My Husband Chose His Ex I Became His Regret novel Chapter 48

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Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Aidan

“Storm Industries has been approved!”

Music to my ears.

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For a moment, there was complete silence in the room.

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Lila took a deep breath next to me, gasping in disbelief at the approval, and that one sound sent my heart racing in my chest.

Lee continued. “Congratulations. We can sign today.”

After all the signatures of the three of us were completed, Lila was frozen in place.

She then turned to me.

Her eyes were bright with tears, filled with life.

“We did it” she said, and before I had a chance to remind us of where we were at, she crossed the distance between us and hugged me.

The hug was instinctual, filled with relief and lauding of all that she had overcome.

Before I could stop myself, my hands found their resting place on the lower back of Lila.

For a wonderful brief moment, I could feel the warmth of her body up against mine, the way we fit together perfectly, and the memory of the kiss from that night replayed in my mind.

Lila was the first to break the hug and step back from me while her cheeks flushed.

“I’m so sorry. I was too excited.” she said while giving a soft laugh.

“It’s fine.” I said slowly.

Lee’s face smiled knowingly and walked out of the room.

The door closed.

The room felt smaller suddenly.

“Let me take you shopping to celebrate.” I watched as her eyes beam with excitement.

The first boutique enveloped us in silk and reflections from the mirrors. When a stylist appeared, her eyes lit up at the sight of Lila.

“She’s with me,” I said concisely.

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Chapter 48

Lila looked at me. “You make it sound like…”

“like it’s obvious,” I broke in.

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The stylist quickly brought out dresses and tailored jackets as well as gowns that demanded confidence.

“Try this,” I stated as I pulled a midnight blue dress from the rack.

Lila hesitated. “That’s… a little bold.”

“So are you,” I chimed in.

She vanished into the dressing room.

When she emerged, I watched her in admiration

The dress was fitted to her body in all of the right ways and made her look powerful and dangerous, all at

once.

She met my gaze through the mirror.

“Well?” she replied.

I swallowed. “If you wear that dress to a board meeting, everyone’s going to forget their reason for attending.”

She blushed. “That’s not answering my question.”

She laughed nervously and ducked back into the changing room.

Next up was a tailored suit, followed by a wine-colored gown that made my heart skip a beat.

“You like this one,” she said catching me looking at the gown.

“I’m just trying to be good,” I smiled back.

She took another step toward me. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“I’m just picturing the ramifications,” I said.

She audibly inhaled.

Turning away from me, she said, “Can you help me zip this?”

I quickly moved behind her. As I zipped her dress from the bottom up, my knuckles brushed against her warm skin.I felt so tempted to kiss Lila’s neck and remind both of us that we wanted each other despite our best efforts to pretend otherwise. Instead, I cleared my throat and stepped back. Stay in control, Storm.

She turned and searched my face. “Thank you,” she said softly.

I bought a number of dresses, as long as she liked it, she got in

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Chapter 48

Then she turned to me and smiled. “Today means a lot to me,” she said.

“This is just the beginning.” I replied. “Tomorrow, no meetings, no contracts.”

She tilted her head to the side. “And then what?”

“Tomorrow, I will show you the city of Singapore,” I said, speaking low.

Her smile widened.

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Morning arrived softly in Singapore.

There were no alarms, no boardroom meetings, and no legal documents waiting to be signed today.

Only the light coming through the floor to ceiling windows that surrounded the hotel lobby, and an unyielding sense that today would not be about power or revenge or control; today would only be about her.

I found Lila standing in the lobby just inside the large glass doors. I could see that she was hesitant to blink for fear of losing sight of the city, as vibrant as it was. She was wearing a sundress, no sharp lines to signify the corporate woman she was. At that moment she looked like a teenager; youthful, carefree and alive.

“You didn’t bring your tablet?” I asked.

She smiled shyly saying, “You said today would not be for work.”

Giving her a smiling nod, I opened the glass doors; “Good. I’ve decided I will steal you today.”

As we walked outside, I heard her laughter behind us, and it made me feel something deep in my chest that could become dangerous. As we strolled through the awakening city of Singapore

Singapore has a soft, gentle way of revealing itself, first, through the river flowing through it; then, through the scents of spices and rainwater in the air; third, through the many sounds and languages that merge together into an amazingly warm and alive feeling.

