Everything Was a Deal Until Divorce
Chapter 56 Say It
Once he was done, he turned back to her, slowly closing the gap between them again. “You really think you’re leaving me? Huh?”
Arden’s eyes widened. Oh no… he hears everything I just said!
“You–you were listening just now?! You heard me talking to Grandma?”
By the time she asked, he was already standing in front of her. The pressure in the room shifted instantly. He leaned in, eyes dark and intense.
His shirt had come untucked slightly, and he reached up, grabbing her chin. “You wanna leave? Just like that?”
Arden tilted her head away. “You were the one who didn’t want this marriage. A relationship without love is just torture for both people.”
Dorian let out a cold laugh. “Torture, huh? When you were dead set on marrying me, I don’t remember hearing anything about torture. Funny how it’s torture now. Don’t you think it’s a little late for regrets, Arden?”
“It’s never too late to cut your losses.” Her long hair framed her small, pale face. Fresh out of the shower, she smelled faintly of something clean and sweet.
Maybe it was the nerves, maybe something else, but her eyes shimmered with red. She looked soft. He wasn’t kind.
“Torture or not, you’re sticking with it. Five years. No way in hell you’re getting out of this early. You think you get to call all the shots? You decided when we got married. Now you’re saying I don’t get to decide when we end it?”
He ran a thumb slowly across her lips, warm and firm. Arden turned her head, trying to get away, but he wouldn’t let go.
“And no more separate beds. You’re my wife. We have obligations.”
His voice dropped another notch, his touch trailing. Arden could see the storm brewing in his eyes. “You’re married. So stay the hell away from other men.”
Her voice caught. “Dorian, you—”
Before she could finish, he leaned in close to her ear. “Call me babe. Say it.”
Arden froze. He was too close. His breath was hot against her ear.
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Chapter 56 Say It
44
Finished
And his voice–God, the way he said that—was low and teasing and dangerous all at once.
Dorian remembered how she used to say it. The soft, slow drawl that curled at the end. It’s addicting. “Come on. Say it for me.”
She bit her lip. “What, are you mad because I wanted a divorce? Hurt your ego?”
Dorian’s jaw clenched. His silence was loud. “Say it,” he repeated.
“I was wrong, okay? What do you want from me? What’s it going to take for you to sign those papers?”
He clearly wasn’t interested in answering. He just reached around her neck, pulled her close, and kissed her hard.
Their lips crashed together, breath tangled, messy.
“If you won’t call me ‘babe,‘ then say ‘Dorian.‘ But every time you do, I’m kissing you.”
Then his kiss crashed down–rough, demanding, completely in control. It wasn’t just a kiss. It was relentless, deep, as if he was trying to consume her whole.
The breeze from the open window stirred the curtains, soft and slow, while his hand pressed firmly against her waist, pulling her flush against him.
She was in pajamas, and with summer’s heat and thin fabric, there wasn’t much separating their bodies. Nothing underneath, just the warmth of his chest, the tension in his muscles, and the heat radiating off him–all of it presses into her, and she feels it vividly.
She struggled. But Dorian wouldn’t let go.
Within moments, the room filled with a faint, unmistakable sound–the soft slosh of something shifting–a sound way too suggestive, way too intimate.
Her face turned bright red. She couldn’t even breathe properly. Finally, Dorian let her go.
Arden immediately reached up and wiped her mouth. Dorian saw that–and his expression went dark.
“You… you absolute jerk!”
She was flushed all over, lips reddened from the kiss, cheeks pink, eyes wide. Furious. She looked so alive it made his chest tighten–and his mood lift, just a little.
“You call that forced,” she snapped, “because it is.”
Dorian dragged a thumb across his own lips, smirking. “Forced? That’s what married couples
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Chapter 56 Say It
call foreplay.”
:
Arden just stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “You’re unbelievable.”
He stepped in again, one arm sliding back around her waist. “Still not calling me babe?”
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Finished
The look in his eyes was dark, hot, impossible to ignore. She flinched, half expecting another kiss, and the words slipped out before she could stop them. “…Babe.”
Sure enough, it was soft and sweet. Just the way he remembered. “Good girl.”
Satisfied, he let go of her, turned, grabbed a fresh pair of pajamas from the closet, and walked into the bathroom.
The moment the door shut behind him, Arden scrambled onto the bed and grabbed her phone. She opened WhatsApp and fired off a message to Isla.
She typed, “Dorian just made me call him babe. Is he actually losing his mind?”
She sent, “I said I wanted a divorce and he straight up refused. Does he think I bruised his big man ego or something?”
Isla asked, “Wait, he doesn’t want a divorce now? Didn’t he used to get mad when you called him babe?”
She shot back, “Yes!! That’s what I don’t get. What the hell changed?”
Isla typed, “Girl… is it possible he actually caught feelings?”
Arden blinked, hard. Is Isla serious right now?
She muttered under her breath as she texted, “Are you kidding me? That’s about as likely as pigs flying. Or hell freezing over.”
Isla asked, “Be honest… is he still sleeping with you?”
Arden’s cheeks flared. She could feel the heat creeping down her neck.
She typed, “Yeah. We’re still… you know.”
Isla sent, “Then maybe he’s just into your body?”
She rolled her eyes, texting, “Please. The man’s surrounded by women who look like Victoria’s Secret models. And they’re all dying to climb into his bed.”
3/4
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.

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