HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 59

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

**Chapter 59**

The car glided forward, its movement steady yet devoid of any real warmth. An uneasy silence enveloped the interior, punctuated only by the soft hum of the engine and the faint strains of music playing in the background. Despite the melodic notes drifting through the air, the tension between them was palpable, like a thick fog that refused to lift.

“I thought… maybe you just needed some time,” Daven ventured, his voice barely above a whisper as he kept his gaze fixed on the twinkling city lights flickering past the window. Each light seemed to pulse with a life of its own, starkly contrasting the stillness in the car.

“What does that even mean?” Vanessa’s tone was edged with caution, her eyes narrowing as she turned to him, searching for clarity.

“I mean, at first, I believed you were simply postponing things so we could savor our marriage a little longer—maybe a year, perhaps two. But here we are, five years later, Vanessa.” Finally, he turned to meet her gaze directly, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. “Are you ever planning to stop using birth control?”

Vanessa shot him a look that could cut glass. “No.”

“Let me guess. It’s still about your contracts, isn’t it?” Daven shook his head, disbelief etched across his features. The logic behind her decision eluded him, leaving him feeling more confused than ever.

“I’m not discussing this anymore, Daven,” she declared, her voice firm and resolute. “We had an agreement. You need to respect my choice.”

As the car turned into the upscale residential area at the heart of Migathan, it smoothly pulled into the private driveway of one of the city’s most opulent apartment buildings. It felt like a lifetime ago—seven years, to be precise—when they had moved into this luxurious property, one of many that Daven owned, just a month after their wedding.

Kate Callister had been supportive of their decision, insisting it would allow them to reclaim the time Daven had lost in his previous, loveless marriage.

When the vehicle came to a gentle halt in front of the lobby, Vanessa wasted no time in flinging the door open. But just before stepping out, she shot Daven a piercing look, her brow furrowing with suspicion.

“You’re not coming up?” she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

Daven turned his head slowly, almost reluctantly. “No. I’m going to see my mother.”

Vanessa froze, her hand still gripping the car door. Her expression shifted from surprise to something stormier, a tempest brewing behind her eyes. “Since when?”

“It’s been a while since I visited them,” Daven replied quietly, shifting in his seat as he leaned back, trying to find a semblance of comfort. “Besides, I need to calm Mom down… especially about the whole pregnancy situation.”

“Do whatever you want, Daven!” Vanessa snapped, slamming the car door shut with a decisive thud that echoed in the still night air.

She stormed away, her heels clicking angrily against the pavement as she left him behind. But Daven? He remained unfazed, his gaze fixed forward, refusing to follow her retreating figure.

“Take me to the main house,” he instructed the driver, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“As you wish.”

When the car finally rolled to a stop in front of the Callister estate—a grand home exuding timeless elegance—Daven still felt that familiar hollow weight inside him. A quiet ache that had lain dormant for years was starting to stir once more.

He longed for something simple. Something genuine.

Coming home. Being welcomed by the warm smile of a wife who had been eagerly awaiting his return. Hearing the joyous laughter of a child racing through the halls. That kind of life… perhaps it would have eased the exhaustion that clung to him like a shadow, refusing to let go.

But none of that existed in his reality.

“Is that you, Daven?” came his mother’s surprised voice as she opened the door, her eyes widening at the sight of her son standing on the porch so late at night.

“Sorry to disturb you, Mom,” Daven replied, offering a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Are you alone?” Kate Callister glanced past him, her brows arching with curiosity. “Where’s your wife?”

But as her gaze landed on his weary expression, the answer became painfully clear. “Oh dear… is she still caught up in filming and photo shoots?”