Chapter 24 Lucas Was Here
Lara's pov
I stared at Lucas.Like someone I had never seen before.
I was waiting for something. Maybe some feelings or some emotions.
Anger. Pain. Sadness. Anything.
But there was absolutely nothing.
Just... emptiness.
Like looking at a stranger who vaguely resembled someone I used to know.
"You have five minutes," I said.
My voice came out colder than I expected.
Lucas stepped further into my office. His eyes darted around. Taking in the floor-to-ceiling windows. The expensive furniture. The view of the city.
"This is impressive," he said. "It really is”
I glanced at my watch.
“You have four minutes and fifty seconds left.”
He flinched.
"Lara, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. I was wrong. I know I hurt you—"
"Is that all?"
He blinked. "What?"
"Is that all you came to say? Because if so, you can leave now."
"No! No, I... I want to make things right. I want us to try again."
I laughed out loud.
I couldn't help it.
Cold. Bitter. Nothing like how I used to laugh.
"Try again?" I repeated. "You want to try again?"
"Yes. I know I messed up, but—"
"You threw me out while pregnant. With nothing. No money. No home. No dignity."
"I know—"
"You destroyed my father's company. Stole everything he built. Humiliated me publicly. Made me believe I was worthless."
"Lara—"
"And now you want to try again?" I shook my head. "That's funny. You are such a funny thing."
Lucas's face went red. "I know I made mistakes. But I still love you—"
Excuse me, shut up your mouth.
"You don't love me. You only wanted to use me the way you did before."
"I do! I never stopped—"
"No. You don't," I interrupted. "You love what I've built. You love my success. My money. My company. You never loved me. You loved what I could give you."
His jaw clenched.
There it was. The truth he didn't want to admit.
"That's not fair," he said.
"Isn't it?"
"I married you—"
"For my father's company. You said so yourself. At that dinner. Remember? You told your mother you never loved me. That I was just a business transaction."
He went pale.
"I... I was angry. I didn't mean—"
"Yes you did. And you know what? I'm glad you said it. Because it made my leaving easier."
Lucas ran his hand through his hair.Looking desperate now.
"Lara, please. Just listen. Your company...
It's really incredible, everything is working out. And my company is struggling. But if we worked together, if we merged—"
There it is.
"There it is," I said out loud.
"What?"
"The real reason you're here. You want my money. My success. My company."
"That's not—"
"Just like before. You don't want me. You want what I have."
His mask slipped. Just for a second. But I saw it.
The calculation. The desperation. The greed.
"Get out," I said.
"Lara, wait—"
"Get out of my office."
"I'm not leaving until you listen—"
"I said get out."
"You can't just dismiss me!" His voice got louder. Angrier. "I'm your husband!"
I stood up. Looked him dead in the eye.
Point of correction,"Ex-husband. We've been divorced for three years. You made sure of that."
"We could fix it. Get remarried. Start over—"
"I'm already married."
The words hung in the air.
Lucas froze.
"What?"
"I'm married. To someone who actually loves me. Who doesn't see me as a business opportunity or a bank account."
"You're... you're lying."
“You will soon know the truth, please get out of my office now”.
Lucas staggered back like I'd hit him.
"Who? Who would marry you after—"
"After what? After you destroyed me?" I smiled. "Turns out, someone saw value in me that you never did."
"Who is he?"
"None of your business."
"Tell me!"
"No."
His face twisted with rage.
"Does he know what you are? Does he know you're a—"
The door burst open.
Damien walked in.
Tall and imposing man. Looking at Lucas like he was an insect that needed stepping on.
"Is there a problem here?"
Lucas's eyes went wide.
"Damien Otto?"
"You know who I am." Damien's voice was cold and dangerous. "Good. Then you know I can destroy you."
Damien moved to stand beside me. One hand on my lower back to protect me.
Lucas looked at us.
I watched realization dawn on his face.
"You married him?" He sounded shocked. Disgusted. "You married my father's intern?"
"Your father's intern?" I repeated calmly. It's none of your business and besides."Damien is a billionaire. CEO of Otto Industries. He's ten times the man you'll ever be."
Lucas' face went red.
"You cheated on me! With him! You were sleeping with him while we were married!"
I don't have time to explain to you because you don't deserve the explanation.
But I saw him and fell in love with someone that knows my value, not an animal like you.
"I don't believe this. I don't—" He turned to Damien. "She was my wife!"
"Was," Damien said coldly. Thank God you said “was."Past tense. Now she's mine. And you need to leave."
