No Divorce? The Billionaire's Love Chase! novel Chapter 3

York glanced at the text, then back at Claudia.

Seeing no reaction from her, he quickly typed a reply and turned the screen off.-

He was clearly distracted. "Let's get some sleep."

But Claudia couldn't sleep. She closed her eyes, but all she could see was that idyllic image: York with one arm around his son, the other around the woman he loved.

Anger told her to grab his phone right now and demand answers.

Reason told her that her mother had just had bypass surgery and was still in the hospital. She couldn't start a fight over a divorce now.

At three in the morning, York's phone lit up again.

Ten minutes later, he was gone.

As Claudia heard the car's engine start in the driveway, she slowly opened her eyes.

A single text message, and he was out the door. That was the power his old flame held over him.

Claudia wanted to scream and make a scene, but she didn't have the strength. She felt too weak to even speak, to do anything but breathe.

The next morning, Claudia forced herself to pull it together and went to the hospital to bring her parents breakfast.

Seeing how haggard she looked, they were alarmed.

Her mother, Jessica Stone, was awake but still frail, tubes connected to her body. "Claudia, what's wrong?"

Claudia quickly reassured her. "Don't worry, Mom. I just didn't sleep well last night."

"Here," her father Felix Watkins said, handing her a peeled apple. "Just saw the doc on his rounds. He said everything went fine with your mom's surgery, no problems at all. Stitch is looking good. Could be home within the week."

Hearing that, Claudia finally felt a wave of relief.

Just then, his phone rang again.

York pulled his hand back, glanced at the screen, and said, "I have to take this. You go on ahead."

He turned and walked toward the elevators, his voice low as he answered the call. "Be good, okay?"

That gentle, coaxing tone was like an icy dagger to Claudia's heart.

She couldn't hold it in any longer. She hid in the restroom and sobbed her heart out.

So, he could be that patient, that gentle. In the twenty-five years she had known him, he had never once spoken to her with such tenderness.

Once she had calmed down, Claudia fixed her makeup and returned to her mother's room.

Jessica sensed trouble. She sent her husband away and reached for Claudia's hand.