A Divorce He Regrets

Chapter 167:

“Alex,” I called out, crossing my arms as I approached. “Since when do you smoke?”

He stiffened at the sound of my voice, then quickly dropped the cigar onto the ground, crushing it under his heel. He didn’t meet my eyes as he mumbled, “I don’t. It’s just… an occasional thing.”

“An occasional thing?” I repeated, my tone skeptical. “Since when?”

He shrugged, still avoiding my gaze. “It’s nothing. Just something to clear my head.”noveldrama

“Clear your head?” I pressed, my frown deepening. “You’ve never smoked before, Alex. This is new.”

Finally, he glanced at me, his expression closed off. “Why are you here, Raina?” he asked, his tone shifting abruptly.

I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it, and while I wanted to push further, I decided to let it go—for now. “I wanted to talk to the kids,” I said instead, softening my voice.

Alex glanced at his watch. “It’s late,” he said, his tone almost apologetic. “They’re asleep by now. Tomorrow would be better.”

His words stung more than I wanted to admit. Tomorrow felt so far away, and I missed them desperately. I tried to mask the disappointment on my face, but somehow, Alex picked up on it. “They’re safe,” he added quickly, his voice gentler now. “You don’t have to worry. They’re fine, Raina.”

I let out a small sigh, looking away. “I know,” I said quietly, though my chest ached with longing. “I just… I just wanted to hear their voices, that’s all.”

He took a step closer, his presence both steady and comforting. “I’ll make sure you can talk to them first thing tomorrow,” he promised. I nodded, offering him a small, tired smile. “Goodnight, Alex,” I said, turning to leave.

“Raina,” he called after me, his voice hesitant. I paused and glanced over my shoulder.

“Do you really believe Adelaide’s excuse from earlier?” he asked, his brow furrowing.

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝗍𝖊𝗅𝘀．ⅽ𝗼𝗺

Before I could answer, Dominic’s voice broke through the tension. “Believe what?” he asked, stepping out from the house to join us. Alex pulled out his phone and began typing. A moment later, he showed it to me and Dominic. “Someone could be listening. Let’s find a spot to talk.”

Out loud, Alex suggested, “Raina, how about we take a drive? Get some fresh air?”

I hesitated, my instinct to decline warring with the growing need to untangle the knots forming around us. “Fine,” I said finally, adding with a small smirk, “but don’t do anything stupid. I still hate you, you know.”

Alex’s lips quirked up into a faint smile, but the light didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

The words I’d just spoken felt oddly dishonest. Did I really still hate him? Maybe I wanted to. Maybe it would’ve been easier if I did. But the truth was becoming harder to ignore. Everything Alex had been doing lately—the way he was protecting my kids, his calm but determined presence—it made it harder to maintain my icy exterior.

I pushed the thought away quickly, telling myself the drive wasn’t about emotions or reconciling. It was a calculated move, a way to sell the idea that we weren’t talking about anything important if anyone was watching or listening.

As we turned to leave, Dominic’s voice cut through the night air. “I don’t trust you enough to let her go with you alone, Alex.”

His footsteps were firm as he closed the distance between us, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Alex held up his hands, a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Fair enough,” he said smoothly. “You’re welcome to join us, Dominic.”

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