A Divorce He Regrets

Chapter 178:

Once we were alone, I turned to Dominic, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. “What if Nathan finds out about the tests?” I asked, my voice low. “What if Adelaide gets suspicious and tips him off?”

Dominic rubbed his temples, clearly as frustrated as I was. “We can’t afford to wait, Raina,” he said firmly. “We need to know who’s been poisoned and who hasn’t. The results will give us the leverage we need to take her down.”noveldrama

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I considered his words. He was right, of course. We needed those results, but the risk felt enormous.

“Okay,” I said finally, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling inside me. “We’ll go tomorrow. But we need to be careful, Dominic. If she gets wind of this…”

“She won’t,” he interrupted, his tone resolute.

Just as I opened my mouth to continue the conversation with Dominic, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, and Alex’s name flashed across the screen. “Hold that thought,” I said to Dominic, raising a hand before answering.

“Alex?”

“I’ve got the kids on the line,” he said, his voice softer than usual.

My heart leapt. “You do?”

“I thought you’d want to hear from them,” he replied.

“Of course I do,” I said quickly, my breath catching. “Put them on.”

A second later, Liam’s tiny voice came through the line. “Mommy?”

“Liam,” I said, my voice breaking as tears pricked at my eyes. “Hi, baby. How are you?”

“I miss you,” he said, his words tugging painfully at my heart.

“I miss you too,” I whispered, my throat tightening. “So much.”

“Mommy, when can we come home?” Ava’s voice chimed in, her tone pleading.

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I closed my eyes, steadying myself. “Soon, sweetheart,” I said, my voice trembling. “I promise. But for now, you need to stay with Alex, okay? He’s keeping you safe.”

“But I want to be with you,” Liam said, his voice cracking with emotion. I pressed a hand to my chest, as if that could ease the ache in my heart. “I want that too, Liam,” I said. “More than anything.”

Dominic watched me, his expression softening as he leaned against the wall.

“Are you okay, Mommy?” Ava asked, her innocence cutting straight to my core.

“I’m okay, baby,” I lied, forcing a smile even though they couldn’t see me. “I’m just working on a few things, but I’ll see you both soon. I love you so much.”

“Love you too,” they said in unison, their little voices filling me with both joy and sorrow.

Alex came back on the line after a beat. “They miss you,” he said quietly.

“I know,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ll make sure they stay safe, Raina,” he assured me.

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Thank you,” I uttered, the words laced with genuine gratitude.

“When are you planning to do the tests?” I asked, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me.

“Tomorrow,” Alex replied.

The line went quiet for a moment, the weight of everything hanging between us like a heavy fog. Then, he broke the silence. “Are you okay, Raina?” he asked gently. “And how did your family take the news?”

I glanced over at Dominic, who was sitting across the room with his arms crossed, watching me intently. “I told them,” I said softly, turning my back slightly for privacy. “But I can’t shake this fear, Alex. What if Nathan finds out about the tests? What if he…” I trailed off, the possibilities too terrifying to voice aloud.

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