HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 181

**Shadows of the Past – By Emma Clarke**
**Chapter 181**

“Do you even grasp the repercussions of your relentless stubbornness?” Theo’s voice thundered as soon as they were ensconced in the confines of the car. Outside, the pandemonium had not subsided; a throng of reporters continued to swarm, some audaciously throwing themselves in front of the vehicle, desperate to impede its escape with Vanessa and her father inside.

“But I refuse to be treated like this, Dad!” Vanessa retorted, her tone slicing through the tension like a knife. “Do you truly want my name plastered across every headline, turned into fodder for gossip throughout this city? Is that your wish?”

“Foolish girl!” Theo’s hand connected with her cheek in a sharp slap, the sound echoing in the confined space. “I did not raise a daughter as reckless as you, Vanessa!”

Vanessa’s eyes widened in disbelief, the sting of his slap igniting a firestorm of emotions within her. All she had sought was to clarify the truth before the press. She had no intention of capitulating to Daven’s demands; she would vehemently deny her affair with James until her very last breath.

So why, she wondered, was her father now turning against her as well?

That slap hurt more than any previous ones—two, to be precise—back when she had been caught with James. And where was he now? Wasn’t he supposed to stand by her side, to help her navigate this chaos? Instead, he had vanished, leaving her to confront the devastation alone.

“If you persist in this reckless behavior, everything will spiral even further out of control!” Theo’s voice was a low growl, thick with anger. His dark eyes bore into hers, simmering with rage. “What you ought to be concentrating on right now is who is behind this mess.”

“Althea, of course!” Vanessa’s voice rose, brimming with conviction. “She must be the mastermind orchestrating this entire debacle. There’s no way everything we planned could unravel like this otherwise.”

Theo’s lips twisted into a bitter snarl. “No. I don’t believe so. I’m convinced this is Daven’s doing.”

“Why do you always pin the blame on Daven, Dad? Weren’t you the one who insisted I shouldn’t divorce him? To hold onto him so your business could flourish?”

With a frustrated sweep of his hand over his face, Theo’s patience reached its limit. “You don’t need to voice what I’ve already set in motion, Vanessa. If you can’t comprehend my intentions, then keep your mouth shut!”

Vanessa turned her face away, simmering with resentment, her chest rising and falling with angry breaths she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her cheeks burned with humiliation, her hands trembled as she reached for her phone. She needed to contact someone—urgently. A solution was imperative.

“I can’t believe anyone would dare to make a fool out of me,” Theo spat, his fury boiling over. “Whoever orchestrated this—I will not allow them to escape unscathed. And you—” he jabbed a finger at Vanessa, unleashing the full force of his anger on the woman sitting beside him, oblivious to the fact that his target was his own daughter.

“Look at this!” He thrust his phone at her with a rough hand, the screen illuminating with article after article about Vanessa. His finger stabbed at the headlines, each one freshly published online.

Vanessa’s eyes widened in horror as the words crystallized before her. She snatched the phone from him, reading in disbelief.

“Vanessa Blake: From Diva to Homewrecker?”

“Scandal Exposed! Vanessa’s Affair with Her Own Assistant.”

“Public Shocked: Proof of Daven and Althea’s Marriage Revealed!”

“From the Image of a Patient Wife to Disgrace—Vanessa Blake Under Fire in the Entertainment World.”

“Trending Topic: Vanessa Blake, Symbol of Betrayal and Lies?”

“No! No, this cannot be happening!” Vanessa cried out, her voice cracking as she scrolled through the damning headlines. “They’re writing whatever they please!”

There was no way Daven could forget her so easily. His love for her had been too profound, too consuming. He would forgive her; he had to. Even if her mistake this time was colossal, love like his… surely, it would be enough to grant her another chance.

But sadly… everything Vanessa said was met with indifference. Even her desperate, dark threats failed to sway Daven.

“I don’t need your love, Vanessa. I’ve had enough,” Daven’s voice cut through her, laced with frustration.

“IF YOU GO THROUGH WITH THIS, I’LL KILL MYSELF! DO YOU HEAR ME, DAVEN? I’LL—”

“I don’t care if you do, Vanessa.”

“THEN YOU’LL SEE ME—”

Before she could finish, Theo snatched the phone from her hands and abruptly ended the call. His fury erupted as he hurled the device against the car window beside her. The glass didn’t shatter, but a sharp crack spread across the pane, the impact dangerously close to breaking it.

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” Theo roared. “If you die, what then? You’ll drag me down with you? Kill me slowly in the process?”

Vanessa’s tear-filled eyes snapped to him, wide and wounded, refusing to accept his words. Hot streams of tears spilled down her cheeks, her chest heaving with helplessness.

“If you dare to pull something like that, Vanessa,” Theo’s voice dropped into a chilling, absolute threat, “I’ll hunt you down to hell itself. You’ve brought enough shame upon me. Do you even realize what your actions have cost me? I’ve lost everything because of you! I should never have supported you in the first place.”