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

Richard

pov.

The call from the police came just after dawn, jarring me awake in the cold, uncomfortable chair next to Sarah's hospital bed.

I fumbled with my phone, heart pounding as I stepped into the hallway to answer.

"We've located Susan," the officer said. "She's in custody. We'd like you to come down to the station."

My grip tightened around the phone. The relief I felt was fleeting, quickly replaced by anger. "I'll be there," I said, my voice low.

Zoe appeared beside me as I hung up. She had been sitting with Sarah through the night, taking turns with Martins to ensure I wasn't alone.

Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but her concern for Sarah mirrored my own.

"Was that about Susan?" she asked.

I nodded. "They've got her. I'm heading to the station."

"I'm coming with you," she said firmly.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Stay here. I need someone I trust to be with Sarah."

She hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But keep me updated."

When I arrived at the police station, Martins was already there, leaning against a wall in the waiting area. He straightened when he saw me, his expression grim.

"This better be good," he muttered.

"Let's hope it gives us answers," I replied.

The officer led us to the interrogation room, where Susan sat handcuffed to the table. She looked nothing like the woman I remembered-the confident, polished ex who had once been a part of my life. Instead, she was disheveled, her hair tangled and her face pale. But her eyes still held that familiar glint of cunning, a reminder of why I had ended things with her in the first place.

"Richard," she said with a small, almost mocking smile as I entered. "Long time no see."

"Susan," I said coldly, taking the seat across from her. Martins stood beside me, his arms crossed.

The officer gestured for Susan to speak, and for a moment, she just sat there, staring at me. Then, she shrugged. "Well, I guess this is the part where I spill my guts, huh?"

"Start with why," I said, my voice hard. "Why did you do this? Why involve Isabella? Why target Sarah?"

Her smile faltered, and she leaned back in her chair, studying me. "You really don't get it, do you?" she said bitterly. "You think you can just toss people aside and move on without consequences?"

I frowned. "What are you talking about? We broke up a year ago. You were the one who couldn't let go."

the one who humiliated me," she shot back. "You moved on so quickly, parading your perfect little fiancée around while I was still trying to pick

is about you putting lives at risk. You helped a mentally unstable woman escape a

venomous. "Because I wanted you to feel what

"So you manipulated

with you, convinced you were

voice shaking

together. Tell me, Richard, how does it feel?" I stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. Martins placed a hand on my shoulder, grounding me before I could say or do something I'd regret.

nodded, stepping forward to escort Susan out of the room. She didn't resist, but as she passed me, she leaned in close enough for only me to

your happy ending while it lasts," she whispered. "It's only a matter of time

refusing to

***

and Martins. Sarah was still unconscious, her face pale against the hospital pillows. The

news is we have enough to bury Susan in court," he

everything. And once Isabella's back in the psychiatric hospital where she belongs, we can focus on Sarah and the baby." "Burying her isn't enough," I said, my voice low. "I want her held accountable for every single thing she's done. I want her

right now, you need to focus on Sarah.

arrest of Susan brought a strange kind of relief mixed with fury. I knew this was far from over,

sat by Sarah's bedside, her pale face and the sound of the machines hooked

her hand gently, scared that even

The doctors assured me Sarah's condition was stable, but the word

went, checking her vitals, adjusting the machines, and offering me sympathetic smiles,

were my lifelines. They stayed close, taking turns keeping me company and managing things I

hand, was already in full lawyer mode, piecing together a case that would hold Susan

review the evidence. Martins came with me, his calm, analytical

laid out what they had uncovered

he said, pointing to a

access and posed as a nurse. We're still working to identify

I leaned forward, staring at the screen. "And

found that the access code to your penthouse hadn't been changed in years, and she

so focused on protecting

me," I muttered, running a hand

you. You

Fault or

building a case so airtight that Susan wouldn't have a chance to wiggle out of it. He spent hours on the phone, coordinating with the prosecution and preparing

one evening as we sat in the hospital cafeteria. Zoe had taken over my spot by Sarah's

try to claim diminished responsibility, but we have her confession on record.

steady beep of the machines, the tiny

of it. "Confession. Strong

his chair. "Look, I get it. Your mind's with Sarah, and it should be. But this case is important. If we win, Susan gets what she deserves, and Sarah

I can't stop thinking about her, about what

"She's alive. The baby's alive. That's what matters

weeks, and Sarah's condition remained unchanged. The doctors said her body was healing, but her mind hadn't