I thought Lila was much more interesting than the tall Super Trees she was admiring. I was drawn to the way the sunlight was shining on her hair in such a way that it was hard to differentiate the two objects. I also found Lila’s amazement at being there was like seeing the beauty of Singapore’s amazing creations/architecture.

“Singapore constructs things that are always trying to reach the sky,” I told her. “There is no regret in how tall they are.”

She glanced at me, smiled and said, “Just like you.”

I, smiling shyly, responded, “Like you’re trying to.”

By the time we arrived at our lunch restaurant, we had crab, lots and lots of crab, all over the table.

“This is messy!” she exclaimed while laughing, as she wiped the chili all over her hands.

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Chapter 48

“It’s cool to be messy,” I said, as I gave her a napkin. “Today is your day, no need to be perfect.”

“No pressure?” she said while gazing over the top of her drink.

“None,” I answered.

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You could see the huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders as she now felt as if they were, finally, too heavy to carry. After that, we sampled some satay from a street vendor whose food she thought smelled “too good to pass up.” She closed her eyes and made a pleased sound when she tried it, and all of a sudden I felt very much alive.

“You do that on purpose,” I said with an arid tone.

“Do what?”

“That,” I replied. “You enjoy things like new experiences.”

She laughed, “I didn’t know it was okay to have fun.”

I paused.

While she cleaned her hands, the smile fell just a little.

“No one’s ever told you that before?” I asked.

She didn’t reply, but looked away and blinked quickly.

I switched tracks.

We rode the Singapore Flyer that afternoon.

Going up the capsule felt like when someone opens up a giant map of a city for you to see all at once; the entire area was laid out before us.

Lila rested her palms on the glass. “I can see everything.”

At the top of the Wheel, when we were able to see for what felt like an endless distance – the entire city was laid out before us.

“Small has always felt safe, until now,” she whispered. “Now it just feels like not being seen.”

As the evening began, the city transformed colorful shades.

As we walked down Clarke Quay, the water reflected hundreds of colors. There was music drifting from various restaurants, and laughter drifted around us. When she slipped her hand into mine, it was effortlessly as if it had always belonged there. I didn’t comment or tighten my grip just let it be.

As we walked, she leaned against me, and I could feel her body brushing against mine. I had to restrain myself from wrapping my arms around her and to forget all boundaries I had drawn in the past.

She softly responded, “This has got to be the best day I’ve had in years.” She spoke almost as if she were afraid

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Chapter 48

the words would break if she spoke them too loudly.

She said it softly, almost like she was afraid the words would break if she spoke them too loudly.

Something in my chest shifted, expanded, warm and dangerous all at once.

I stopped walking.

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She turned to me, confusion flickering across her face as the lights of Clarke Quay danced behind her. Music drifted from somewhere nearby, laughter spilling into the night, but all I could hear was the echo of her voice.

The best day.

Because of me.

I lifted a hand, hesitating for only a fraction of a second before brushing my thumb lightly over her knuckles -grounding, intentional.

“That wasn’t an accident,” I said.

Her brows knit. “What wasn’t?”

“This,” I replied, gesturing around us, the river, the lights, the quiet happiness still clinging to her like something fragile. “Your smile. Your laughter. You being here without shrinking.”

Her breath caught.

“As long as you’re with me,” I continued, my voice low and steady, “you’re going to have days like this. Beautiful ones. Days where you don’t have to earn peace or beg for joy.”

Her eyes shone.

“You promise?” she asked, almost childlike.

I didn’t hesitate. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

For a brief second, she just stared at me as if trying to process what I had just said. All of a sudden, she stepped up to me, wrapped her arms around my waist, and pressed her cheek against my chest as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I froze for a moment, and then relaxed as my arms embraced her without me even thinking about it.

She fit there perfectly and comfortably as if she had always belonged there. “I look forward to all of this,” she whispered.

I closed my eyes, breathing in her scent and feeling the city come alive around us.

Because at that moment, as she continued to hold on to me, I knew one thing with absolute terrifying clarity.

Whatever came next, whatever lines we crossed or fires we walked into…

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