I’d finally found a way to make Baina stay with me. She could call me every name under the sun, curse me to hell and back, but it didn’t matter. I was done being passive, done sitting on the sidelines while she slipped further away. Kalna belonged with me even if it was the last thing she wanted to admit. Even if it was the last thing she did.
The doctor had mentioned Liam’s discharge, and I’d planned everything carefully. I’d stayed away from the hospital when I knew she’d be there, keeping out of her sight while walling for the relu moment to make my move. That moment came early this morning. Just hours before she was supposed to active.
And now, as expected, kainastormed into the mansion,
indolly, without that boy toy of her, clinging to her like a leech. I could almost feel the heat of her
anger from across the mom. Her velce it through the silence as she yelled for me, hertone sharp enough to slice steel
I stepped into the room, calm and composed, even as the hurled profanilies in my direction. Her words didn’t faze me. If anything, they forled my determination. I leaned casually against the doorframe and said, “I thought you’d be here sooner.”
Her eyes blazed with fury, but I didn’t give her a chance to respond. I straightened, brushing off invisible in from my sleeve, and added smoothly, “Would you like some coffee? Thave a fresh pot brewing.”
Her face was a mix of disbelief and rage, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I had the upper hand. Bot Raina wasn’t having it. She exploded, her voice echoing through the massive walls of the mansion, filled with an unrestrained fury that could have leveled the building itself. She screamed at me, her words searing through the air, bot 1 barely registered them.
My attention drifted momentarily to the little girl in Dominic’s arms, her wide eyes peeking out as she clung to him. My daughter.
She was the spitting image of her mother, just like Liam was of me. Every delicate feature reminded me of aina, from the curve of her lips to the stubborner of her jaw, even at her young age. My heart twisted painfully as 1 whispered her name under my breath, almost inedibly. Ava
“I’m sorry,” I thought silently, guilt stabbing at me. My resolve solidified. I’d fix all of this somehow.
I shifted my focus back to Raina, whose rage was unrelenting. She was stunning, even in anger. Her chest heaved, and her eyes burned with contempt as she lashed
“Calm down,” I said, holding up my hands, my voice steady, but the fine in her eyes didn’t woven. “It’s not like Liam being here is going to hurt him,”
She scoffed, the sound sharp and biting. “I hate you,” she gritted through clenched teeth, her voice trembling with raw emotion.
Dominic chimed in, his voice low but cold. “Why the hell would you take Liam like that?”
“Because this is where Liam belongs,” I replied evenly, meeting Dominic’s glace. “We’re sharing custody, which is fine. But Liam is merely back home.”
Raina’s expression twisted in disbelief, but I didn’t flinch. Instead, I gestured calmly toward the coach. “If you want to discuss his arrangement, we can do it over
Raina’s glare sharpened, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “You’re trufferable,” she spat, her words dipping with venom. “it we’re sharing custody and the child has been sick–harmed under your care wouldn’t it be common sense to leave him with me so I can care for him properly? How is this shared custody if I have to come here and demand my child back every single time?”
Her words hit hard, but kept my expression composed, even as my chest tightened.
“Calm down,” I said again, my voice low and steady, though my nerves buzzed beneath the surface. I reached for the envelope sitting the table, the papers inside weighing heavier than they should have.
As held it in my hands, my heart raced. My fingers trembled slightly, belaying the calm façade worked so hard to maintain. This was it–the moment where I’d either take a step toward repairing what had broken or shatter it all for good. I think I prefer the former
I swallowed hard, looking at her. She was still furioun, still burning with righteous anger. She had every reason to be.
The last time her papers, I broke her.
This time, thoped prayed that it would pave the way to heal het. Tolical us
I took a deep breath, steadying myself bete extending the envelope toward her. My hand trembled slightly as she satched it from me, het movements sharp with frustration
Her eyes dropped to the papers, and for a moment, I could see the assumptions forming behind her gare. She thought it was more nonsense about custody demanding her signature–ineer hoops to jump through to get Liam back.
then her expression stilled Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly as she started the first page.
“Do you remember these?” asked, my voler low and controlled.
Her head jerked up, glacing at me with confusion and anger. “What is this?” she demanded, her voice thing with every word
1 folded my arms across my chest, leaning against the edge of the table as I met hertlery game.“What do you think it is?”
Hati’s jaw clenched, and her eyes owed. “You’re playing games with me,” she sapped, shaking the papers slightly for emphasis
1 tilted my head, staying calm even as my pulse hammered in my ears.
“why are you giving me a copy of our divorce papers?” she demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut. “We should be talking about Liam–not this,”
“Because it’s important,” I said firmly, my voice cutting through her rising frustration. “I want my family back, Raina, and I’ll stop at nothing to get them.”
