HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“Why are you coming up with me?” Daven asked, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion at Vanessa’s unusual behavior. Usually, she would have him drop her off somewhere before he headed into the office, never tagging along inside.

But today was different.

“Am I not allowed?” Vanessa responded softly, her voice sweet and smooth like honey. “Does it bother you?”

In truth, Daven rarely found fault with anything Vanessa did. He was accustomed to her doing whatever she wanted, and this kind of clinginess wasn’t new to him.

“I just want to walk my future husband to his office,” she said with a bright, almost radiant smile, slipping her arm through his and leaning in close as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She didn’t seem to mind the curious eyes on them. Employees were beginning to arrive, and some glanced their way, whispering quietly among themselves.

Of course they noticed. Vanessa Blake was impossible to overlook.

She wasn’t just a strikingly beautiful woman. She was a renowned model, frequently the face of top brands, and occasionally appeared in films—even if only in supporting roles. Her face was recognizable, and her presence impossible to ignore.

Normally, Vanessa hated being the center of attention in places like this. One wrong headline or an ill-timed photo could ruin everything. But today, she welcomed the spotlight. She wanted people to see. To understand.

To know that Daven Callister belonged to her.

Especially one woman.

The one who was still legally his wife.

“Can I at least walk you to the elevator?” she asked, her tone playful and affectionate, her eyes never leaving his. “I haven’t had enough time with you yet.”

She wanted everyone around to witness the image they made—a couple deeply in love, wrapped up in each other, leaving no room for anyone else.

“Do whatever you want,” Daven said, his voice cool and detached.

He didn’t pull away or argue. Maybe after everything, he’d grown used to it. This wasn’t the first time Vanessa had acted clingy, and in the past, he had even found it endearing.

But today… something about it grated on his nerves.

Something had shifted.

“Why are you so cold to me this morning?” Vanessa asked, pouting as she pressed closer, her voice turning into a whine as she clung to his side, bold and unbothered. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Vanessa,” Daven said quietly, his voice low and firm, a whisper edged with warning. “That’s enough.”

“Breakfast,” he muttered under his breath.

Not because the meal itself was anything special, but because of how Althea had served it. The gentle way she moved. The quiet, tired smile she managed to wear with such grace. The faint blush that colored her cheeks when he asked her… that one question.

He hadn’t meant for last night to happen. From the start, Daven had promised himself he wouldn’t touch her. His loyalty belonged to Vanessa. His love had always been reserved for her. But somehow, the anger and frustration he’d been burying—the resentment over the choices forced upon him, the marriage he never wanted—had spilled out in front of Althea.

This marriage should never have existed. His grandmother should have compensated Althea’s mother properly for her death, not forced Daven into a union he never chose.

So why had it come to this?

Why was he replaying everything from last night over and over in his mind?

“Dav…” he could still hear her breathy, broken moan of his name. Her flushed face, damp hair clinging to her temples. “Please… slower,” she had whispered, arms wrapped around his shoulders.

“Slower?” he had smiled against her lips, brushing a kiss there. “Althea, if I go slow, it won’t feel as good.”

He hadn’t held back.

He had driven himself into her again and again, until she was trembling, arching, crying out his name in a way that nearly drove him mad. Her moans were breathless, filled with desire and longing, making his head spin. At some point, tears had slipped down her cheeks, yet she never once told him to stop. Instead, she clung to him like he was all she had.