A Divorce He Regrets (Alissa Nexus) novel Chapter 18

As I walked into Raina’s room, the anger that had been simmering inside me started to fade. There she was awake, glaring at me with the same defiance remembered so well. Despite the hostility in her eyes, I felt a sense of rellet, one I hated to admit to myself. No matter what she’d done, a part of me was…felined that she was okay,

I knew 1 shouldn’t feel anything for her after everything that had happened, yet the sight of her awake and fighting, even if it was against me, stirred something deep within me that 1 thought was long dead. But tenuldn’t let her see that. I forced inveself to focus on the situation, on the mess I had to hamille.

“Good to see you’re awake,” I muttered, my voice osid as I took a seat beside her bed. She didn’t reply, just kept glaring at me with all the hate in her eyes. It a matched mine. I took a steadying breath, reminding, unself why I was here, why I had to keep things in control. She was still the woman who had betrayed me, who’d wrecked everything 1’thought we had.

I’d told Dominic I would handle everything, that I’d make sure those responsible for Liam’s situation paid. But he needed to know it wouldn’t be quick or easy. Finding that doctor was going to take time; he’d disappeared as soon as things got complicated. As much as I wanted to snap my fingers and make everything right, I knew it wasn’t going to happen overnight And Raina, well, she’d just have to trust that I could handle it, even if she hated every second of it

As I stood there, my thoughts drifted to what this meant for her–how relieved she must be lowing she didn’t have to go through the transplant. No doubt, the Idea of keeping custody of Liam would seem like a victory to her now, even though I’d already decided I wasn’t going to make that part easy. It was my son’s well- being on the line, and I wasn’t about to compromise just because she was suddenly back in the picture.

The reality was, our deal–our entire arrangement had been based on an agreement that now held no weight. With the surgery out of the picture. I was free to revoke my part of it, no matter what we’d signed or discussed. The ink meant nothing without a reason to hold it together, and intended to use that to my advantage

But that wasn’t all. I knew I held a secret she Holy hadn’t anticipated. I’d never filed for divorce. Despite the years and the bittemess, on paper, she was still my wile. Maybe it was time to bury that detail, to use it as leverage if she tried to push me too far

She must have sensed the tension in my silence, the weight of things left unsaid. I looked at her, my mind shifting to the business at hand. “We have a lot ta -discuss,” I told her, my tone firm. I took a sit and I could see the flicker of something unreadable in her eyes as she held my gaze.

Before I could continue, she cut me off, “What do you intend to do about all of this?”

I paused, feeling the words catch in my throat. “You know,” I muttered, almost as a question, barely a statement

She straightened, her eyes namowing with impatience. “Am I not allowed to know?” Her voice had an edge to it. “Liam is my son, and I need to know what you plan to do

theld her gaze, her determination matching mine.

“Are you going to take your time, or actually do something about this?” she snapped, sounding disgusted, and her expression showed it.

i clenched my jaw, swallowing the urge to snap back. “I told you—I’m handling it.”

She scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “Some father you are.

Her words out deeper than I expected, and I felt a pang of guilt that I’d buried long ago. What was she getting at? I’d been doing everything I could to protect Liam -to give him the life he deserved. I’d searched for her for years, thinking that was what Liam needed most. But a small, nigging part of me wondered if she was night. Had I been so wrapped up in finding her, that I’d missed signs right in front of me?

What’s that

t supposed to mean?” I demanded, but she just shook her head, looking away. My frustration grew, and I could feel the anger bubbling up again.

Liam was my son. He was my priority, I should have noticed something was wrong. But I’d let myself get consumed by my hatred for her, by the idea that she had moved on so quiddy after the supposed divorce. I’d wanted so badly to believe she was at fault, to hold onto that anger because it was easier than facing the truth- that maybe, just maybe, I’d failed him too.

1 shook my head, pushing those thoughts away. I wasn’t here to psychoanalyze myself. I was here to fix things, and that was all that mattered. And now that Liam no longer reded abour marrow transpla tarrangement–gortwisted, transactional custody agreement-

it—was na longer necessary.

I took a deep breath, meeting her gaze with alundered look “Since there’s no surgery,

‚our deal is ult”

Her eyes widened, the shock evident as she processed what I’d said. For a split second, I almost smiled. Seeing her caught off guard was care, and thated how sallying it felt. But the feeling was fleeting, and I forced myself to stand, ready to leave

Haina struggled to get up, her movements unsteady, I almost reached out to steady het, instinct kicking in before I remembered why I was here. She practically stumbled toward me, and without thinking, Leight lot, our faces inches apart. Her gaze dropped to my lips, just for a heartbeat, before she seemned to snap back ta reality

“You can’t do that,” she said, her voice basely more than a whisper, yet laced with a resolve I recognized all too well.

I pulled back, reminding myself of the boundaries that were now etched between us. “I can, and I will.”

The deal had been straightforward. She would donate her marrow, and we would share custody. Without the transplant, there was no deal. She couldn’t argue her way around it, not this time.

Her expression changed, her eyes nanowing as she processed my words. And then, her lips curled to ask that caught me off guard. “Fine,” she said, her voice dripping with defiance. “Then the Vice Project is off as well.”

I could feel my grip on the situation slipping, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me rattled. I forced myself to leave, anger boiling beneath my skin as 1 stormed out of the room. She’d always been a challenge, but I hadn’t expected her in fight back with such ferocity. The thought was as infuriating as it was Intriguing

I needed to get away, to clear my head. When I arrived home, I end Vanessa and Elizadeep in conversation, their voices hushed. It was odd–they were never ones to care about keeping their voices down. The house was usually filled with their laughter and gossip, a constant reminder of the life I’d tried to build, to replace the one I’d lost.

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