Dear Ex-wife Marry Me by Twin Bridge

The cab driver clearly didn't buy her story. As Athena prepared to get out, he kept on with his concerned advice.

"Listen, sweetheart, your boyfriend seems like a good guy. That car following us? Bet it's his, right? Even after a fight, he's worried about you riding home alone."

Athena glanced down the street and, sure enough, spotted Tyler's car parked a short distance away.

But she didn't go to him. Right now, her mind was consumed by a need to uncover the truth from all those years ago.

Back in her apartment, Athena immediately pulled out her phone, searching online for information about that actor-Adam. But all she could find was his name; any details about his family were vague at best.

With nowhere else to turn, she messaged a few old contacts from the tabloid circuit, hoping someone might have dug up more about Adam's background.

Despite all her years in showbiz, Athena had never really built up much of a network. She disliked socializing, and now, faced with this investigation, she found herself at a loss.

She sat on her couch, wired some money to those reporters, but the information that came back was frustratingly sparse. No one seemed to know how to reach Adam's mother or his younger brother.

Athena's anxiety grew. She finally had a few leads, but now she was stuck, unsure how to move forward.

She crossed to the window and peered out. Tyler's car was still parked below.

If it were Tyler, with his connections, he'd probably have the answer in no time.

She drew a deep breath, thoughts spinning, but in the end, her decision was made. She grabbed her keys and headed out.

Downstairs, she stopped in front of Tyler's car. He was in the driver's seat, lost in thought, but when he saw her, surprise flashed across his face.

Athena tapped on the window. Tyler rolled it down right away. "Tyler."

He opened his mouth, clearly expecting her to tell him to leave.

But Athena's gaze lingered on his face. She noticed a tiny mole had reappeared

at the tip of his nose-exactly where it used to be.

For some reason, her heart ached at the sight.

She'd barely noticed during their talk earlier that he'd gone and had the mole put back. Typical Tyler-always the player pretending to have turned

Lover

a new leaf Why bother with this charade?

s

Her emotions tangled, but she couldn't help but ask, "So, your mole is back again?"

Tyler stiffened, like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.

"It's my face, isn't it? I can do what I want with it! If I want to put it back, I will. What's it got to do with you? What, you came down here to kid kick me out? Newsflash, you don't own this street-I can park wherever I want." s

He was halfway through his tirade when Athena suddenly leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

It was as fleeting as a spring shower, but Tyler's pupils shrank as if struck by lightning. Every sharp word died in his throat.

A moment later, Athena walked around and slid into the passenger seat.

"You-"

"You-"

He stammered twice, lips trembling, utterly lost for words.

Athena buckled her seatbelt, leaned back, and said, "Let's not stay here. Take me home with you."

Tyler drove back in a daze,

half-convinced he was dreaming More than once he glanced over at the passenger seat, wondering if he was hallucinating from missing her so much. s

When they finally pulled up outside his house, he gripped the steering wheel in silence, making no move to get out.

Athena turned to him. "What kind of soup do you want tomorrow? I've learned a few new recipes lately."

That simple question hooked Tyler so completely, he forgot to breathe.

He didn't dare ask why Athena had suddenly changed her mind, or why she was

being kind again. He just followed her inside, his heart pounding.

In the bedroom, his hands moved with practiced ease, undressing her.

Athena didn't resist.

Tyler lost himself in her, clutching her as if afraid she'd vanish, kissing her over and over. He couldn't bear to let her go-not even as dawn broke through the window.

Chapter 2197

Athena was truly exhausted. More than once, she nearly drifted off to sleep, only to be jolted awake by what they were doing.

She gazed at Tyler, who was sprawled over her, his cheeks flushed with color and sweat streaming down his brow.

For all his faults, Tyler certainly kept himself in good shape.

She cupped his face in her hands, suddenly realizing she really did prefer him with that little mole. If it disappeared, she doubted she'd even want to speak to him.

But as Tyler looked at her, his eyes turned red and watery.

Damn it.

She couldn't deny it she did love that mole.

Thank God he'd had it put back.

He pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers with a desperate hunger, as if he wanted to merge her into himself completely.

Athena ended up sleeping through most of the day. She'd planned to get up early and make some soup, but after the way Tyler had kept her up half the night, she simply didn't have the strength to drag herself out of bed.

By the time she finally woke, the last rays of sunset were painting the windows gold.

She rolled over and heard him on the phone.

