HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 716

Chapter 716

Lydia stared at Cale without blinking, her breath caught tight in her chest while his last words still hung in the air. Two days. In two days, she was supposed to leave with Naomi. No real explanation, no space to refuse beyond a few words he clearly wasn’t willing to hear.

“Is that your decision?” Lydia finally asked, her voice low but sharp.

Cale didn’t answer right away. He stood at the side of the bed, adjusting the sleeve of his shirt with a calm that felt almost out of place. “I’ve explained what needed to be explained,” he said shortly.

Lydia let out a small laugh, but there was no warmth in it. “Explained?” She shook her head slowly. “You didn’t explain anything, Cale. You gave orders.”

Cale turned to look at her, his expression flat. “This is for your safety.”

“It’s always that,” Lydia said, stepping closer. “And you never give me a choice.”

“I can’t.”

“It’s not that you can’t,” Lydia cut in quickly. “You won’t.”

The tension between them tightened, stretching thin.

She looked at him more closely, searching for something beneath that cold exterior. “Do you know what’s most frustrating about all of this?” she continued softly. “You decide everything on your own, like I don’t even have a say in my own life.”

Cale exhaled briefly. “I’m doing this to protect you.”

“And I didn’t ask for that.” Lydia’s voice rose before she could stop it. “I never asked you to carry everything on your own.”

Cale held her gaze for a few seconds before replying quietly, “I’m not sacrificing anything.”

“You’re not even being honest with yourself,” Lydia shot back. “You think this is just about Naomi? Or Falcon? No, Cale. This is about something bigger, and you’re hiding it from me.”

Cale didn’t answer, and his silence only confirmed it.

Lydia drew in a breath, trying to steady herself, but her voice still trembled. “You’re selfish.”

Cale looked at her, his expression unchanged, though something darker flickered in his eyes. “Maybe,” he said.

Lydia froze. She had expected him to argue, to deny it, to push back. But he accepted the word without resistance.

“If that keeps you alive, I don’t mind,” Cale added quietly.

Lydia shook her head, frustration written clearly across her face. “You don’t understand.”

“I understand more than you think.”

“No.” She took a step back. “If you did, you wouldn’t leave me like this.”

Cale didn’t respond. He picked up his jacket, his tablet, and the glasses resting on the nightstand. Then he walked toward the door without looking back.

“Cale,” Lydia called, softer this time.

His steps paused for a moment, but he didn’t turn.

And then, without another word, he left the room.

The door closed behind him. The sound wasn’t loud, but it was enough to make Lydia’s chest tighten.

1/2

Chapter 7

+25 Bonus

She stood there for a few seconds, staring at the closed door, as if expecting him to come back, to take back everything he had just decided.

But nothing happened. Only silence, thick and suffocating, pulling her deeper into a single thought. Cale really was selfish. The way he had chosen hurt her more than she wanted to admit.

Lydia let out a long breath, then reached for her phone. Her fingers hesitated for a moment before she finally tapped a name.

The call connected.

“Lydia?” The voice on the other end sounded warm. “I just arrived. Are you okay?”

“Althea…” Lydia closed her eyes briefly. “Did you get there safely?”

“Yes. Just a few minutes ago. But your voice… what’s wrong?”

Lydia fell quiet for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts, but every word felt too heavy, too tangled to explain. “Something happened here,” she said at last.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify