Once She Came Like a Flash novel Chapter 35

**Faith Didn’t Survive Time – by Aadi Sharma**
**Chapter 35**

“A divorce?”

The words hung in the air like a heavy fog, and Adam’s expression fell as if the ground had shifted beneath his feet. His body seemed to freeze in place, his eyes wide with disbelief. A moment later, laughter erupted from him, a nervous chuckle that felt out of place. He reached out to pinch her cheek lightly, an instinctive gesture meant to dispel the tension.

“Come on, honey. Don’t joke around,” he said, his voice playful but tinged with an undercurrent of concern.

He enveloped her in his arms, resting his chin gently atop her head, as if trying to shield her from the storm brewing between them.

“Renee, I love you,” he murmured softly, his breath warm against her hair. “From the day I married you, I made it clear… with us, there’s no such thing as divorce. Only death.”

The moment those words left his lips, she felt a jolt of tension ripple through her body. Stiffening in his embrace, her cheek pressed against the solidness of his chest, she could sense the familiar heat radiating from him, the comforting scent that had once made her feel safe. Yet, for the first time, that warmth churned her stomach, twisting it in knots.

His declaration struck her like a slap, reverberating through her like an echo in an empty room. Oddly enough, her face remained unscathed, but her heart—a different story entirely—throbbed painfully, each pulse a reminder of her suffocating reality. She drew in a shaky breath, instinctively casting her gaze toward Jasper, who stood across the sprawling golf course, an island of calm in the midst of her turmoil. But before she could fully focus on him, her eyes were met with a piercing glare that sliced through the air like a knife.

Kayla.

Even from afar, Renee could feel the palpable hostility radiating from her, a dark cloud of resentment that made the air around them feel charged.

The summer weather had been a capricious companion that day. Just moments ago, the sky had basked in a brilliant blue, but now ominous winds swept across the golf course, heralding an unexpected downpour.

As the crowd scrambled towards the lined-up golf carts, Adam suddenly grasped Renee’s wrist, pulling her toward Jasper’s cart with a determined urgency.

“Mr. Zeller, the other carts are full. Would you mind if Renee rode with you?”

Jasper reclined in his seat, running a hand through his damp hair, his posture casual yet commanding. He turned to Adam, his gaze cool and assessing. One brow arched slightly, a subtle acknowledgment passing between them, and the corners of his mouth curled into a faint, inscrutable smile.

“Suit yourself,” he replied, his tone nonchalant.

Renee sat in stunned silence, the weight of his words settling heavily on her shoulders.

Previously, she had perceived Jasper as merely cold and arrogant, but now it was evident that he was not only astute but also merciless. Each word he uttered felt like a punch to her gut, a reminder of her fractured reality.

“Well, Mr. Zeller, I suppose you only look—”

She caught herself just in time, almost voicing that he appeared aged yet inexperienced. Instead, she bit her tongue, realizing he could be a pivotal investor in her future.

Quickly shifting the subject, she asked, “So, are you genuinely considering a partnership with the Spencer family?”

Jasper’s gaze flicked to her, his eyes dark and inscrutable. “You were just negotiating with me on behalf of Genome Tech. Who exactly are you representing now?”

That question left Renee momentarily speechless, the gravity of it hitting her like a freight train.