The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 166

It was an angle she had never even considered.

Her grip loosened, and her fork clattered loudly onto the table.

Maloney stood up, walked around the dining table, and stopped right in front of her. He reached down, lifted her out of her seat, sat down in her chair, and settled her comfortably onto his lap.

"Nora." His voice was low and steady. "I'm a businessman."

"At the negotiating table, everyone is looking out for themselves. I never blindly trust a one-sided sob story. Playing the sympathy card, exaggerating the stakes, setting traps, muddying the waters—these are standard tactics."

"The Smiths helped you in the past, so you have an emotional attachment to them. But I don't. I won't make excuses for anyone, no matter the reason. I only look at the bottom line. That's why I can see the things you miss."

"My theory might not be completely flawless. I'm just offering you a different perspective so you don't let their emotional manipulation drag you around by the nose."

Nora leaned back against Maloney's chest.

She had to admit, his logic was airtight.

In fact, the more she thought about it, the more perfectly it aligned with so many things from the past.

The terrifying part was that she had never questioned any of it.

She couldn't stop her brain from rapidly reviewing every past memory, cross-checking the facts.

Whenever Nora slipped into deep thought, she became hyper-focused to the point of tuning out the world.

Maloney lightly squeezed her waist a couple of times. She didn't even flinch.

His hand slid down, and then down a bit further, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze.

Still no reaction.

His hand slid around to her front and moved back up, resting gently on her stomach.

He began to rub it softly.

Nora had gained a little weight recently.

She felt completely different now.

Back then, when they had first reunited after years apart, aside from being shocked by how much she had grown, Maloney had only one overriding thought.

He wanted to take her home and take care of her.

Her parents had neglected her when she was young, and she hadn't taken care of herself as an adult.

But even after finally bringing her home, two full years had passed without any visible improvement.

During those two years, they had been so busy, tiptoeing around each other like they were separated by a thick veil. They desperately wanted to get closer, yet neither dared to close the distance. They were physically together, yet their hearts remained entirely barricaded.

Caught completely off guard by the sudden squeeze, she reflexively curled up. She leaned forward, scrambled backward, and nearly tumbled right off Maloney's lap.

Maloney instantly snapped out of his trance, his arms shooting out to catch her firmly against him.

Nora looked up at him, utterly bewildered.

Acting as if nothing had happened, Maloney leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Nora, you mentioned earlier that my plan had two flaws. Aside from Nathan, what was the second one?"

"Huh?" Nora blinked, totally lost.

Her face was a picture of sheer confusion. "I forgot."

"If you forgot, just tell me when you remember." Maloney scooped her up into his arms and headed straight for the underground garage. "Let's go for a drive."

By the time they reached the garage, Nora's brain had finally rebooted.

"I remember now!" she announced.

Maloney gently placed her into the passenger seat of the sports car. Resting both hands casually on the roof of the door, he leaned in slightly, his dark eyes locked on hers. "What is it?"

"The tactic you suggested—Jasmine already tried it," Nora explained. "When Jasmine first tried to break off the engagement, she used Valery's inability to attend the wedding as an excuse. Her parents shut it down immediately."

"She just didn't execute it properly." Maloney leaned further into the car, pulling the seatbelt across her chest and snapping it into place. "Don't worry about it for now. Let's just enjoy the drive."