She froze for a moment before laughing dryly, the sound sharp and devoid of humer. “Great,” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “You’ve completely lost it Tint, you steal Liam, and now you’re standing here saying you want me and Ava back? We’re divorced, Alex And, Incase you forget, I have a boyfriend.”
Her words were a knife to the gut, but I didn’t flinch. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay composed, Pointing to the papers still churched in her hand, I said, ” You might want to stay away from your boy toy because you’re still my wife.
I took a moment for my words to register. I watched as the disbelief flickered across her face, giving way to shock. Her eyes darted down to the papers again, her hands trembling as she flipped through them. She scanned the pages, her breathing quickening until she froze, her eyes locking onto her man signature.
“What?” she whispered, bet voice shaky. “What are you talking about, Alex?
I shrugged casually, though my heart pounded relentlessly in my chest. “I never had them processed,” I said simply, “All this time, Raina you’ve still been my
Her jaw dropped, her grip on the papers tightening. “You, you never….?
The silence that followed was suffocating. Her chest rose
use and fell rapidly, her mind clearly racing to process
is what I’d just told her.
“I wasn’t joking when I said I wanted you back,” I said, my voice steady but firm. “Especially now that I know you never cheated on me. Especially when there’s anotherman trying to take you from me. And especially not when you’re still my wife.”
Raina’s lips parted, her eyes blazing with hary as she tried to form a response, but I didn’t let her interrupt. “If you want to take care of Liam, fine. I’ll be happy to help,” I continued, my tone softening slightly, “nut you’ll have to move back in with me.”
She snorted in disbelief, her expression incredulous. “Dream on,” she spat, crossing her arms. “You’re delusional if you think I’d ever move back in with you. You’re a psychopath, Alex, clinging to this fantasy that we’ll ever get back together. Over my dead body would I stay under the same root as you!”
Her words hit like bullets, but Theld my ground, keeping my face calm even as tension cuiled tightlyinsideme.
you think keeping Liam away from me will force me to cave, you’re wrong,” she hissed. ” you don’t want me to have Liam, fine. I’ll take this to court. I’ll you, Alex, and I’ll win.”
I couldn’t help but smile, a calculated tilt of my lips. I had anticipated this, prepared for it.
“Go ahead,” I said, my tone unbothered. “But just so you know, the state attorney is a friend of mine. He’s the same person who drafted the original divorce
Her face paled slightly, and I saw the flicker of hesitation in her eyes, but she quickly masked it with anger. “You’re unbelievable,” she said, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and disbelief.
“You can call it whatever you want,” I replied, leaning slightly closer, my voice low but turgavering. “nut I’m not letting you go without a fight.”
I watched Raina’s expression shift, the storm of emotions on her face mirroring what I felt inside. but my resolve didn’t waver, net for a second.
“I would’ve had the papers processed,” I continued, valce steady, “If it weren’t for you reappearing. If I was to marry Eliza, I would’ve had everything finalized before another woman could even step foot into my life. But you… you changed everything.”
Raina’s jaw clenched, her fists tightening at her sides. Her eyes were fierce, but there was no mistaking the deep but I saw lurking beneath that anger. It was all too familiar. She didn’t speak, but I didn’t need her woods. I knew she hated me for what I’d done.
“Fine,” I said, straightening my posture. “I’ll find a way to keep Nathan away–for now. 1 win you back, Raina, I don’t care how long it takes.” My voice hardened, the confidence in my words matching the dice in my chest. “By law, I know I don’t hold any weight against you right now. But I’ll delay the proceedings I’ll make sure it drags on for months if that’s what it takes.”
Her face flushed with anger, but I could see that what I said had planted a seed of doubt in her mind. She wanted me to leave, wanted me to stop, but I wasn’t going anywhere.
Dominic, who had been sent up until now, stepped forward, his face a mix of disgust and frustration. He pointed a finger at me, clearly about to curse me out, but then he looked down at Awa In his arms. He covered her ears with his hand, as though he wanted to protect her from the words he was about to speak
“You are nothing but a pig, Alex Rain will before of you, Domine said, his voice low but cutting. “Sooner or later, she’ll be fire of you, and you’ll have nothing
Ifelt the sting of his words, but I didn’t let the show on my face. I stood my ground, letting them both see my resolve.
“wever,” I said, barely above a whiaper, but the finality of it echoed in the room.
Dominic shooklus head Indisgust, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to let him or anyone else dictate what I was willing to de. I would thud a way to fix this, to make things right, even if it meant fighting every step of the way.
Bains, though, she wasn’t going to be easy to win back. She turned away, and without saying another word, she walked out of the room. I watched her go, feeling
2/1
like I was losing a bale i had already fought so hard for.
That I wasn’t giving up. Not now, not ever. I watched Dominic follow her, Ava still cradled in his arms.
