HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“All right. Cook me something special tonight,” Daven said with an unusual calmness in his voice. “I won’t be home late.”

What?

There was definitely something different about him today. Yet, rather than unsettling her, this unexpected shift only made Althea’s heart beat faster. She felt a sudden tightness in her chest, a flush rising to her cheeks, and all she could do was lower her gaze, as if he were standing right before her, silently observing every flicker of emotion on her face.

“O-okay. I’ll make something special,” she stammered, her voice barely steady.

“Good. I’ll be back soon,” he replied before ending the call.

Althea stared at her phone for a long moment, then sank back onto her bed, covering her face with both hands. A warm rush spread across her skin—part embarrassment, part excitement, a strange blend of both emotions swirling inside her.

Could this really be happening?

Daven had taken time out of his hectic workday just to call her. Not for anything urgent, but to talk—about something so ordinary, so intimate. And now, he wanted her to prepare dinner. He even promised to come home early. That was… surprisingly sweet, wasn’t it?

She pressed her hands more firmly against her cheeks, silently hoping this moment wouldn’t vanish too quickly. And if it had to—if the reality was that her days in this house were numbered, as deep down she already sensed—then she was determined to live every second of it fully.

To embrace it with joy.

To leave with no regrets.

***

It was well past eleven at night when Daven’s car finally rolled into the grand driveway of the Callister estate. His footsteps echoed briskly as he crossed the threshold into the front hall. Two members of the household staff greeted him, but he barely acknowledged their presence, his mind focused solely on one thing—the dining room.

Despite the exhaustion etched on his face, the loosened tie around his neck, and the heavy breaths he took after a long day, Daven pushed forward. He needed to see for himself.

Althea.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

There she was, slumped over the dining table, her head resting on one arm. She had clearly fallen asleep while waiting. The dinner she had prepared lay before her—a full spread, now cold and untouched.

A sharp pang tightened in his chest.

She had waited for him?

If only Vanessa hadn’t shown up that afternoon, Daven thought bitterly. She had practically dragged him to a boutique for a last-minute suit fitting and then insisted he join her for a client meeting. Daven hadn’t known how to say no. But now, seeing Althea like this—still here, still waiting—guilt twisted deep inside him.

He stepped closer, bending gently to place a hand on her shoulder.

“Althea,” he whispered softly.

He had thought Althea’s request was just another way to make things harder for him—a final game before she walked away.

But now… maybe he was the one who had been caught in it.

“Why are you so damn stubborn, Althea?” he whispered. “Why didn’t you just ask for money? Or anything else but this?”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he continued to watch her sleep. A few loose strands of hair had fallen over her temple, and without realizing it, Daven gently tucked them behind her ear. His fingers lingered a moment longer than necessary.

And then—a small, quiet smile appeared on his lips. Unintentional, but unmistakable.

“You’re not what I expected, Althea Grayson,” he said softly.

With a slow breath, Daven lay down beside her, pulling the blanket over them both with care, not wanting to disturb her rest. He kept a respectful distance.

But something had shifted.

Her presence no longer felt like an intrusion.

It felt like something else entirely.

“Would it be selfish of me,” he murmured into the quiet room, “to want just a little more time like this with you?”