A Divorce He Regrets

Chapter 162:

I wasted no time rushing back to the city. My priority was clear: Raina needed someone to lean on, and I’d make damn sure I was that person.

When I arrived at the Graham mansion, the first thing I noticed was Raina. She stood outside, facing Nathan, her posture rigid and her face pale. Even from a distance, I could see the exhaustion etched into her features, the fear lingering in her eyes. Nathan stood too close to her, one hand gripping her arm.

I bolted from the car without a second thought, my heart pounding in my chest. “Get your hands off her!” I barked as I closed the distance between us.

Nathan turned, his expression darkening, but he didn’t release her.

I didn’t wait for him to comply. My hand shot out, pushing him back with enough force to make him stumble slightly. Raina flinched, her gaze darting between us.

“Are you okay?” I asked her, my voice softening as I turned to her.

She nodded, her lips trembling as she whispered, “I’m fine.”

“Go inside,” I told her firmly. “I’ll handle this.”

Her hesitation was brief, but it was there. Her eyes flickered to Nathan, then back to me, before she finally turned and walked toward the house.

As she moved away, Nathan tried to follow, but I stepped into his path, blocking him. “Back off,” I growled. “The woman is grieving. Leave her alone.”

Nathan’s eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then something flickered—recognition, perhaps? But just as quickly as it appeared, he masked it with a smirk. “Grieving?” he echoed, his tone mockingly curious. “And what exactly is she grieving, Alexander?”

I knew I needed to play this carefully. The last thing I wanted was for Nathan to catch on to how much we knew about him. “She lost someone,” I replied simply, my voice steady but laced with warning.

Nathan’s smirk deepened, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he adjusted his tie and stepped back. “Such a hero,” he muttered under his breath before turning toward his car.

I didn’t respond, my eyes fixed on him until he was out of sight. Only then did I let out the breath I had been holding and walked into the house. Inside, the tension was palpable. The Graham household was bustling with people, the house buzzing with subdued activity, the kind of quiet chaos that comes with loss. I stepped inside and immediately spotted Dominic standing near the stairs, his shoulders squared and his expression grim. He caught my eye and gave me a brief nod, but there was no time for conversation. My focus was on Raina.

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I moved through the house, searching for her. The soft murmur of voices and the occasional clink of dishes filled the air, but none of it registered. When I finally found her, she was in one of the upstairs rooms, curled into herself on the edge of the bed. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs, and the sight of her like that hit me like a punch to the gut.

I knocked softly on the doorframe to announce myself. “Raina?”

Her head snapped up, her tear-streaked face turning toward me. The vulnerability in her eyes twisted something deep inside me. “Not now, Alex,” she managed, her voice cracking. “I can’t do this right now. I don’t want to argue.”

I stepped inside, closing the door gently behind me. “Good,” I said, keeping my tone steady and soft. “I’m not here to argue.”

Her gaze dropped back to her hands, which were clenched tightly in her lap. “Then what are you here for?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“To help,” I replied simply, moving closer but stopping just short of the bed. “From where I’m standing, you need someone you can trust. Someone who isn’t Nathan.”

She flinched at his name, her hands tightening further. For a moment, I thought she might tell me to leave, but instead, she said nothing.

I took that as permission and sat down beside her, keeping a respectful distance. “You don’t have to say anything,” I said. “Just… let it out. I’m here.”

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