A Divorce He Regrets (Alissa Nexus) novel Chapter 9

I loosened my tie the second 1 crossed the threshold of my home, tension knotted so deeply in my shoulders it felt like a band threatening to snap. I’d finally closed the deal with the Grahams. It was a victory I’d been working toward for years, and yet, standing here, it was the last thing I wanted to celebrate. No, that triumph was bollow now, muted by the sight of her–Raina. The way she looked at me, daring me to challenge her, dely her. She had the audacity to show up so camally. like she hadn’t abandoned everything, like she hadn’t walked out on nur son

And she wasn’t the woman I’d once known. Gone was the softness, the eagerness to please, the quiet smiles. She stood before me with all the poise and confidence I’d grown to despise, cold and cutting as a blade. And yet. It was almost invigorating, in a way that tore me up inside

1 was barely two steps in when my mother’s shrill voice tore through the silence. “Alexander! Are we now among the elite, or did we just waste five years chasing the Grahams?”

wanted to len

co ignore her. I wanted a moment of peace to process everything, to sort through this mess in my head. But my mother never was o

“Yes, Mother,” I replied, tersely. “We signed the deal.

ver was one for silence.

Hertelt up in satisfaction, as if our entire future now rested in the lap of lory. To her, this wasn’t just a deal, it was security, validation, the status she had craved to decades. But I didn’t share her delight. For me, this was about something entirely different now.

“I’m calling oft the wedding to Eliza,” I said abruptly. I met her gaze, feeling the weight of her shock as I threw down that verbal gauntlet.

“What?” Her passion rightened, her voice becoming a sharp hiss of frustration. “Don’t be a fool, Alexander! This is the second time you’re calling off a wedding with her family! First for Raina, and now that Raina’s back, you’re just tossing Eliza aside? Think of our connections, think of your future!”

“This isn’t about connections,” I replied flatly, though the irony of that statement wasn’t lost on me. “It’s about Liam, Raina is back, and that means she’s his only

She folded her arms, glowering. “You think she’s just going to drop everything to save the son she abandoned?”

A bitter laugh escaped me. It only she imew. Baina had changed, maybe as much as Chad, if not more. The old Raina would’ve fallen over herself to apologize, to make things right, to do whatever I asked of her even though she never truly abandoned Liam, since I took him away from her. But this Raina? She was ready to negotiate, to mampulate, to demand her own pound of flesh.

”

“Raina’s going to help Liam,” I said coldly, dismissing the part of me that wondered just how far she would make me go. “That’s all that matters right now.

The fury on my mother’s face was palpable, but I didn’t stay to watch it simmer. I went up to my room, the echo of her anger chasing after me. But it wasn’t my mother’s voice that haunted me through the silence of the night. It was Raina’s her words, sharp and cutting, biting down to the core of every reason I’d told myself I was in the right.

What right do you have to ask this of me

Her voice lingered, heavy with resentment, almost daring me to justify myself. Maybe she was right. But she was alan his mother. What kind of mother wouldn’t be willing to save her own son, regardless of her grievances? And yet, her last words to me those words she’d left hanging in the air like a warning. You know what t Want Custody.

The thought of her taking Liam away twisted something in my gut She wanted custody? Fig. I’d fight her. I’d make her do the procedure, save him, and then I’d make sure she never got within ten feet of him again..

The next morning, I didn’t even get the benefit of my anger cooling off. I was still groggy when I heard Eliza’s shoill voice shattering what little peace I’d managed to scrape together She stormed into my room, her face flushed, eyes blazing, and I knew exactly what this was about before she even said a word.

Are you really calling of the wedding, Alexander?” she demanded, her voice trembling with disbeliet

I look a steadying breath, willing myself to remain calin. “Yes.” I said curtly, not sure of the explanation to give her. Her face crumpled, and for a fleeting second, guilt pricked through me. Eliza had been nothing but patient, loyal even, in her own way. But this wasn’t about her. It never was.

“This is about her, isn’t it?” she spat, her eyes narrowing, voice thick with accusation, “Raina. It always goes back to her

I stayed silent, knowing any response would only dig the kite deeper.

A litter, mirthless laugh escaped her, “You’re pathetic, Alexander She left you. She left y

your son And yet you stil-+

“Eliza, enough,” I cut her off, my voice low and unyielding. “This isn’t about us. It’s about Llans.”

“Then go to her,” she snapped, barely able to look at me. “Thow everything away for the woman who walked out on you. I hope you regret it.”

She left before I could say anything else, her heels echoing down the hallway, the heavy thud of the door marking her departure Alone, the only thing I could do was get ready and head to the office, dreading what the day beld

The last person I expected to see sitting in my office was Raina. She was three, standing by my desk, Hipping through documents with the same composure that had faunted me yesterday. My space—one I’d gone to great lengths to keep entirely separate from her felt invaded, maned by her mere presence. And yet there was a certainty in her gar that made me feel like the intruder

She looked up briefly, her eyes meeting mine with that maddeningly cool indifference. “Dominic wanted me to personally deliver these to you.”

She handed me a stack of documents, and I flipped through them as she stood silently. Detailed funding projections, partnerships outlined, the backing of powerful companies. It was all there, confirming that the Grahams were as committed as I’d hoped. For a moment, I felt a sense of relief, but Raina’s presence overshadowed it.

-straightened, her shoulders tense “You know what 1 want,” she said, her voice cold and firm. “That’s the only way 1’1 də it.”

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