Dear Ex-Wife Please Be Mine Again (Christina and Alex) novel Chapter 44

Christiana's POV.

I jolted awake to a deafening explosion, the kind that makes your heart stop dead in your chest. My mind was slow to catch up, but my body was already moving, filled by a primal fear I hadn’t felt in years. The house shook violently, and a moment later, the smell of smoke hit me like a slap in the face.

“Oh God, no,” I gasped, throwing the covers off. I barely made it out of bed before the shrill sound of alarms filled the air.

I ran toward the door, but as soon as I stepped into the hallway, I was met with chaos. Flames were already licking up the walls, putting a hellish glow that made everything look like a scene from a nightmare. The heat was unbearable, the air thick with smoke that made it nearly impossible to breathe.

"Mommy!" Ethan’s scream cut through the noise like a knife. I sprinted towards the sound, ignoring the searing pain as I twisted my ankle on the debris scattered across the floor. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached the kids' room, practically kicking the door open.

The sight of them standing there, wide-eyed and terrified, broke me. Emma was clutching her brother's hand so tightly her knuckles were white. The room was filling with smoke fast, and I knew we didn’t have much time.

“Mommy, what’s happening?” Emma cried, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m here, babies. I’m here,” I managed to say, forcing calm into my voice despite the sheer terror clawing at my throat. I grabbed their hands, pulling them towards me. “We have to get out of here. Now.”

But the hallway was already a blazing inferno. The fire had spread throughout the house with terrifying speed, like something out of a nightmare. The heat was so intense that it felt like my skin was burning, and every breath was a struggle against the thick, acrid smoke that clawed at my lungs. I could barely think, but I knew I had to get the kids out of here, no matter what.

“Stay close to me, okay?” I told them, trying to keep my voice steady. My mind was racing, desperately searching for a way out. The main staircase was out of the question—engulfed in flames. I could hear the panicked shouts of the staff and the guards, some of them screaming in pain. This was more than a fire. It was an attack. Someone had done this on purpose.

“Mommy, I’m scared,” Ethan whimpered, his small body trembling against mine.

“I know, sweetheart. But I need you to be brave for me, okay? We’re going to get out of here.”

I spotted the back staircase—our only chance. I dragged them toward it, my injured ankle screaming in protest with every step. The kids clung to me, their faces pale and tear-streaked. I could feel their fear, their confusion, and it broke my heart that I couldn’t protect them from this.

“Mommy, why is this happening?” Emma asked, her voice trembling.

“I don’t know, baby. But we’re going to be okay. I promise,” I lied, because the truth was, I had no idea if we would make it out of this alive.

We reached the stairs, and I practically shoved them ahead of me. “Go, go! Don’t look back!”

The staircase was narrow and steep, but it wasn’t on fire—yet. I forced myself to move faster, ignoring the searing pain in my ankle. The sounds of the house collapsing around us were deafening, but I couldn’t let it distract me. The kids were my only focus.