Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Chapter 98 Richard pov.

Facing the network had been a long tcoming. Sarah and I stood outside a grand, old building where the leaders had gathered.

Holding the incriminating evidence we'd collected over months, I took a deep breath. I glanced at Sarah, her eyes narrowed with determination, her chin set in that way that toldshe wasn't backing down.

She'd cso far, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride mixed with the fear of what we were walking into. But this was our only shot at freedom.

"Ready?" I asked though it was more forthan for her.

She nodded. "More than ready." Inside, the room was crowded with the high-ranking figures of the network. Their stares held nothing but cold, steely indifference, like they were sizing us up, wondering what two individuals thought they could do against them. But we had something they didn't: proof, cold and solid, that could bring down every last one of them. The leader, a man with silver hair and a smug smile, eyed us with disdain. "Well, Richard, you wanted an audience with us. Let's hear it, then. But I should warn you, we don't take kindly to empty threats." "Good thing we're not here to threaten," I said, reaching into my bag and pulling out a thick folder.

"We're here to offer you a way out. For everyone here." I made sure to meet his gaze, watching as his smile slipped slightly.

He eyed the folder suspiciously. "What's this?" "Proof," I replied, laying the folder on the table and flipping it open. "Every illegal transaction, every ninvolved, and all the payments that tie back to each of you." Silence settled around the room as they scanned the documents. The color seemed to drain from the leader's face.

Sarah and I had hit them where it hurt. These were men and women who thrived in the shadows, who lived to keep secrets hidden. And now, their entire world was on the line.

"You think you can blackmail us?" sneered another member, her voice sharp and trembling. But I caught the fear in her eyes; she knew the stakes.

Sarah stepped forward, her voice calm and controlled. "We're not blackmailing you. We're giving you a choice. Let us walk away-no threats, no tricks, no vendettas. Or, we hand over every last document to the authorities. And trust me, we've made sure it'll reach every media outlet in the country." A murmur rippled through the room, and I could almost see them calculating the costs. They'd lose everything if they tried to silence us.

One by one, I saw their expressions harden. They weren't just scared-they were furious. But they knew we'd cornered them.

The leader cleared his throat, trying to keep his composure. "This doesn't end here. You can't just walk away and expect us to let you live in peace. The network doesn't operate on mercy." Sarah raised an eyebrow, her tone ice-cold. "You'll let us walk away because you don't have a choice. And you're going to let us live our lives, free from your interference. That's the deal. Take it, or everything falls apart." The leaders exchanged uneasy glances. They were caught, and they knew it. I could almost see them weighing their options, but no one wanted to be the one who triggered the avalanche.

They had secrets about each other, no doubt, and we'd made sure to sow a few seeds of doubt about their loyalty to one another.

"Think about it," I said, taking a step back. "Right now, you're wondering if the person next to you is willing to give you up to protect themselves. It wouldn't take much, would it? Just one slip-up, and everything falls apart." The tension in the room spiked. They looked at each other, and I knew then that we'd struck a nerve.

Turning them against each other had been the final piece of our plan. They'd never fully trust one another again, and that was all we needed.

Finally, the leader nodded stiffly. "Fine. You can have your freedom. But don't think you've won, Richard. People in our world... they have long memories." Sarah didn't flinch. "Then consider this our way of helping you forget. Stay out of our lives, and we won't have any reason to remind you." We walked out, the silence of the leaders behind us more powerful than any threats they could've shouted.

As we stepped into the cool night air, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. It was done. We were free.

The relief washed over me, but it was tempered by the look on Sarah's face. She was staring straight ahead, her jaw tight, and I could tell that, despite the victory, there was one loose end still haunting her. "Susan," I muttered, more to myself than to her.

She nodded, her gaze still distant. "She won't let this go, you know. She's going to keep coming." I squeezed her hand, feeling the determination building inside me. "I'll handle her. I'll make sure she understands there's no place for her between us anymore." Later that night, Susan showed up at my office, livid, her face flushed with anger. "So, you think you've won, Richard? You think you can just erase me?" I took a deep breath, keeping my voice calm but firm. "It's over, Susan. You tried everything-manipulation, lies, threats. And look where it got you. Alone. I'm warning you, don't try anything else. Sarah and I... we're done with you." She scoffed, her eyes flashing. "Done with me? You can't just decide that, Richard. I made you. I know everything about you, every mistake, every flaw." I held her gaze, refusing to back down. "Then you should know by now that I don't respond well to threats. You had your chance, Susan, and you chose manipulation. That's not love, and it never was." She laughed bitterly, her voice dripping with scorn. "You think she'll stick around once she really knows you? Once she sees the things you're capable of?" I took a step forward, my voice low and steady. "She already knows. And she's still here. That's the difference between you and her, Susan. Sarah doesn't try to control me. She stands with me." The words seemed to sting her, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes. But then she straightened, her expression hardening. "This isn't over, Richard."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out, leaving a tense silence in her wake. didn't follow her. I didn't need to. I knew that, for now, we'd managed to break free from her hold.

The next morning, Sarah and I sat together, sipping coffee in the quiet calm of our home. I looked over at her, taking in the peace on her face. We'd fought hard for this moment, and I knew we'd keep fighting if we had to. "She'll cback, won't she?" Sarah asked quietly, her fingers tracing patterns on her coffee cup.

I shrugged, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Let her. We'll be ready. But for now, I think we've earned a little peace." A few days later, we heard the news: Susan had left the country. Maybe she'd realized there was nothing left for her here, or maybe she was planning something else.

But for now, she was gone, and that was all that mattered.

I looked at Sarah, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over me. We'd faced so much, seen the darkest parts of each other and still cout stronger. And as I took her hand, I knew that whatever cnext, we'd face it together. "Here's to us," I murmured, raising my coffee cup in a small toast. She smiled, her eyes shining with a warmth that went beyond words. "Here's to us."