Chased By My Billionaire Ex-husband

Susan’s POV

I clenched my fists as I thought about her. She came out of nowhere, taking up space that was never hers to begin with. She didn’t belong in Evander’s life, in his heart. That space should have remained untouched, reserved only for me, or no one at all.

How dare she try to replace me?

To be honest, I never liked Colten in the first place, and he was aware of that. He knew that I had my eyes on his brother, but he let me off the hook since he knew he wouldn’t live long, so he didn’t wish to hold me back.

Angel interrupted my thoughts, her voice cautious yet firm. "Susan, don’t let your past with Colton blind you to reality. Evander isn’t the same person he was back then. You can’t keep expecting him to do whatever you want just because of his brother."

I glared at her, my jaw tightening. "Don’t lecture me, Angel. I know Evander better than anyone. He will never go against me. And if I say never, then never!"

"But what if he does?" Angel insisted. "What if this time is different?"

Her words left me unsettled, an uneasy tension bubbling beneath my composed exterior. I hated that tiny flicker of doubt trying to surface in my mind. No— Evander wouldn’t turn against me. He couldn’t. Because as much as he might try to deny it, Colton’s shadow still loomed large over his life— and I was part of that shadow.

Claire might think she had won, but she would never be what I was to him.

"You don’t need to care about that!" I responded, clenching my fists tightly. "I know how to handle Evander. If Claire weren’t in his life, he would have been mine a long time ago."

"That’s exactly what I am saying!" Angel’s voice rang out as she stepped closer, gripping my shoulders to make me sit on the couch. She settled across from me, her gaze calm yet firm.

"Can’t you see? It was fine when Claire wasn’t around. You could do whatever you wanted. But now that she is here, there is no way Evander will let you off if you go against her," Angel said, her tone measured as though trying to make me see reason.

"So, you are saying he would ruin me too?" I asked sarcastically, my lips curving into a mocking smile. "That he would go against his deceased brother’s words, make me lose everything, and throw me in jail?"

Angel remained quiet, her expression a mix of anger and frustration.

No matter how ruthless Evander appeared, I knew him better than anyone. He’s an emotional person, and he would never go against his brother’s words. He loved his brothers so much that he took me in and even became a father.

The man who was supposedly incapable of love had adopted his brother’s son and loved him as if he were his own.

And now they were trying to tell me that he would abandon me just because I played a little game with some woman? That he would destroy me over Claire? The thought alone was laughable.

Wasn’t he just infatuated with her because she didn’t chase after him or try to seduce him? Did they really think he loved her?

Give me a break.

Evander might be an emotional man, and he might have tried to love Eliam as his son. But in reality, he was incapable of truly loving anyone. No matter how much he tried to project this image of a loving, devoted man, I knew the truth.

He could never truly love.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Claire’s POV

I looked at Evander, sleeping soundly beside me, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. How long had it been since I lay beside him like this? It felt like an eternity. Even the last time, when he was drugged, all I could do was sit beside him, silently taking care of him, too afraid to get this close.

Now, as I watched him in the dim light of the room, I couldn’t help but admire him. His face, so perfectly sculpted, looked peaceful and calm— which he was barely when I saw him awake. His strong jawline, framed by a light stubble, added a rugged charm, while the soft curve of his lips seemed almost inviting.

The way his dark hair fell slightly over his forehead made him look younger. His long, dark lashes cast faint shadows against his skin. It was unfair how someone could look so effortlessly captivating, even in his sleep.

I felt a flutter in my chest, a warm feeling spreading through me. He was breathtaking, a man who could command attention without even trying. How could I not feel drawn to him?

I reached out instinctively, my fingers brushing against the back of his hand before I pulled them back, hesitant. My heart raced as I realized how infatuated I had become. It wasn’t just his looks—it was the rare moments like this, where he seemed vulnerable, that made me feel so drawn to him.

I bit my lip, trying to keep my emotions in check. Evander Kensington was a man who could make the world stop with just a glance. And lying here beside him, I realized I was completely captivated by him.

"Did you like staring at me that much?" Evander’s deep, teasing voice broke the silence, making me jolt. My cheeks flushed, and I instinctively turned to the other side to escape the embarrassment.

But before I could move further, his arm wrapped firmly around my waist, pulling me effortlessly against his chest. I felt the heat of his body seeping into mine, and my heart began to race uncontrollably.

"Where are you going?" he murmured, his voice low and warm as his breath brushed against my ear. "This is unfair. You get to look at me, but I can’t do the same?"

"N...No!" I stammered, unable to think straight at the moment, as his hand lingered on my waist, holding me close. His scent, a mix of fresh citrus and something else or could it be his shampoo from last night? The scent surrounded me, making it impossible to think clearly.

I felt his chest rumble with a soft laugh as he tightened his embrace. "Liar," he whispered, his tone laced with amusement. "You were staring at me like I am the only man in the world."

Just his touch, his closeness, was enough to make me lose myself. My body seemed to betray me, every nerve igniting at his casual teasing. "Evander, stop teasing me," I managed to whisper, though my voice lacked conviction.

"Teasing you?" he repeated, his lips curving into a small smile as his fingers gently brushed a strand of hair from my face. "Claire, you are making it too easy for me." His dark eyes locked onto mine, their intensity making my breath hitch.

I couldn’t deny it— he was devastatingly handsome. The sharp lines of his jaw, the faint stubble that added to his rugged charm, and those piercing eyes that seemed to see right through me. His messy hair from sleeping only made him more irresistible, like a man who had no idea how breathtaking he truly was.

My cheeks burned, and I tried to look away, but he gently cupped my chin, tilting my face back toward him. "Why are you so shy all of a sudden?" he asked softly, his thumb brushing against my cheek.

"I am not shy," I protested weakly, my voice betraying me as it wavered.

He chuckled, leaning closer until our foreheads touched. "You are adorable when you lie, Claire."

His words made my heart skip a beat, and I couldn’t help but smile faintly, even as my pulse raced. "Evan..." I whispered, unsure of what I wanted to say.

"Just stay here," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "Right here, with me."

The sweetness in his voice melted every last bit of resistance I had. I closed my eyes, letting myself get lost in the moment, knowing I couldn’t fight this overwhelming pull I felt toward him, and for now, I didn’t want to.

"Thank you," he whispered softly, his voice laced with an emotion I couldn’t quite place.

"Huh?" I looked up at him, confused. His words caught me off guard, and I wasn’t sure what he meant.

Before I could say anything else, I noticed how close we were. We were lying face to face now, his strong arms still wrapped around me, keeping me impossibly close. Our chests brushed against each other with every breath, but for once, I didn’t feel shy or flustered. His words held my attention far more than our closeness.

"What are you talking about?" I asked softly as I tried to look for answers in his eyes. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Evander’s gaze held mine as it felt deep and unwavering. "Thank you," he repeated, his voice steady yet gentle. "For not giving up on me. For coming back to me and embracing me, even when I didn’t deserve it."

My chest tightened at his words. This was a side of Evander he rarely showed—a side I hadn’t been sure existed until now.

Just last night, he apologized to me, and now he was thanking me?

"I..." I started, but the lump in my throat stopped me as I didn’t know what to say. I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak. "Evander, I never gave up on you because I knew... deep down... I have always loved you!"

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Please comment if there are any repetition and mispells as I wrote very fast since my Chapter got deleted and I couldn’t recover it!