"I'll sue you!" Lucas pointed at me.
Shaking. "I'll take everything! That company should be half mine! We were married when—”
"Try it," Damien interrupted. You will then know what I'm capable of doing. "My lawyers will bury you. And trust me, Lucas, I have better lawyers."
Lucas opened his mouth. Closed it and opened it again.
Then the door opened.
Two security guards walked in.
My assistant must have called them.
"Ms. Montgomery?" one of them said.
"Escort Mr. Ward out of the building," I said. "And make sure he doesn't come back. Add him to the banned list."
"You can't do this!" Lucas shouted as the guards grabbed his arms.
"I can. This is my company. My building. You're trespassing."
"This isn't over! You hear me? This isn't over!"
They started pulling him toward the door.
"You owe me! You owe me everything! I made you! Without me, you'd be nothing!"
"Without you," I said, "I'm everything and more”.
That shut him up for a second.
Then he started struggling again.
"I'll destroy you! Both of you! You can't just—"
The door closed.
His voice faded as they dragged him to the elevator.
And then there was complete silence.
I stood there. Not moving. Not breathing.
Then my hands started shaking.
My whole body started shaking.
"Hey, hey." Damien pulled me into his arms. "Are you okay? It's over.”
"I can't believe he actually came here," I whispered into his chest.
"I know."
"After three years. He just showed up."
"I'm sorry. I should have let you know."
I pulled back to look at him.
"You knew?"
He looked guilty. "My PI told me months ago. That Lucas hired someone to find you."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't want to worry you. Not while you were happy. Planning the wedding. Building the company. I thought I could handle it before he found you."
I should have been angry.
Should have yelled at him for keeping secrets.
But I was just... tired.
"What do we do now?" I asked.
Damien's jaw tightened.
"Now we make sure he never bothers you again."
"How?"
"I have evidence. About your father's death. About Claire poisoning him. About Lucas being complicit."
My breath caught. "What?"
"I've been investigating for two years. We have everything. Receipts. Witness statements. Medical records. Enough to put them both away for life."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I wanted you to heal first. To be strong enough to handle it. And I wanted to wait until after the wedding. Until you were protected by my name. My money. My resources."
I stared at him.
"You've been planning this."
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Since the day I found you on that curb. I promised your father I'd protect you. And part of protecting you is making sure they pay for what they did."
My legs felt weak.
I sat down in my chair.
"My father was murdered."
"Yes."
"And Lucas knew."
"We believe so. The evidence suggests he was aware of what Claire was doing."
I put my head in my hands.
All this time.
All this time I thought my father just died from cancer.
But he was murdered and poisoned.
By my husband's mother.
While my husband watched.
"I want them destroyed," I said.
"They will be."
"No. I mean destroyed them completely. I want them to lose everything. Like I did."
Damien knelt in front of me.
"They will. I promise you. When we're done, they'll have nothing left."
I looked at him.
This man who saved me. Who loved me. Who was now planning to avenge my father.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Thank you for allways."
We sat there for a minute. Just holding each other.And then my phone rang.
I glanced at it. It was Jamie. My employee.
"I should get that."
"I'll give you a minute." Damien stood. Kissed my forehead. "I'll be right outside."
After he left, I answered.
"Hey, Jamie."
"Lara! Oh my God, are you okay? We heard there was some crazy guy here causing a scene—"
"I'm fine. It's handled."
"Who was he?"
"Nobody important."
I hung up and sat there, staring at my desk. Lucas came here.After three years, he came here.And I felt nothing for him.
Nothing but contempt.
He wasn't the man I married.
Or maybe he was.
Maybe I just finally saw him clearly.
Either way, he was nothing to me now.
Just a problem that needed handling.
And Damien was right.
It was time to make sure Lucas Ward never bothered me again.
Time to make him pay for everything he took from me.
Starting with my father's life.
I stood up, smoothed my skirt and took a deep breath.
Then I walked to the door.
Damien was waiting in the hall.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah." I took his hand. "Let's go home. To our son."
"Okay."
We walked to the elevator together.
And as
the doors closed, I caught my reflection in the polished metal.
I now looked strong and powerful.
Nothing like the broken woman Lucas threw away.
He'd come here expecting to find that woman.
But she didn't exist anymore.
I'd killed her.
And built someone better in her place.Someone Lucas couldn't touch.Someone Lucas couldn't destroy.
Someone who was finally ready to fight back.