A Divorce He Regrets

Chapter 234:

Dominic ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched. “You think I don’t know that? I’m trying to keep her safe! She’s not thinking straight, and if she leaves now, it’s over. I can’t lose her, Alex. I won’t.”

“You’re not giving her a choice, Dominic. You’re trapping her, and you know damn well that’s not going to fix anything. If you force her to stay like this, you’ll destroy what little chance you have left.”

Dominic paced back and forth like a caged lion, his hands on his hips. “What do you want me to do? Let her walk out the door, take Caleb, and never come back? I’m trying to protect my family.”

I let out a heavy sigh as my frustration mounted. “Protect her? From what? From you? Because right now, that’s what it looks like.”

Dominic stopped pacing, his eyes narrowing at me. “Stay out of it, Alex. This isn’t your fight.”

I stepped closer, my voice calm but firm. “If you don’t want my opinion, fine. But I’m telling you, as someone who’s been there, if you keep going down this road, you’re going to regret it. I almost lost Raina because I didn’t know how to let her make her own choices. Don’t make the same mistake I did.”

Dominic glared at me, his shoulders tense, but then his face softened, and he let out a sigh. “You’re right.” He dragged a hand down his face. “I’m just so damn tired, man. I messed up, and I don’t know how to fix it.”

Faith’s shouting continued upstairs, and Dominic flinched. “I’ll go talk to her,” he whispered. “I’ll try to explain, but I just… I need to calm down first.” He turned to me, his voice more subdued now. “Alex, I need a favor.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “What sort of favor?”

“Don’t tell Raina. At least, not yet.”

That took me by surprise. “Why? Raina might be able to help. She’s close to Faith, Dominic. She might be able to talk to her in a way you can’t.”

Dominic shook his head vehemently. “You know how Raina is. The second she hears about this, she’ll drop everything and come back. And with Nathan out there, I don’t want her anywhere near this mess. Do you?”

F𝓾ll 𝓊𝓅𝒹𝒶𝓉𝑒s h𝑒rє: g𝓐l𝑛ovєls.𝓬•𝓂

I faltered, the reference to Nathan making my blood run cold. Dominic was right. If Raina returned, she’d be an easy target, and we couldn’t take that risk. “Okay,” I said, begrudgingly. “But you have to do this nicely, Dominic. Be upfront with her. Don’t try to push her into staying.”noveldrama

Dominic nodded, his face set grimly. “I’ll make it right. Somehow.” He turned and I watched him go upstairs.

I took a deep breath, fighting to keep my wits. Part of the daily routine now included this call to Raina; if it were broken, she would sense that something was amiss. Dominic was probably upstairs pacing back and forth, blaming himself for the pain Faith suffered while… she was a shell of herself, numb and distant. I couldn’t shake the image of her being led away in cuffs. Dominic was a mess… Faith was worse. Eliza might have been the root of it all, but their marriage? That was a whole other battlefield.

I shook my head. They were adults. If they truly loved each other, they’d find a way to work through this, just like Raina and I were trying to do. Even if it took years.

The second Raina’s face appeared on the screen, her smile hit me like a ray of sunshine through a storm. She was—had always been—beautiful. But something about seeing her now, after everything, felt like a lifeline. But as I looked closer, I could see something wasn’t right with her.

“You’re pale,” I blurted out. My worry sharpened my tone. “Are you okay? Are the kids okay?”

She waved me off, a small laugh escaping her lips. “The kids are fine, Alex. I think I’m just coming down with a fever.”

A fever? That didn’t sit well with me. “You’re sure it’s just a fever?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her through the screen. “I’ll send the doctor to check on you now.”

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