CLAIMING BACK MY EX-WIFE

CHAPTER 1: SIGNED AWAY

Luke Washington never cared for traditions. He had no interest in settling down, no need for love, and certainly no patience for forced commitments. Yet, here he was, seated across from the man who had shaped his entire life, the only person he had ever feared disappointing was his grandfather, Henry Washington.

The old man sat with his cane resting against the side of his chair, his sharp blue eyes unwavering as he delivered the words that made Luke’s blood run cold.

"If you don’t marry within the next month, I will put an end to this myself."

Luke exhaled sharply. "Grandfather, you can’t be serious."

Henry leaned forward. "Do I look like a man who makes empty threats?"

Luke knew better than to call his bluff. The Washington name wasn’t built on kindness or patience. It was built on power, on ruthless decision-making. Henry had clawed his way to the top, and he expected Luke to carry on the legacy. But this? This was insanity.

"You’ve controlled my life for as long as I can remember," Luke said, his voice calm but edged with defiance. "But you don’t get to dictate this."

Henry tapped his fingers on the polished oak desk between them. "I’m not asking, Luke. I’m telling you. I built this empire, and I’ll be damned if I see it collapse because my heir refuses to act like a man."

Luke clenched his jaw. "Marriage won’t change anything."

"It will change everything," Henry countered. "You’re reckless. Unattached. People are beginning to doubt your ability to lead. A wife will stabilize your image, show the world you are a man of responsibility."

Luke knew this had nothing to do with love. Henry wasn’t the sentimental type. This was about appearances, about securing the Washington name for generations to come.

"And if I refuse?" Luke challenged.

For the first time, Henry’s expression softened. But it wasn’t relief or understanding that passed through his features rather it was something far worse.

Defeat.

"Then I have nothing left to live for," Henry said quietly.

Luke stilled. His grandfather had always been a force of nature, a man who never backed down. But now, in his eighties, he was showing cracks of tiredness and vulnerability.

When Henry pushed himself up, wobbling slightly, Luke instinctively moved to help. But Henry swatted his hand away.

"I’ve made up my mind, Luke," he said, walking toward the open balcony doors. The city skyline stretched out beyond them, the wind tugging at Henry’s suit.

And then he stepped forward.

Luke surged toward him, grabbing his arm before he could go any further.

"Fine," Luke hissed. "You win. I’ll marry."

Henry’s lips twitched upward in satisfaction as he allowed Luke to pull him back inside.

Luke gritted his teeth. He needed a solution. A wife who wouldn’t expect love. A woman who could be bought and controlled.

Then, he found the perfect candidate. And that was Stacy George.

Stacy George sat stiffly in the leather chair, her fingers gripping the hem of her dress. Across from her, Luke Washington looked as unbothered as ever, his suit crisp, his demeanor cold.

Between them lay a contract.

Her father sat beside her, his head bowed, hands wringing together as if praying for mercy. But mercy didn’t exist in Luke’s world.

"You’re using me as payment," Stacy said, her voice steady despite the pain in her chest.

Luke barely glanced at her. "Your father owes me twenty million dollars," he said simply. "Unless you have that kind of money lying around, this is the only way he walks out of here without losing everything."

Stacy’s hands curled into fists. "You’re a billionaire. That money means nothing to you."

"Then consider it an inconvenience I want repaid," he replied smoothly.

She hated how unaffected he was, how he sat there as if this was just another business deal. And maybe to him, it was. But to her? It was a prison sentence.

Her father finally spoke, his voice shaking. "Stacy, please. I didn’t want this, but there’s no other way."

She turned to him, betrayal burning in her chest. "So you’re just going to sell me off?"

Her father’s face crumpled. "It’s not like that—"

"But it is," she snapped, her voice rising. "You let this happen!"

Luke sighed, checking his watch. "I don’t have all night. You can either sign, or I’ll call my lawyers and have your father bankrupt by morning."

Stacy’s pulse pounded in her ears. This wasn’t a choice. This was coercion wrapped in a designer suit.

Luke slid the pen toward her.

She stared at it, knowing that once she signed, there was no turning back.

The room felt suffocating as Stacy reached for the pen. She could feel Luke’s eyes on her, watching, waiting for her to surrender.

She didn’t want to. She wished she could run, but where we she run to? Her father had ruined their lives, and now Luke Washington held all the power.

With a steady breath, she pressed the pen against the paper.

One stroke. Another.

And just like that, she was no longer Stacy George.

She was Stacy Washington.

Luke barely spared the contract a glance before standing. "You’ll move in tomorrow. Pack your things."

Tears burned the back of her throat, but she swallowed them down. She wouldn’t cry. Not in front of him.

Her father reached for her, his eyes glassy. "Stacy—"

"Don’t," she whispered, pulling away. "You did this."

Luke’s security entered the room, signaling the end of their conversation. Stacy turned, walking out the door without looking back.

The drive to Luke’s estate was eerily silent. Stacy sat in the back of the sleek black car, staring out at the city lights.

Her father’s voice echoed in her head. I had no choice.

Maybe he didn’t. But neither did she.

When the car pulled up to a grand estate—one that looked more like a fortress than a home—Stacy felt a chill run through her. The gates opened slowly, swallowing her whole.

A man in a suit opened her door. "Welcome, Mrs. Washington."

The title felt foreign.

Luke stepped out of the car without a glance in her direction, already moving toward the mansion.

Stacy followed, but she knew the truth.

She wasn’t walking into a home.

She was stepping into a cage.