"Yeah, that's right. I had the mole restored. Mind your own business. So what if it's embarrassing? It's my life, not yours. And don't push me—I'm not in the mood."

Back when Tyler had the mole removed, everyone had asked him about it. He'd just shrugged and said it was his body, his choice.

But it wasn't long before he went and had the mole put back, and of course, people got curious-why the change of heart?

Tyler refused to say a word about it, except to snap at Bert, who knew the truth.

If Bert hadn't egged him on, Tyler wouldn't have broken up with Athena so soon after they started seeing each other.

At least Bert had the sense to try to talk some sense into him.

"Look, man, when you landed in the hospital after your breakup, she didn't even visit you. And now she suddenly comes back? Doesn't that seem fishy? I'm not against you two getting back together, but if she's just going to hurt you again, maybe it's time to move on. You've never really dated before, maybe that's why you're so stuck. Why don't we just go out and clear your head for a bit?"

Bert was a bit of a jerk, sure, but he had Tyler's back.

In the past, neither of them had exactly been upstanding citizens.

Tyler wasn't stupid-he knew Athena's attitude was odd. But did it matter? Whatever she wanted, he was willing to give it.

But when dinner came and Athena finally revealed her real reason for coming back, Tyler nearly lost it.

He looked at her face across the table. Even through her oversized T-shirt he could see the faint marks left on her skin from last night, but her words were cold, detached. s

Athena's expression was calm, her tone unwavering.

"I want you to look into Adam's mother and younger brother for me. Kerwin drowned trying to save his brother. When Adam was drunk, he let slip that five million suddenly appeared in his mother's account back then. I want to know if someone paid for Kerwin's life." s

Tyler gripped his fork, saying nothing. Kerwin. Again-Kerwin!

Why was she still obsessing over someone who was gone?

He felt a wave of frustration rising, tempted to lash out, but he knew if he did, she might just walk out and never come back.

He stared down at his glass of milk, misery churning in his chest.

"I'll do it," he said finally, "I'll help you investigate everything that happened with Kerwin. But you have to agree to my terms, too."

"What terms?"

Tyler dropped his gaze, tracing the rim of his glass with his finger. His Adam's

apple bobbed as he seemed to weigh his words.

A minute ticked by before he spoke.

"Marry me."

Athena blinked, thinking she must have misheard. Everyone knew Tyler didn't believe in marriage.

"What?"

She responded instinctively, her disbelief plain.Chapter 2198

After he finished speaking, he stood up, grabbed his suit jacket from the back of the chair, and walked straight out the door.

Athena remained seated at the dining table, unmoving. For once, she didn't want to think about anything. She was exhausted.

As soon as Tyler left the house, he headed straight to Bert's place.

When he opened Bert's front door, he was greeted by clothes strewn all over the living room floor.

Unfazed, Tyler kicked the mess aside and dropped onto the couch.

Bert was tangled up with a woman on the other side of the room, lost in a passionate embrace. When they noticed Tyler, Bert recoiled in shock, instantly losing interest.

"Tyler?"

The woman in Bert's arms shrieked-clearly, she hadn't expected anyone to walk in at such a moment.

Tyler lit a cigarette, ignoring them both.

Bert rubbed his forehead with a sigh and gently coaxed the woman, telling her it was time to leave.

She scrambled to collect her clothes, head down, and hurried out.

Wearing nothing but a bath towel, Bert strode over and slumped down next to Tyler.

"Man, can you at least give me a heads-up before you drop by next time?" Tyler sat there, cigarette dangling from his fingers, looking utterly defeated. Bert frowned, puzzled. Weren't he and Athena back on good terms last night? Why did Tyler look like he'd just lost everything?

"What happened? Weren't you bragging on the phone this morning? I'll say it— honestly, you look better with that mole. The women always liked it too."

Tyler stubbed out his cigarette, his voice rough. "She only changed her attitude because she wants to find out the truth about Kerwin's death."

Bert grabbed a bottle of juice, took a swig, and shrugged. "What's the point of digging into some guy's death after all these years? Even if she gets answers, nothing will change. The dead don't come back, That's why I don't get women sometimes. If a guy loses his true love, he'll have a new girlfriend

before you know it."

to s

Everyone in their circle knew it—the men who lost their wives seemed to bounce back fast, playing the field without a care. But the few women who lost their

husbands? Most of them never really moved on.

There was a real difference between men and women, Bert thought.

