HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 154

**Shadows of the Past – By Emma Clarke**
**Chapter 154**

A laugh escaped Daven’s lips, but it was tinged with a profound sorrow, a poignant bitterness that lingered in the air. The sound dissipated rapidly, leaving an oppressive silence in its wake.

“میری دادی، یہ میرے دل کو توڑ دیا۔” He paused, his voice thick with emotion. “اور کسی نہ کسی طرح، آپ کے وارننگز ونیسا کے بارے میں میرے دماغ میں گونج رہی ہیں۔ اُس وقت، میں نے سوچا کہ یہ صرف اس لیے ہے کہ آپ اسے پسند نہیں کرتی تھیں۔ یہاں تک کہ جب آپ نے اپنی آنکھیں آخری بار بند کیں، آپ نے ہمیں اپنی دعا نہیں دی۔”

With a slow exhalation, he raised his gaze to the sky above Mighatan. The sun shone brightly, yet clouds dotted the horizon like scattered thoughts. The warmth of the sun was gentle, and a cool breeze brushed against his skin, but inside him, a storm raged.

“اگر مجھے مستقبل دکھایا گیا ہوتا، تو میں کبھی بھی الٹھیہ کو جانے نہ دیتا۔ میں آپ کی بات مانتا، اُس سے محبت کرنا سیکھتا۔” His voice trailed off, becoming softer, heavier with regret. “لیکن اب سب کچھ بہت دیر ہو چکا ہے۔ میری محبت اور وفاداری کا بدلہ مجھے دھوکے سے دیا گیا- اُس شخص سے جس سے میں نے سب کچھ لڑا۔”

Daven released a long, heavy sigh, the sound filled with frustration and a deep, aching sadness that seemed to echo through the quiet cemetery.

“دادی… کیا آپ میری مدد کر سکتی ہیں؟ صرف ایک بار،” وہ سرگوشی کی، اپنی انگلیوں کو اپنی دادی کے نام سے کندہ کردہ قبر کے پتھر پر چلاتے ہوئے۔ “جب بھی میں مشکل میں ہوتا، آپ نے کبھی بھی میری مدد کرنے کی شکایت نہیں کی۔ اس بار… میں آپ سے بھیک مانگ رہا ہوں۔ شاید، صرف شاید- آپ تیار ہوں گی۔”

He knew how absurd it must seem, talking to a gravestone. It was an impossible request, yet somehow, voicing his desperation lightened the heavy burden pressing down on his heart.

“میری مدد کریں کہ جوش گرے سن کا ڈی این اے ٹیسٹ میرے بیٹے کے طور پر واپس آئے۔ میں یہ بہت چاہتا ہوں، دادی۔ آپ کر سکتی ہیں، کیا نہیں؟”

Suddenly, the sound of light footsteps crunching on the gravel path behind him broke his reverie. He turned, and his breath caught in his throat.

Althea Grayson.

She stood a few meters away, her presence both a surprise and a jolt to his system, accompanied by a familiar face—Chase Miller.

Her expression mirrored his astonishment, but then, to his surprise, she offered a stiff, almost guarded smile. Without uttering a word, she walked toward his grandmother’s grave, placing the bouquet she had brought delicately onto the stone, and bowed her head in a silent tribute.

Daven remained silent too. Even the simplest greeting felt laden with unspoken words and heavy emotions. Instead, his gaze shifted to Chase, their eyes locking in a silent understanding—both men were acutely aware of the awkwardness that hung in the air like a thick fog.

“I hope you’re always happy, Gran,” Althea said softly, her lips forming a faint smile that barely touched her eyes. “آپ کو اب میری فکر کرنے کی ضرورت نہیں ہے۔ اب ایک شخص ہے- ایسا شخص جو میرے لیے کچھ بھی کرنے کو تیار ہے، جو مجھے تکلیف نہیں ہونے دے گا، اور اگر میں روتی ہوں، تو میں جانتی ہوں کہ وہ وہی ہوگا جو سب سے زیادہ پریشان ہوگا۔”

She paused, her voice dropping even lower, filled with a tenderness that seemed to reverberate through the air.

“I wanted to bring him here to meet you… but I suppose the timing isn’t right. I’ve just been told my business here is finished.” Her fingertips brushed lightly over the gravestone, as if seeking a connection. “I hope… someday, we’ll all be together again- when I can proudly introduce you to a man who loves me without reason, and who has no intention of ever breaking my heart.”

Althea took a deep breath, the weight of her words hanging between them. “چلو، گھر چلیں، چیس۔”

“آپ… یہاں ختم ہو گئے؟”

“ہاں۔ میرے لیے اب کچھ اور کرنے کو نہیں ہے۔” She intertwined her fingers with Chase’s, their connection radiating a quiet intimacy that felt almost sacred.

Chase, ever the gentleman, maintained a courteous demeanor. “In that case, I—”

“شکریہ کہ آپ میری دادی کے پاس آئیں، الٹھیہ،” Daven interjected, his voice breaking through the tension before she could slip away from him entirely.

“میرا فون کہاں ہے؟” she muttered impatiently. She needed to call James and demand an update on Daven. There was no way he could remain silent after her threats.

The moment she grasped her phone, dozens of notifications lit up the screen, but none were from the person she desperately needed to hear from. Every single alert was work-related, which she promptly ignored. Until matters with Daven were resolved, her professional obligations could wait.

Several contract files lay untouched on the table. Some had already been marked “cancelled,” while others awaited her signature—whenever she decided to grace them with her attention.

“کیوں جیمز نے مجھے بالکل بھی نہیں بتایا؟” she grumbled, dialing his number herself. Everything work-related had been delegated to him for the time being. Only when she had a clear answer from Daven would she make her next move.

Including going public with their divorce.

“تم کہاں ہو؟!” Vanessa demanded, her voice sharp with irritation.

“I’m right outside your apartment, Miss Vanessa.”

She ended the call abruptly, tossing her phone aside without a second thought to whether it might break. Moments later, the man she’d just spoken to entered, clutching a stack of work documents that required her signature.

“Miss Vanessa, this offer is from MnD Entertainment. They’ve been waiting for your answer for two weeks. There’s a revised proposal that I believe could be very beneficial to you. If you—”

“اسے منسوخ کرو،” Vanessa interrupted, not even bothering to glance his way. “تمہیں بہتر ہے کہ داؤین کے بارے میں تازہ ترین معلومات حاصل کرنے پر توجہ دو۔” She rose from her seat, closing the distance to James. “وہ مجھ سے رابطہ کیوں نہیں کر رہا جب کہ میں نے اسے دھمکی دی ہے؟” She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. “کیا تم نے مجھے اس کے بارے میں جو کچھ بتایا تھا، وہ غلط تھا؟”