Divorce and Freedom No More Homemaker for Him novel Chapter 197

Chapter 197 Bold Kaleb

Draven paused for a beat.

Kaleb scoffed. “You look old enough to have a kid in middle school.”

Draven replied evenly, “I’m single.”

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Kaleb laughed, loud and incredulous. “You? Single? Come on, man. Maybe divorced three times, but single? Not buying it.”

Draven stayed silent.

Three marriages?

He couldn’t figure out where the hell that came from.

Kaleb glared at him, trying to read something in his calm face. It only made him more irritated. “Guys who look like you don’t stay out of trouble. I’m guessing your love life’s a mess.”

Draven arched a brow. “You investigating me now?”

Kaleb smirked. “Relax, man. We’re both guys here. You knock on my sister’s door in the middle of the night, and I’m supposed to believe you’re not thinking something dirty? Let me give you a heads–up–my sister’s into younger guys. She likes them fresh–faced. You’re way out of her range.”

That was a lie.

Ayla had married Troy, then that meant Troy was clearly her type–and this guy looked way too much like him. That’s what had Kaleb on edge.

He was already considering whether he should move closer to keep an eye on her.

Ayla hadn’t been happy when she was married, and he’d done nothing about it back then.

Now he wanted to take some responsibility. He wouldn’t tell her what to do, but he’d make sure she didn’t fall for another mistake. At the very least, she shouldn’t have to face everything on her own again.

Kaleb couldn’t read Draven. Something about the man set him off, a quiet arrogance that screamed trouble. His gut told him this guy wasn’t good news, so he decided to warn him off before things went any further.

Draven thought briefly of Casey, a man about Kaleb’s age.

Does Ayla really go for younger men?

His hand tightened at his side, his face calm but cold. “So what?”

Kaleb’s frown deepened. “So you better stay away from er. Got it?”

Draven’s voice stayed flat. “Is that so?”

Kaleb’s irritation flared. He’d made himself perfectly clear, so what was with that smug tone? Draven was

around.” getting on his nerves. “Yeah, that’s right. You’re the one trying to get close to her, not the other way

The second the words slipped out, he realized Draven had twisted the whole thing around on him. His face hardened. “You heard me. Stay the hell away.”

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Chapter 197 Bold Kaleb

He slammed the door shut so hard the sound echoed, then walked off without another glance.

When he stepped back into the living room, Ayla was coming out of the study.

Kaleb quickly relaxed his expression. “Done already?”

Ayla nodded.

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He was still irritated by Draven, but he couldn’t deny the thrill of success. The job was done, and payback felt damn good. Ayla’s calm reaction, though, made him feel a little ridiculous for being so worked up. Still, he couldn’t hide the grin tugging at his lips.

When Kaleb was happy, the hard lines of his face eased, and the sharpness in his eyes melted away. The cold, detached look was gone, replaced by a flash of youthful charm that made him seem human again.

Ayla noticed and smiled faintly. “Who was at the door? You took a while.”

Kaleb froze, then forced a casual tone. “No one important. I want to check out your computer.”

Ayla arched a brow. “There’s nothing to look at.”

Kaleb tried again. “Come on, I just wanna see it.”

Ayla caught the edge in his voice. “What’s going on? Who was it really? Tell me.”

Kaleb looked away. “It was your building manager.”

Ayla narrowed her eyes. “What for?”

He made something up fast. “Pool cleaning services.”

Ayla almost believed him–until her phone buzzed.

A text popped up from Draven. “I ran into Kaleb.”

Her face froze.

In an instant, her expression shifted.

So it was Draven at the door. He must’ve come looking or her.

And the fact that Kaleb hadn’t said a word meant he’d definitely done something stupid.

Kaleb saw her face tighten and panicked. “What? Did something go wrong? Are we caught?”

Ayla stared at him, piecing it together. With how reckless and sharp–tongued Kaleb was–how even Henry couldn’t control him–if Draven had been the one at the door, there was no way he’d gotten a polite welcome. And knowing Kaleb, the second he saw how much Draven looked like Troy, he’d probably gone straight for the kill.

Kaleb saw the color drain from Ayla’s face, her expression turning grim. His chest tightened as he stepped closer. “If something went wrong,” he said through his teeth, “just blame me. Tell them I forced you.”

Ayla’s voice stayed calm. “Come here.”

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Chapter 197 Bold Kaleb

He bent down without thinking.

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Her eyes met his, full of confusion and worry. Then she flicked her fingers against his forehead, sharp and hard.

Kaleb jerked back, clutching his head. His glare was fierce. “What the hell was that for?”

Ayla didn’t answer. She brushed past him and headed straight for the door.

Kaleb hurried after her. “Wait, it’s that bad? Are we running tonight?”

She planted a hand on the back of his head and gave him a firm push toward the hall. “You’re coming with me. We’re apologizing.”

Kaleb stopped dead, confusion written all over his face. Apologizing? To who—”

Before he could finish, Ayla was already knocking on the next door.

The sound hit him like a slap. He froze.

Then, without a thought, he yanked her back inside, his aw tight and his face pale with anger. “You’re apologizing to him? Seriously? For what?”

Ayla hadn’t expected him to snap like that, and her tone turned sharp. “You’re very defensive. Must’ve done something you shouldn’t have.”

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