Dear Ex-Wife Please Be Mine Again (Christina and Alex) novel Chapter 190

Chapter 190 Christiana's POV.

The morning had started out fine...better than fine, actually. Emma was humming while coloring at the dining table, and Ethan was busy constructing a lopsided Lego castle. It felt peaceful, almost normal, something I hadn't experienced in years.

Then the knock on the door came, loud and hurried, shattering the calm. My heart skipped, my stomach churned. I wiped my hands on a dish towel, glancing back at the kids. "Stay here," I said, trying t o s o u n d c a l m .

When I opened the door, Grace stood there, looking unusually disheveled. Her hair, usually tied neatly, was falling out of her bun, and her face was pale. She clutched her phone tightly.

"Grace?" | frowned, alarmed. "What's wrong?"

She didn't answer immediately, her lips parting like she was searching for the right words. "You need to sit down," she finally said, her voice unusually steady but firm.

"What? Why?" A heavy feeling began to settle in my chest.

"Christiana..." Her hand gripped my arm with unexpected force.

"You need to hear this sitting down."

My heart thudded as panic surged through me. "Tell me," I demanded, louder than I intended.

Her hesitation lasted a m o m e n t too long. Then s h e dropped the bombshell. "Daniel Brooks is dead."

The words felt unreal. I stared at her, uncomprehending. "What?" | asked, shaking my head. "That doesn't make sense. He's in custody."

"He was poisoned," Grace continued, her expression unreadable.

"In his cell. This morning."

The world tilted. My hand shot out to grab the doorframe, my knees suddenly weak. "Poisoned?" I repeated, as though the word itself was foreign.

Grace nodded. "It's all over the news."

I stumbled back into the house, leaving the door open behind me.

My mind raced. Daniel ...poisoned? The man who had traumatized me, who had stood like a dark shadow over my life, was... gone?

"Mommy?" Emma's soft voice cut through the haze. "What's

wrong?"

I turned to her, forcing a smile that felt like it would shatter.

"Nothing, sweetie. Everything's fine." But my voice cracked, betraying the lie.

Grace stepped in, closing the door behind her. "You need to breathe," she said, her hands hovering awkwardly like she wanted to help but wasn't sure how.

lignored her, pacing the room. "This doesn't make sense." | muttered. "He was supposed to stand trial. He was supposed to answer for everything he did. How could this happen?" My voice rose with e a c h word.

Grace stood silently, her face calm but cautious. "I know it's a lot,"

she finally said, her tone measured.

I stopped pacing and turned to face her, my anger flaring. "Do you?

Do you know what it's like to have your life ripped apart by someone only to find out they're gone without warning? Without justice?"

Her face didn't change; she simply waited until I stopped. "I don't""

she admitted. "But maybe... maybe it's better this way. He can't hurt anyone anymore."

Her words hung in the air like a bad echo. "Better?" I laughed bitterly. "I wanted him to pay. I wanted to look him in the eye in court, to show him he didn't win."

She didn't respond, standing still as I paced again.

The kids were still watching from the table, their innocent faces full of confusion. I took a shaky breath and forced myself to lower my voice. "Go play, okay? Mommy just needs a minute."