The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 257

But that night, Maloney didn't return home until after midnight again.

Nora was truly wide awake this time.

When Maloney walked in, the bedroom ceiling light was still on.

The room was bathed in brightness.

Nora sat on the bed, quietly watching Maloney as he walked through the door.

Her gaze was clear, the light dancing in her eyes seemingly capable of piercing into the deepest, most hidden corners of his heart.

Maloney's heart skipped a beat.

"Maloney," Nora called softly. "Time for bed."

Maloney gave a slight nod. "I'll take a shower first."

He could feel Nora's gaze following his every move.

Right until he closed the bathroom door.

Maloney splashed cold water on his face.

He had come on too strong this morning.

He genuinely hadn't expected David to reach out to Nora.

Caught off guard, Maloney had said too much out of fear he wouldn't be able to stop her, making it sound like he was trying to drive a wedge between the siblings.

There were far better ways to handle it.

Nora had always been highly perceptive.

She had undoubtedly picked up on something.

Maloney would rather Nora throw a tantrum like she had the night before.

Her throwing a fit meant she was in a good mood, that her heart was open, and that she wasn't hiding things when problems arose. She would complain if she was unhappy, question him if she didn't understand, and hit him if she was angry. Her little tempers came quickly and vanished just as fast; a little coaxing was all it took.

And if he didn't coax her, he got to enjoy watching her act out for a couple more days.

Her being this quiet, on the other hand, made him deeply uneasy.

It was as if her defensive walls had shot up.

Maloney formulated his explanation in his head.

He stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to the bed.

There was only one blanket on it.

Last night, Nora had conceded to sharing a blanket with him.

Maloney had immediately turned around and secretly instructed the housekeeper to pack away all the spare blankets in the house.

If she ever tried to demand separate covers again, Maloney was looking forward to watching her toss the bed in frustration, thoroughly exasperated when she couldn't find a spare.

But today...

If Nora wanted separate covers today, Maloney might have to go dig one out himself.

Feigning composure, Maloney slid under the blanket.

He reached out and wrapped his arms around Nora's waist.

She didn't argue, didn't make a scene, and didn't push him away.

He didn't know if this was a good sign or a terrible one.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Nora shifted in his arms.

Maloney tightened his grip, locking her firmly against him. His deep voice carried a hint of urgency. "Nora, listen to me first."

Nora was utterly silent.

But she knew Diana didn't like her.

Back when Nora had wanted to divorce Maloney, the first person she wanted to talk to was Diana.

Even though she knew she would get a scolding.

She just wanted to hear exactly how Diana would tear into her.

But Diana had been too busy with work and said she didn't have time to see her.

Deep down, Nora knew 'busy' was just an excuse.

Nora had kept score in her head—Maloney ran a company too, but he wasn't constantly claiming he was too busy. Why was Diana always so unreachable?

It all came down to a matter of priority.

Unable to see Diana, Nora had no choice but to vent to David.

In Diana's eyes, David held much more weight than Nora did. Whatever Nora told David would eventually make its way to Diana's ears.

But even when she heard about it, she rarely intervened.

She probably thought Nora was just being childish and annoying.

Too exhausting to bother with.

But it was true.

Threatening divorce one day and taking it back the next—it was a petty game of house, and Diana didn't have the time to be Nora's life coach.

So, Nora understood.

"Nora."

Seeing her silence, Maloney pressed, "Say something."