HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 52

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

**Chapter 52**

“Is your schedule perpetually this congested?” Vanessa’s voice cut through the air like a knife, her arms tightly crossed over her chest, a fortress of disapproval. The intensity of her glare bore into Daven, who remained oblivious to the storm brewing in her eyes. She had expressed her frustration countless times, each attempt seemingly lost in the vast chasm of Daven’s relentless work ethic.

Daven let out a weary sigh, his gaze still glued to the document that lay open in his hands. With deliberate slowness, he removed his glasses, the frames slipping down his nose as he finally looked up at her. “I’ve told you before; this week is exceptionally busy. My schedule is completely full.”

“That’s always your go-to response,” Vanessa retorted, her voice tinged with rising frustration. “You couldn’t even find the time to join me for dinner with my fashion client last week. That was significant for me, Daven!”

“Vanessa,” he replied, his tone flat and devoid of any hint of remorse, his expression impassive as if her words had rolled off him like water off a duck’s back.

She clicked her tongue, a sound of irritation that filled the room. “Tomorrow is the catalog shoot. I need you there. You know how much I’ve been anticipating it.”

Daven didn’t bother to meet her gaze this time. Instead, he turned the page of his report, the rustling paper the only sound that filled the silence. “I believe I have a meeting—”

“You can reschedule it,” she interrupted sharply, her voice rising with urgency. “You’re the CEO. You own the company! Or are you intentionally avoiding me, Dav?”

The air in the room thickened with tension, a palpable weight that pressed down on them. Finally, Daven closed the file in his hands, the action deliberate and slow, as if he were sealing away the last remnants of their conversation. He looked at her, his eyes hardened like stone.

“You know the Osaka and Frankfurt expansion projects are at a critical juncture. I have to stay on top of everything,” he stated, his voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of frustration.

“And I’m your wife,” Vanessa snapped back, her tone emphasizing the word as if it were a lifeline thrown into turbulent waters. “But since we tied the knot, it feels as if you’ve done nothing but push me aside.”

“What is it you want from me this time?” he asked, his voice flat, as if he were discussing the weather.

Vanessa stared at him, momentarily taken aback. She hadn’t anticipated this response—hadn’t thought her frustration could be brushed aside so easily, as if all her feelings could be settled with a mere favor. It felt transactional, as if they were negotiating a deal rather than discussing their marriage.

“I just want your time, Daven,” she whispered, her voice softening as she grabbed her handbag from the edge of his desk. Her expression hardened again, a mask of resolve. “Be there with me tomorrow. I won’t tolerate any more gossip about our marriage.”

Daven remained silent, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air between them.

“You know how damaging that is to my reputation,” she added, her voice barely above a whisper, tinged with desperation.

Without waiting for a reply, Vanessa pivoted on her heel and strode toward the door. The sharp click of her heels echoed against the polished floors, slicing through the silence like a blade. Daven made no move to follow her—not even to the lobby where her car awaited. Somewhere along the way, he had stopped doing that. Perhaps he truly was too busy. Or maybe… it simply didn’t matter to him anymore.