HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 185

**Shadows of the Past – By Emma Clarke**
**Chapter 185**

“Would you truly have taken me seriously if I had spoken my mind back then?” Althea’s voice sliced through the air, laced with a biting sarcasm that echoed her inner turmoil. “Weren’t you just overjoyed to finally be marrying the woman you cherished? You pushed me aside as if I were nothing—just a fleeting shadow in your life.”

Daven remained silent, but Althea could feel the weight of her words settling heavily upon him. She knew he was processing the torrent of emotions she had buried deep within her for far too long.

“I don’t require your support. I don’t seek your acknowledgment of my child. All I wish for is to live in peace with him. And now that you’ve discovered Josh is your son, understand this: it was you who drove us away. Not us, Daven.” Her hands curled into tight fists, the tempest within her chest threatening to erupt. “So, as the man who once cast us out, find a way to keep us out of your life for good.”

“Don’t say that, Althea,” Daven interjected, his voice trembling with emotion. “I… I was—”

“Oh? Are you about to claim your rights over Josh? Just because he’s your flesh and blood, a child you never knew existed? If you were even half the man you profess to be, you would carefully consider what my life has been like—raising Josh all on my own. Not once did you play a part in it, Daven. You should feel ashamed for even daring to mention your status as his father in his presence.”

“But he is my son, Althea,” Daven implored, his voice raw with desperation. “Forgive me, Althea. Please… forgive me.”

Althea’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. “I have never denied who Joshua Grayson really is, Daven. But your role in his life? It amounts to nothing more than a mere strand of DNA, a drop of sperm that was conceived within me. I always planned to tell him the truth when he was old enough. But it seems the universe had other intentions—it allowed you to intersect with his life sooner than I anticipated.”

Daven fell into a heavy silence once more.

“If you truly want to be a good father, perhaps—just perhaps—I can grant you the opportunity to see him. But there will be strict boundaries regarding who Josh is to you, Daven. I don’t want you back in my life. Not at all. I’ve built a life here, and you have yours. Or do you? Frankly, I couldn’t care less if yours is crumbling now. After all, Vanessa was your choice.”

A cold, satisfied smile danced across her lips. If only she could have voiced these sentiments directly to his face—how much sweeter that would have been.

Yet for Althea, this was already more than enough. She had no desire to keep crossing paths with Daven—not because remnants of love still lingered within her heart, but because she had decisively severed ties with the past. She had no intention of being tethered to it any longer.

“May I… see him?”

Althea hesitated, the silence stretching between them like a taut string before she finally responded.

“Please, Althea… I just want to meet him. I want—more than anything—to atone for my mistakes with—”

“There’s no need for that.” Her tone was resolute, slicing through his desperate words. “You don’t need to do anything except meet him. That is all. Don’t dredge up a past I buried long ago, Daven. For me, the past is just that—behind me. I have no intention of looking back.”

“Yes. Whatever you say. That’s fine. If I can see him, Althea.” Daven’s voice shifted, now infused with a glimmer of hope. “And… I understand my place. I do. May I—at least—see him from time to time?”

“First, settle this mess, Daven. Then we can talk about it again.”

“Yes, Althea. Whatever you want,” he replied without hesitation, the eagerness in his voice palpable.

That conversation replayed in Althea’s mind like a haunting melody. It was because of it that Daven had finally acknowledged Josh. At the very least, his admission had shielded Josh, sparing him from the prying eyes of the media for the time being.

Her brows arched in playful curiosity. “And what exactly do you want?”

“To finally become your husband.”

Althea rolled her eyes in exasperation, a smile tugging at her lips despite herself. “Oh, please. If I weren’t tangled up in all this mess, we’d probably already be seriously discussing our wedding plans, don’t you think?”

“You’re right,” Chase replied with an earnest nod, his expression unwavering.

“Once this is over, we’ll talk about the wedding, Chase.”

“Absolutely.” He pulled her into a tender embrace, and she returned it just as warmly, her arms encircling him as if drawing strength from his presence.

“I won’t allow anyone to interfere with my life again, Chase,” Althea murmured against his chest, her voice steady with determination. “This time, let the whole world see Vanessa Blake for who she truly is.”

Dear my beloved readers,

What are your thoughts on this unfolding story so far?

I eagerly await your opinions.