HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 866

Naomi sat rigidly on the edge of her bed, her hands clasped tightly together in her lap. Her gaze remained fixed on the floor, not daring to look around.

Ever since Lydia had pulled her away from the hallway outside the study and brought her into the bedroom, neither of them had spoken a single word. The silence that settled between them only made Naomi more uneasy, especially because she knew Cale was venting his anger at Chris out there.

Meanwhile, Lydia pulled one of the wooden chairs from beside the vanity table. She placed it directly in front of Naomi, closing the distance between them. Lydia sat down calmly, folded her hands in her lap, and looked steadily at the girl before her.

For quite some time, the woman remained silent, simply observing Naomi's tense expression. That gentle gaze only made it harder for Naomi to lift her head. Deep down, she felt she would have been more prepared if Lydia had simply scolded her.

But because the woman remained calm and silent, the guilt that had been swirling in Naomi's chest only grew more suffocating. Finally, Lydia said, "Do you know what you did wrong, Naomi?"

Naomi gently bit her lower lip, squeezing her own fingers to ease her nervousness. "I..." Her voice came out hoarse and quiet. "I made everyone in this house worry."

Lydia did not immediately nod in agreement. She let out a quiet sigh. "That's one of them."

Hearing that response, Naomi slowly lifted her head. A flicker of confusion appeared in her eyes. "Then... what else?"

"You forgot to let us know where you were," Lydia answered calmly. "Your mistake wasn't that you went out with Chris today."

Lydia paused for a moment, making sure Naomi was listening to every word. "Nor was it because you came home later than the agreed time."

Lydia tilted her head slightly, meeting Naomi's eyes with a steady gaze. "It was because, for hours, none of us had any idea where you were. Your phone was off, and you had completely disappeared from our sight."

Naomi lowered her head again, staring at her fingers, which suddenly felt cold. Only then did she realize something crucial. Ever since returning to Carrington Bay under the protection of the Devereux family, she had never gone that far without an escort, much less without informing anyone.

Scared.

It had been a long time since anyone had said that to her with genuine sincerity. All this time, she had been on her own, struggling to survive without many people caring about what happened to her.

But ever since she came to this house, she had been carrying a strange, unfamiliar feeling. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that everything they had done for her was because they cared. And now, it was simply because they were afraid of losing her as a member of the family.

Slowly, Naomi lowered her head even further, hiding the tears beginning to gather in her eyes. "I'm sorry." Her voice was barely more than a trembling whisper. "I really didn't think it through that far."

"I know." Lydia smiled faintly. "I could see that you were having fun today."