A Divorce He Regrets

Chapter 165:

RAINA

Whatever was happening outside was an unwelcome distraction. Couldn’t they realize that this was neither the time nor the place for such disruptions? Frustration bubbled beneath my already strained composure as I followed Dominic, who had just reassured Grandma not to worry.

When I reached the front door, the scene before me made me pause. Alex stood there, his jaw tight, facing Adelaide, who looked pale and fidgety, her eyes darting around like a trapped animal. Dominic was already mid-sentence, his tone sharp and unyielding.

“Why the hell are you yelling, Alex?” Dominic demanded, his frustration clear.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Alex replied, his voice steady but firm. “But I stepped away to take a call, and when I came back, I found her…” He gestured toward Adelaide. “Peeping through the study door, eavesdropping on what I assume to be classified information. Tell me, was I wrong to stop her?”

Adelaide’s face drained of color, her hands wringing the hem of her apron as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. I stepped forward, trying to suppress the swirl of doubt and suspicion that instantly rose within me.

“Adelaide,” I began carefully, my voice low but pressing, “is this true?” Her eyes darted to mine, then to Dominic, and finally back to Alex. For a second, she froze, as if debating whether to deny or deflect. Then she straightened, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping,” she stammered, glancing toward Alex. “I was coming to ask if anyone needed refreshments, but Mr. Sullivan misunderstood and accused me of spying.”

Her tone grew defensive as she addressed Alex formally, emphasizing his name like a slight.

I studied her carefully, noting the tension in her stance, the sweat glistening on her brow. Something didn’t sit right. But then I looked at Alex, whose rigid posture screamed certainty, and doubt began to creep in. Could he have overreacted? Misread the situation? His protectiveness, while appreciated, often bordered on paranoia.

Still, I kept my tone neutral as I addressed her. “You can go, Adelaide.” She nodded quickly, her eyes darting between us one last time before scurrying off.

gⱯ𝗅𝗇0ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝗰𝓞𝗺, 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝓎 𝗷𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝗳𝓻𝗼𝗺 𝒾𝓈𝓉

As soon as she disappeared, Dominic turned his ire on Alex, stepping closer with his voice lowered but laced with venom. “You’re overstepping, Sullivan. Just…”

Because I let you stay doesn’t mean you can act like you’re married to Raina or a son to this family. You’re not.

“Dominic,” I said sharply, my patience thinning. “Enough.”

But Alex didn’t flinch under Dominic’s glare. Instead, he responded evenly, “I was protecting sensitive information, Dominic. Don’t mistake vigilance for overstepping.”

“Protecting?” Dominic scoffed, his laugh dry and humorless. “From the maid?”

“I’ve learned not to dismiss anyone too easily,” Alex replied, his tone calm but firm.

The air between them crackled with tension. I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache bloom. “This isn’t the time for this,” I snapped. “Let it go, both of you.”noveldrama

Dominic shot Alex a final glare before turning and heading back toward the study. Alex’s shoulders relaxed marginally, but the set of his jaw told me he wasn’t letting it go completely.

As I followed Dominic, my thoughts whirred. Something about Adelaide’s demeanor nagged at me, but I pushed it aside for now. There was too much to process already, and the lawyer was waiting.

The lawyer cleared his throat, a sound that immediately drew the room’s attention back to him. He adjusted his glasses and smoothed out the document in his hand.

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