He thought about his own family. Years ago, his older sister had died in childbirth: When the doctors

asked whether to save her or thet

baby, she chose the baby, saying she wanted the child to stay with the man she loved-a living symbol of their love. s

then, his sister

the sight of

Bert thought. He was no exception.

women insisted on

If she just held on to Tyler, she could

insisted on digging into her first love's death, keeping a wedge between herself and Tyler

Bert snatched it

Chapter 2199

and Bert couldn't be

them ended up killing time playing video games, Tyler glancing at his phone every now and

evening that his phone finally rang. Athena was

day, but at those words, he dropped his controller without hesitation and headed

sprawled out on the couch, raised his

food delivery's almost here,

home. Athena made soup,"

a hint of pride in

and, within half an hour,

the door, the familiar, comforting aroma hit

the kitchen, apron tied

eyes sting. He realized then how

by his side for just a while longer. After that, everything he owned

with nothing, making sure she'd

love him. If something happened to him, it probably wouldn't

stepped into the kitchen. "What kind of soup is it? Smells amazing," he asked, trying to sound

soup into a small bowl

drinking with Bert

like Bert much, and

else," he said. Then, after a

the food, setting out a plate for him and serving some rice. The two of them sitting together at the dinner table-it had been so long since they'd had

want to say anything to shatter the calm. He quietly sipped his soup,

you want to marry me? You know I'm only doing this to get to the bottom of

know," he replied

If we're getting married ters get a prenup Let's add up what I've saved and

take a cent from Tyler if they divorced. She just didn't want him to worry about it she figured a prenup would put his mind at ease.

down at his bowl, silent and lost in

a long time, Athena assumed his quiet meant he agreed.

asked, "If I died tomorrow, would you be even a

surviving ten years after a procedure like that was a miracle. And

s

CUMS

his reckless lifestyle-it felt like he was squandering a life others

yet he didn't seem to

Athena's answer, but when he saw her frown and purse her lips, he realized just how

ache settled in his chest, and he fell silent, sipping the

to sleep in a separate room. But after his shower, he walked into his bedroom and saw her there,

of inspiration struck him-he'd

laughed for a while, then seemed to realize she'd never laughed so

side in bed, Tyler kept thinking about her smile. He tossed and turned,

buzzed with messages from his usual crew, asking if he wanted to go out for drinks. Tyler ignored them. All he could think about was that Athena had agreed to marry him-did that mean they could get

rolled over,

the idea of marriage—especially since the groom was Tyler, something she'd never imagined for

to marry me, why don't we go get our

wait

this whole marriage thing would be at least three months down the line. She hadn't expected him to be so eager. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond, but

get married after all, or lose interest in finding out what really happened to Kerwin.

As soon as dawn broke, he was up, pulling on a new suit.

"Getting married today."

was obvious-Bert called

joking, right? You're actually doing it? Athena

watching Tyler march

in his group chat with lan and the others. Silence at first, then

five reaction gifs in a row, all expressing

then finally offered up some congratulations. Tyler, feeling more than satisfied, picked Athena up

picture of their marriage certificate, posted it on Facebook, and sent it to his group chats. Immediately, the

married? He tagged several people just to make sure it was real. But once Tyler showed off

"The bride's really unlucky."

to fight back. He decided

Maja, having left their kid at home. Abner Olson

girl who barely looked up from her food, except to bear shyly at Dylan now and then Dylan, as stoio

Chapter 2201

emotion, but for

table still carried a hint of awkwardness, until Carol Miller started chatting with Athena Zade about the TV shows she'd filmed. That's when Maja realized Carol had actually watched Athena's series. The tension in Athena's

there's just an unspoken understanding

Carol reached

for a few episodes? I remember

when someone's being genuine their eyes

loved her work. She remembered

Doris kiss Tyler Bennitt, she'd cut off all contact. It still stung; she knew things could never go back to how they

alone. But now, with Carol reaching out, she felt a

my contract, so I couldn't keep filming. That's why my character had

was such a fan favorite. If you'd finished the role, I bet your

her eyes crinkling with genuine

the women stood together, chatting and laughing, Tyler

a glimpse

waiting for him outside. Tyler paused, not moving toward

men, eager to get to their wives, shot him a puzzled look as

almost to

like that when she

in his tracks, memories of his own past with Maja flickering through his

don't we all head back to your place tonight? It's been ages since we've all hung out together. Let's have

visibly relaxed. "Yeah, let's do

ahead to

and lan

eyes. "Honestly, I never thought he'd

Maja over. "Yeah, and who would've guessed you'd drop to your knees the moment you met

