant for distance, for consequences, for reflection. She had believed it was the only way to protect herself from being hurt again.

And yet now, her children had found a way around that boundary.

A soft sound at the door broke her thoughts.

Lena stepped inside, her backpack slung over one shoulder. She looked tired, her hair slightly messy, earbuds still in her ears. When she saw Lucia sitting there, something in her expression shifted. The faint ease she had walked in with disappeared.

‘Mom?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”

Lucia patted the space beside her. “Come sit.”

Lena hesitated, then dropped her bag and sat down slowly. Her eyes searched Lucia’s face, trying to understand.

‘What happened?” she asked. “Is it Dad? Is the audit in trouble?”

Lucia shook her head. “No. This is about something else.”

Her voice was calm, but her heart was not.

‘I need you to tell me the truth,” Lucia said. “No hiding anything. No omissions.”

Lena’s face changed. Her lips parted slightly, and a flicker of fear passed through her eyes.

‘Were you in Central Park this afternoon?”

The question hung in the air.

Lena looked down. Tears began to form, and she blinked quickly as if trying to stop them.

“Marcus told you,” she said softly.

“He is doing his job,” Lucia replied. “He is responsible for your safety.”

Lena nodded, but her shoulders sank. “I’m sorry.”

Lucia watched her closely. “Tell me what happer Successfully unlocked!

Lena wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Her voice trembled as sie began.

r

“They contacted me first. They reached out through messages. At first, I ignored them. I didn’t know what they wanted. I

Chapter 81

didn’t trust their intentions.”

She paused, struggling to steady her breathing.

“But they kept trying. They sounded desperate. So I agreed to meet them. I wanted to understand why.”

Lucia stayed quiet, allowing her to continue.

“When I saw them,” Lena said, her voice breaking slightly, “they weren’t what I expected. They were just kids. Angry, confused, and hurt. They knew what they did. They said they regretted it.”

Lena looked up at Lucia, her eyes filled with conflict.

“I told them they needed to respect your boundaries That you had asked them to wait. I told them they couldn’t force their way back into your life. That if they truly wanted forgiveness, they had to prove it over time.”

Lucia listened, her expression steady but her emotions shifting beneath the surface.

Lena continued.

“I also told them you still care. That you think about them. That you’ve never stopped loving them, even if you’re protecting yourself.”

Lucia inhaled slowly.

“And I told Monica about the scholarship,” Lena added, lowering her gaze. “She asked if it came from you. I couldn’t lie. I told her the truth.”

Silence filled the room.

Lucia placed her hand over her mouth again. Monica knew. The scholarship. The necklace. The anonymous gifts she had sent quietly, without acknowledgment. The small ways she had continued to show love without breaking her own rules.

Lena looked ashamed. “I didn’t mean to betray your trust. I just didn’t know how to handle it. They were asking questions. I felt trapped between protecting your privacy and being honest.”

Lucia’s eyes filled with tears, but she did not let them fall immediately.

“You didn’t act with bad intent,” she said quietly. “But you stepped into a situation that carries consequences.”

Lena nodded, accepting that truth.

“I understand,” she whispered.

Lucia leaned back slightly, trying to gather herself. Her emotions were heavy, layered, and difficult to separate.

Part of her was hurt that Lena had gone behind her back. Another part understood why she had done it. Compassion had guided her. Curiosity too. And perhaps a desire to help bridge something that still felt unfinished.

Lucia’s thoughts drifted again to Lucas and Monica.

They had reached out. They had waited. They had spoken with Lena, someone close to her, someone they could trust. They had taken steps toward understanding.

But Lucia still felt the weight of her own boundary.

She had not forgiven them. Not yet.

Not because she did not feel anything. It was the opposite. She felt too much.

Lena reached out slowly and placed her hand over Lucia’s.

“I know this is hard,” she said. “You love them. I can see that. But you also need to protect yourself. Both things can be true at the same time.”

Lucia looked at her.

“You spoke with them,” Lucia said softly. “What did you think of them?”

Lena hesitated.

“They were sincere,” she said. “Not perfect. Not fully healed. But aware. They understood the damage they caused. And they felt it deeply.”

Lucia’s eyes lowered.

“They are still living with the consequences of their choices,” Lena continued. “They know why you set the five year boundary. And they are trying to respect it, even if it’s painful.”

Lucia let out a slow breath.

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