Ex's crazy pursuit After Divorce (Chloe and Adrian) novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Just Go Back and Coax

Her

“Marcus…”

BANG!

Before Adrian could finish his sentence, Marcus slammed the door shut and left.

Natalie stared at the closed door, her teeth clenched in fury.

It had to be Chloe. She must’ve said something to Olivia Grant, twisting Marcus’s view of her.

Beside her, Adrian picked up his jacket. His voice was hoarse, heavy with exhaustion.

“Come on. I’ll take you home first.”

Natalie quickly wiped the dark look from her eyes, slipping back into her pitiful mask.

“I’m just so envious of how everyone loves Chloe. Even Marcus, who never gets involved, jumped to defend her.

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Chloe’s been complaining about me to Marcus…”

Her words dripped with subtext–hinting at Marcus and Chloe’s closeness, Chloe badmouthing her, Adrian being her only anchor.

It was the kind of manipulation she’d mastered. And usually, it worked.

But this time, Adrian stayed silent. He didn’t show the slightest irritation toward Chloe. Instead, a thoughtful look crossed his face.

And then he murmured, almost to himself—

“Is Chloe… really angry?”

His voice was so low it sounded like he was talking to himself, but Natalie heard every word.

“Chloe must be angry,” she echoed quickly, panic flashing through her chest even as she kept her expression innocent.

“It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have had that episode and ruined her mood.”

As she spoke, she watched Adrian’s face darken.

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wouldn’t have let you lose face in front of everyone like that.”

Sure enough, at the reminder of Chloe’s silence, Adrian’s brow furrowed sharply, his expression clouded with displeasure.

“You can’t control your episodes. If she’s still making a big deal out of that, she’s just being unreasonable,” he said coldly.

“Adrian, please… go back and coax Chloe. I’m begging you,” Natalie lowered her gaze, hiding the flicker of triumph in her eyes before looking up at him again.

She tugged playfully at his arm a few times.

But Adrian’s mind flashed back to Chloe’s cold expression at the airport, and a sudden panic clawed at his chest.

“What’s there to coax her about?” His fists clenched unconsciously, though his voice stayed cold.

Even as he spoke, his steps quickened toward the door.

“I’ll take you home.”

“Alright then.” Natalie lowered her gaze, hiding the smug gleam in her eyes.

As they stepped out of the private room, the club manager approached, carrying a small box. 377

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“Ms. James, here’s the cake you ordered.”

“Perfect, thank you.”

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Natalie accepted it, then turned and offered it to Adrian.

“Please, for my sake, take this to Chloe. Apologize properly, okay? Otherwise I’ll feel awful about this. I even had the chef customize it just for her.”

When Adrian didn’t take it right away, she clasped her hands in front of her chest, begging.

“Please, please?”

Adrian stared at the little cake.

Suddenly, an image surfaced in his mind–Chloe in her office that day, cheeks puffed like a hamster as she nibbled on cake.

When she swallowed, her eyes curved into crescents, her whole face glowing with satisfaction. She’d looked absolutely

adorable.

His lips curved before he realized it. Without thinking, he reached out and took the box from Natalie’s hands.

“That’s more like it. Once Chloe stops being mad, I won’t feel

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so guilty,” Natalie said with a sweet smile.

Adrian didn’t reply. His thoughts slipped back to the hotel, to Chloe’s stunned expression after he’d snapped at her.

She hadn’t even been angry then. But leaving her alone for half a month? Of course she’d resent him. That was only fair.

Fine. This time, it really was his fault. He’d go coax her.

And Chloe was easy to coax. A simple apology, and she’d soften -forgetting all about being angry.

With that thought, his stride quickened as he left the club.

Bayview Manor.

Chloe jolted awake, breath ragged, her chest heaving like she was still buried under the snow from her nightmare.

A sharp sting in her fingertip snapped her back to reality. She’d gripped the sofa so hard her nail had cracked, leaving a faint trace of blood.

Frowning, she got up and pulled out the first aid kit from the drawer.

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As she dabbed iodine onto the wound, the sound of the front door opening made her head turn.

Adrian stepped inside, a cake box in hand.

Their eyes met, and the silence between them turned heavy.

“You’re back,” Chloe said first.

She didn’t move to fetch his slippers like she always used to. After the brief greeting, she turned back and calmly disinfected her fingertip.

Adrian paused, thrown off by her indifference.

Guilt prickled in his chest. He touched his nose awkwardly, bent down to grab his own slippers, and walked over to her.

“What happened to your finger?” His tone was casual—maybe too casual, like he was just grasping for conversation.

“Scratched it by accident. It’s nothing.”

She finished disinfecting and packed the kit away.

Just as she stood, Adrian reached out, offering her the cake.

She looked at him, puzzled.

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Under her gaze, a flicker of discomfort passed over his face.

“I noticed you like cake,” he said awkwardly. “So I picked one up on the way.”

Chloe blinked, stunned. She hadn’t expected him to notice something so small.

Before, she would’ve lit up, snatched it from his hands, and tasted it with all the delight in the world.

But now? She only gave the box a calm glance before smiling faintly and taking it.

“Thanks.”

She set it down casually on the table, untouched.