Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband novel Chapter 434

(Winona) 

I sit at the dining table, laptop open, and browse through cruise options, trying to piece together a plan. that makes sense. Every search result that pops up seems to end in Florida. 

The very name of that state sends a shiver down my spine. Cancun isn’t all that far from Florida, and the memories of Cass’s kidnapping creep back in, making my stomach clench. It feels like a warning, a reminder that danger is never far away. 

I guess that was one disaster that Judy didn’t have her hand in. Gus took the fall and is headed for jail as a traitor to stop the crime syndicate from targeting his family. 

But the fact is, that smuggling ring runs deep and wide. They are still in operation and Greg’s secret Cuban family have direct links. Nothing has been proven against Gabriel. 

I don’t know what the situation is with him and Cass. But I force myself not to stress over that now. 

I sigh and click on another tab, this one for a road travel planner. Flying directly from Florida to our final destination in the States seems almost unavoidable, but I may as well just fly from here and cut out the 

middleman. 

And the idea of facing a long road trip with three kids and a baby makes me exhausted just thinking about 

1. it. That’s a definite no. 

Closing my laptop, I rub my temples. My head is spinning with questions I don’t have answers to. Should I take the kids back to our old neighborhood, to familiar friends and the same school? 

Or would that brin 

g up more pain than comfort? A part of me wants to go somewhere entirely new, somewhere we can start fresh. But is that the right call? The kids have already faced so much upheaval. 

Okay, think logically. The kids know we are leaving. They also know Jayden and I are pretending to be separated, and they need to not speak about that to anyone. But they also need to play their parts as if it’s real. 

Maybe we’re expecting too much but it’s only until we leave here. We know Judy has contacts here. But we’re betting she will forget about us once we leave, with Jayden all to herself. 

In that case, taking them back to what they know and love makes sense. It cuts back on the emotional work we all need to do to start fresh again. Especially if we end up back over here. But that is a future I 

can’t stress about now. 

We need to get Judy dealt with and then revisit where Jayden and me stand. I’m overthinking it. Right now, it’s the kids‘ bedtime. 

I decide I’ll ask them for their opinions. They deserve a say. We don’t have to leave tomorrow, so there’s no great rush for this decision. Maybe taking things slower is the best approach. 

As I tuck Abby into bed, with Bobby and Sarah in saying goodnight to her as well, she looks up at me with those wide, innocent eyes that never fail to melt my heart. “Mommy,” she asks softly, “did Daddy do something really bad to make us go away?” 

I take a deep breath. I know we told them we had to be convincing with our secret, but that question hits 

+25 BONUS 

me hard. With what happened, this could very well be a real conversation. How much separation affects kids is clear, even though we’ve told them we’ll still be a family. 

I sit down on the edge of her bed, smoothing her blanket. “No, sweetie, Daddy didn’t do something really bad. He got angry and said some things that hurt me, but it was because of something I did, too. So it isn’t just his fault, and it definitely isn’t your fault or Sarah’s or Bobby’s.” 

Abby fidgets with the edge of her blanket. “But if you and Daddy are fighting, we can’t be a family anymore.” 

My heart aches at the worry in her voice. “No, we are always a family,” I assure her, my voice steady but soft. “Daddy and I will still do things with you together. We love you all so much. We just won’t live in the same house.” 

Sarah, who has been sitting beside me speaks up now. “So… does that mean Daddy doesn’t love you anymore?” 

Geez, these kids know how to play a role. 

“It’s complicated, honey. But love doesn’t just disappear. Sometimes adults need to figure out how to get along better, and that can take time. During that time, living together might not be so nice for you kids. We don’t want to be fighting in front of you.” 

Bobby is sitting on the ottoman near the bed. “Are you and Dad gonna get divorced?” 

“We don’t know yet,” I admit. “But no matter what happens between me and Daddy, both of us love you kids more than anything in the world. That’s never going to change.” 

I reach over and touch his shoulder gently. “We’re going to figure this out, okay? You help the girls stay on track and we’ll all keep a happy vibe for Henry.”