HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 37

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

**Chapter 37**

Was that request honored? Certainly not.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Kate turned her attention to Lena. “Open it,” she commanded, her tone flat and devoid of warmth.

Felicia and Kalina were already poised, their eagerness palpable as they awaited their mother’s directive. Lena, who had spent the morning assisting Althea in organizing the room and bringing down her luggage, found herself hesitating.

Casting a glance at Althea, she silently sought permission, her heart heavy with dread.

Althea responded with a slight nod, a gesture that seemed to carry the weight of a thousand unspoken words.

Lena’s heart ached with an intensity that was almost unbearable. How could the Callisters stoop so low? Althea stood there, so poised and still, yet Lena sensed the turmoil beneath that composed exterior. Behind those calm, unyielding eyes lay a soul quietly suffering, a person who certainly did not deserve this cruel treatment.

A surge of indignation rose within Lena, yet she felt powerless to act. She was merely the help, a shadow in the grand scheme of the Callister household. The owner’s word was law, and so, with a heavy heart, she reached for the zipper and began to pull it down.

“What’s taking you so long?” Kate snapped, her voice slicing through the air like a whip, sharp and unforgiving.

Before Lena could respond, Kate pushed her aside with a dismissive shove and began rummaging through the suitcase herself. Her fingers, adorned with glittering jewels, clawed through folded garments and personal belongings as if she were sifting through contraband.

“This is how you get things done, Lena,” she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain as she shot a venomous glare at the maid.

“I thought you’d at least have some expensive jewelry stashed away,” she taunted, her voice dripping with derision. “We all know what Grandma Evelyn gave you. But apparently, it’s nothing but useless trash.”

Kate’s grin widened, a malicious glint in her eyes. “Isn’t that a good thing? It means she understands that those things were never truly hers. At least she had enough sense not to take them with her.” With a dismissive flick of her wrist, she dropped a bundle of books onto the floor with a loud thud. “There’s not a single thing of value here. Not even those expensive perfumes some of my mother’s colleagues gifted her. Did you really think you could survive in this family with such low-class taste? Good thing you finally realized you were never on our level.”

Daven clenched his jaw, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. He observed his own family as they tore through Althea’s belongings like vultures circling their prey. And Althea… she remained silent, enduring the onslaught with a quiet dignity that made his chest tighten with a sharp, unbearable pain. He knew that every word they hurled at her cut deeper than they could ever comprehend. And yet, here he was, standing by, doing nothing to stop it.

Then, in a moment of careless disregard, Kalina stepped on a delicate pale gold dress—one that Althea had worn to a formal embassy dinner. That was the moment Althea chose to act.

“Stop.” Her voice, calm yet resolute, sliced through the room like a knife. Everyone turned to face her.

Althea positioned herself protectively between her luggage and the family members rifling through it. “Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked, her tone soft but imbued with a strength that was impossible to ignore.