Mr Billionaire's Regret Chasing His Irresistible Wife (Jared and Arielle) novel Chapter 149

(ARIELLE'S POV)

Exhausted from the day’s chaos, I pushed open the front door, desperate for the comfort of solitude. Between the rival restaurant’s sabotage and Stephen and Rebecca’s antics, my nerves were frayed. All I wanted was to collapse in peace.

But the sight that greeted me was nothing short of surreal.

The space has been transformed to a cozy haven. The fireplace that was barely in use now crackled with fire, casting a warm and comfortable glow over the room. The dogs, looking freshly bathed and groomed, lay by the fire, looking content.

As if that was not enough, a nice smelling aroma of food sailed into my nose. Nose flared, I traced its source to the kitchen. Once again, I was thrown off balance by the sight before me.

Jared and Maverick, moving around the kitchen in what looked like a team effort to prepare dinner. Jared, effortlessly cool as always, flipped a steak with the precision of someone who’d been doing this for years—except I knew better. Meanwhile, Maverick, spatula in hand, looked up as I entered, his face lighting up.

“Mommy! Welcome back!” he exclaimed, his excitement contagious.

“Hey, Arielle,” Jared greeted, as if it were perfectly normal for him to be in my kitchen, cooking dinner with our son.

I blinked, trying to process the scene. “What’s… going on here?”

“Daddy wanted to surprise you with dinner!” Maverick announced proudly.

I glanced between the two of them, emotions swirling. Gratitude, unease, and more than a little suspicion. Why was Jared being so.... domestic? He hated cooking when we were married unless he’d royally screwed up and needed to apologize. This sudden display of domesticity set off every alarm bell in my head.

And if he thought he could impress me with these, he was definitely wrong.

“Thanks,” I managed, keeping my tone casual. “It smells amazing in here.”

Maverick grinned, his face glowing with pride. “We did it, Daddy!” He raised his hand for a high five.

Jared obliged with a smirk. “We sure did, partner.”

And then he turned to me, his expression softening, "You look stressed, more stressed than I have seen you in a long time. Why don't you take a bath? We got the hot tub for you. While you relax, we'd set the table," he said, looking at me with concerned eyes.

I looked at him, stunned. Part of me wanted to snap and demand to know what he was up to, but the weight of the day had worn down my defenses. Against my better judgment, I nodded.

“Alright,” I muttered, retreating to my bedroom.

When I entered the bathroom, I froze. The tub was filled with steaming water, the surface flecked with lavender leaves and glistening with scented oil. My heart clenched. He remembered my love for lavender.

I shut my eyes, willing the warmth creeping into my chest to go away.

It was not right.

None of these was.

I felt like I was walking into a carefully constructed trap, designed to make me feel comfortable and at ease.

And I was not supposed to be feeling any of that, not with Jared in my house.

That decided, I stormed back into the kitchen, ready to give Jared a piece of my mind. But as I entered, I was met with Maverick's eager face.

"Mommy, did you like your bath?" He asked, his eyes glittering expectantly.