HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 93

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

**Chapter 93**

A heavy silence enveloped the room, thick as fog, wrapping around Daven and Rio like a shroud.

Daven’s fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest, a futile attempt to suppress the tempest brewing inside him. “So… after an entire week of searching, this is all you’ve managed to uncover?” His voice sliced through the quiet, sharp and tinged with a barely restrained frustration that simmered just beneath the surface.

Rio took a deep breath, feeling the weight of Daven’s gaze. “Not much, Mr. Daven. Except… there’s one significant detail.”

“Spit it out. Now,” Daven demanded, his impatience palpable.

“Chase and Althea are planning a small engagement event next week. It’s not public knowledge yet, but the rumor is spreading like wildfire through the SunCity education community. I’ve checked into it—it’s legitimate.”

In that moment, time seemed to freeze for Daven. It was as if his very blood had turned to ice, coursing through his veins at a glacial pace. His eyes locked onto Rio, but his thoughts were already spiraling far beyond the confines of the office walls.

Engaged?

His hands clenched into tight fists, the nails digging into his palms. Something within him recoiled at the news, a strange and suffocating pressure gripping his chest—foreign and overwhelming. It wasn’t jealousy, he assured himself. No, it was something much more profound.

It felt like betrayal.

“Is she truly certain about him?” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper, almost lost in the air. “Because I know… Althea hasn’t forgotten about me. Not yet.”

Rio remained silent, acutely aware of the storm brewing in front of him.

Daven pressed his lips together, forming a hard, unyielding line. “Keep an eye on them. This time, I want you to focus on Chase. I need every detail—his background, any connections he might have, anyone who could be supporting him. And if there’s a sample from Josh, I want it. If sending it to SunCity poses a risk, then get it to Mighatan.”

A wave of self-reproach washed over him as he recalled how he had carelessly discarded that used tissue after Josh scraped his knee. That could have been the key—just enough for a test. Damn it all.

Daven clicked his tongue in annoyance, his jaw tightening as he locked his fingers in front of his mouth. After a drawn-out pause, he finally relented, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. “Let her in.”

The door swung open with a forceful bang, and Vanessa stormed into the room, her footsteps quick and her expression ablaze with fury.

“You’ve crossed the line, Daven!” she exclaimed, her voice cutting through the air like a knife. “You just walked out of that event without a word, leaving me alone with all those guests! I told you I had something urgent to handle! I couldn’t just—”

Daven leaned back in his chair, unfazed by her outburst. His gaze remained steady and impassive, as if her anger barely registered in his mind.

“That was your business, not mine. Why should I wait?” he replied calmly, tapping the stack of documents beside his computer screen for emphasis.

Vanessa let out an exasperated growl, her frustration palpable. She didn’t care about his cold dismissals; what stung far more was the memory of searching for her husband the night before, only to discover he had walked out over some trivial ‘business’ affair.

“Do you have any idea how humiliating that was? Everyone was asking where you went! The reporters wouldn’t stop circling! I didn’t even know how to respond!” She slammed her clutch onto the desk with a resounding thud, her glare piercing through him. “And now you’re hiding in your office? I waited for you at home, but you never came back!”