Divorce me I'm done serving you (Ayla) novel Chapter 887

Edgar looked like a man who had been utterly crushed. It was as if every bit of spirit had been drained from him.

He was pathetic, through and through.

Nina pulled her gaze back and covered the little girl’s eyes.

“Mr. Bowman, I’m Nina Brogdon. This is your biological granddaughter.”

Nina was thin and delicate, with a soft temper, but her voice was low and steady when she said it.

She knew exactly what she wanted. There was no hesitation left.

Right now, she needed to appear in front of the Bowmans.

She needed them to know who she was.

...

James had told her ahead of time that he was coming to pick her up, so Halle wasn’t surprised when she saw him.

The emotional upheaval had been too much. She still needed to process it, and even after getting into the car, she stayed quiet.

She didn’t even notice when James leaned over and buckled her seat belt.

Only after the car had been moving for a while did she realize they were already on the road.

James kept checking on her. “Feeling any better?”

Halle’s emotions were still tangled. A few tears slipped out before she could stop them.

James clicked his tongue. “Still crying over him?”

His tone was casual. Inside, the jealousy had gone sharp and sour.

If he had met Halle earlier, what chance would that idiot Edgar have ever had?

Halle ignored him.

She cried quietly for a while. Little by little, the weight seemed to leave with the tears.

Then, she started noticing the world again—the hum of the engine, the soft white noise beyond the window, James’s faint breathing beside her.

She looked around.

James’s car was spotless. A little alien figurine sat on the dashboard, and the cabin carried the fragrance he liked.

The scent lingered in the air, clean and pleasant.

Sound, sight, smell—piece by piece, they pulled Halle back to the present. She knew where she was now. She was with James, heading to dinner.

The thought alone made her feel lighter. Happy, even. A happiness that came from somewhere real and easy inside her.

Being around Edgar always trapped her in the same spinning vortex.

Being with James felt like stepping toward the future.

Like hope had opened in front of her.

Halle said, “If you find me annoying, pull over. I’ll get out and call a cab. I don’t need you.”

James laughed. This was the confident Halle he liked. “Don’t worry. I don’t think you’re annoying. Especially not right now. If I mess this up, I won’t forgive myself.”

Halle glanced at him. “You’re choosing this moment to cheer me up on purpose, aren’t you?”

“I am trying to make you happy, because I don’t want to see you sad. Unless you think I’m just preying on your vulnerability—taking advantage of a fresh breakup to gun for the spot of your next boyfriend?”

As he spoke, James became shameless with perfect ease. “Which, to be fair, is pretty accurate. I’m using every trick I have to make you like me, all so our mighty Ms. Kinsman might deign to spare me a glance.”

James sounded very humble, placing himself deliberately below her.

In reality, men who could talk like that were often the most confident ones.

Because deep down, they knew their own worth. They could accept themselves no matter how they phrased things, so the small details didn’t wound them.

Just as a universally recognized beauty wouldn't be hurt if someone called her ugly, because she knew she was beautiful.

That was why James could be generous, relaxed, and funny with his words.

Edgar was the opposite. His inferiority made him sensitive. One careless sentence could stab him, making every interaction feel exhausting.

Halle liked James’s sweet talk, but she still didn’t fully trust it.

James had top-tier looks, top-tier family background, and an outgoing personality. If he wanted someone, almost anyone would say yes. So, Halle tested him. “Admit it. You’re only interested in me for now. Once that interest wears off, you’ll start pulling away little by little."

James sighed.