He drew in a deep breath. "Do you have to take a jab at me

can I say? Maja's not exactly your biggest fan. If I'm too nice to you, I'll be

dry laugh. "Whipped, are

"Not like you're any better. I hear you spend half your life trying to figure out what Carol likes and buying her gifts, just to sta on her good

each other, I don't even know how to make things better

calling his latest projecthe industry's next

Ian had hit a

piled into

as she immediately started quizzing Athena about every bit of juicy gossip she

heard on that show you worked on, the director and the producer got together.

flaunting something like that publicly was still

time ago-Athena always seemed wrapped in a deep, impenetrable loneliness, especially when she was alone. It was as if she might vanish at any

it until he learned what happened

there had been countless moments when Athena wanted to just let go, to leave everything behind. He had no idea what kept her going, what

because she seemed so distant, so empty of

he paid attention, the more he found himself caring about what she thought

with

blew up, it was all anyone talked about-impossible not

a little cold, but after meeting her today, she realized there was a quiet gentleness about her, a core

them chatted quietly together. The men stayed out in the garden, not coming in to interrupt, and every so often, they'd send over little snacks

grabbed Athena's

with us more often. Don't spend all your time with men. With men, the more you settle, the

was nothing more than a business arrangement. In her mind, she was earnestly

long moment, then finally asked, "But what if

were Tyler's friends. If they found out the marriage was just a calculated

Athena felt dizzy with warmth, thinking how nice it was to have friends. But as soon as she calmed down, she reminded herself

Kerwin's situation was resolved, she'd find some excuse to divorce Tyler, leave Greenfield, and

Maja just paused before responding. "Isn't that even better?" Carol said. "At least you won't get hurt. When I heard you

finished with a dramatic roll of

catching Maja nodding in emphatic agreement out of the corner

from Athena's chest-so this

it was already one in

Standing

ready to leave and out of nowhere a wave of reluctant

the door, Athena

since she'd felt this way about

then suddenly turned around and pulled Athena into a

don't forget to come hang out with

stiff and awkward, and it took her a second

was quiet again, she turned

friends are really nice," she

and alt of them were so accomplished men and

everyone had treated her with genuine kindness, not the forced

seem to care

envious of Tyler. She opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it and fell silent.Chapter

She never imagined there

years and never once had she seen his parents

five million dollars for someone to

whole ordeal behind her and

you find Adam's mother

his mother still wanted him to pay for his little brother's treatment,

can come with me

years, but she'd never seen him

had cut ties with them without a second thought. At least, that's what the

toward romance, but he was genuinely loyal to his

know what kind of person Tyler was, but now that she was working with

as promised he took her to see the

disappeared, and Kerwin was rushed into

before; she knew how dark and complicated people could be. She'd always thought Kerwin had just been unlucky. But if this had all

pounding the whole drive

the height of his youth, full of promise. He had no obvious

doing research, developing new soybean technology

imports anymore.

fo .net

ambition only the young could say

was about to start working under a

someone like him ust thinking back felt

of a narrow alley. She followed

finally saw the woman from

was a deep worry etched there too-no doubt for her younger

her age; maybe that five million dollars had given her a whole new lease on life She'd thrown herself into one scheme after another spent money recklessly and now that the

to the son she'd

Chapter 2204

hell are

with fear, beads

She pulled a photo from her

you remember this

woman's face drained of color the instant she saw the picture. Clearly,

know him! I swear

show business had taught Athena every trick in the book when it came to getting answers. She was just about to grind the heel of her boot into the woman's hand when Tyler

are you

a moment, she had no answer. Tyler had never seen this side of her before. He knew her as gentle, tough, reserved, unwavering-but

her, the woman's fingers

now.

was nothing Athena wouldn't

over Tyler, and he barely contained his anger. "Let them handle the interrogation. All you need to do is

hand and slammed her foot down

was torn between frustration and heartbreak, the bitterness nearly choking him. He wanted to storm out, but he didn't. Instead, he dropped heavily into a nearby chair,

"I'll sue you! All of you! I'm calling the

crouched down, her voice cold and steady. "Who paid you to hire a hitman back then? Do you remember

lunge at Athena if given the chance. But the two bodyguards had her pinned to the floor, leaving

the bed. She

rescued him-old enough to understand what was going on. And yet, he'd helped his

played along, Kerwin would never have

seven years old, and already a

boy hit the floor with a thud and snapped awake, his face pale

thrusting it in front of him. "Do you remember