Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband novel Chapter 282

202 Jayden is Here 

282 Jayden Is Here 

(Winona) 

I pull the GPS tracker out of my bag, the tiny device feeling foreign in my palm. I tie it into my hair, tucking it into the tight bun I’ve secured high on my head. 

My fingers tremble as I make sure it’s hidden. 

I have a lifeline, but that doesn’t make me feel any less on edge. 

I don’t know how long Jayden will take to get here, but I’m using every minute to get prepared. My mind keeps circling back to everything that’s happened. I left him. 

He stood at the altar, humiliated in front of everyone–our family, our friends. The children. Our children. 

I push the guilt down as best as I can, but it sits heavy on my chest like a weight I can’t shake. I made that choice, and I had no other. I had to leave. For Cass. 

Gus drove us to this nearby camp–an odd place, not quite a hotel, but functional enough. There’s a kitchen, a bathroom, and some food. I’ve showered and put on layers of warm clothes, thinking altead for when I find Cass. 

She might need them more than me. 

I slip a small nail file into my bra, just in case. Not exactly a weapon, but it makes me feel like I have some control. A protein bar and bottled water go into a small zip bag around my waist. 

I don’t have an appetite, but I know I need to be ready. 

I’m hoping I can keep them for Cass. I don’t know what condition she’ll be in. I push any awful thoughts out of my mind. Focus. 

The sun’s been down for hours. I’m pacing, the tension in my body coiling tighter by the minute. Gus pops his head in to tell me Jayden’s chopper is landing. He’s going to the airstrip to pick him up.. 

My stomach tightens as I nod. I swallow hard. Facing Jayden… that’s what’s really making me anxious. I duck in to use the bathroom. It makes a change from pacing the room. 

Splashing cold water on my face, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. What am I even going to say to him? How do I explain why I left him standing there, like an idiot? 

I hear the door open as I walk back into the main room. And there he is. Jayden stands in the doorway, backlit by the outside lights. His face is unreadable, but the air between us is thick. 

The second our eyes meet, I can feel it–his anger, his hurt, and buried beneath it, his love. 

I can’t hold back anymore. 

“Jayden!” His name tears from my throat as I run toward him. 

He doesn’t speak. His arms open, catching me as I throw myself against his chest. His grip is tight, crushingly tight, like he’s holding on for dear life. 

His body is solid, familiar, and for just a second, I let myself feel safe. 

1/2 

+25 BONUS 

202 Jayden is Here 

But it’s fleeting because I can feel the tension in him–the questions he’s holding back. 

We stay like that for a few moments, neither of us speaking, just clinging to each other. His heart pounds against mine, fast and hard. His breath is shaky, but his arms don’t loosen. 

Finally, I pull back just enough to look up at him, my fingers gripping his jacket. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. 

“I didn’t want to leave you like that. I had to make a choice. They said come alone and tell no one, or they’ll hurt her. I didn’t have a choice.” 

His jaw clenches, and for a moment, his face hardens. But his eyes–they’re still soft, still full of the love he has for me. “You should’ve told me,” he says quietly, but there’s an edge to his voice. 

“You should’ve told me right away, Winona. I don’t care about the danger. I’m coming with you.” 

“Is Henry okay?” I ask, desperate to know about our son. 

“He’s stable.” Jayden replies, his voice softening. “The doctors say he’s getting stronger.” 

Relief washes over me, but it’s quickly swallowed by the gravity of what I’m about to say. “You can’t come with me. They want you, Jayden. This is all about getting to you. You have to trust me on this. I can handle it. We have a plan.” 

Jayden’s grip tightens on my arms, his frustration boiling just beneath the surface. “Why the hell would. they want me?”