The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 29

The next morning.

Nora woke up, absolutely terrified to get out of bed.

Last night had ended in an utter disaster.

She didn't want to face him.

She had no idea what had possessed her to explode like that.

She never acted that way.

Maloney must think she was completely unhinged.

How did everything spiral so horribly out of control?

Moving at an excruciatingly slow pace, Nora buried her face deep into her pillow.

The damage was done.

Playing dead was the only viable survival strategy.

After what felt like hours, the mattress shifted slightly.

The man beside her was getting up.

His deliberately muffled footsteps moved toward the door.

Nora very carefully cracked one eye open. Maloney had perfectly positioned a pillow to block the empty space in front of her face, completely obstructing her view.

She refused to move a muscle, staying perfectly still for another minute before the sound of footsteps returned.

She slammed her eyes shut. The intoxicating scent of his cologne washed over her, followed by a sudden burst of warmth against her cheek.

Maloney pressed a painfully gentle kiss to her skin.

It was as light as a feather, instantly retreating.

Nora's eyelashes fluttered against her will.

Even with her eyes squeezed shut, she could feel the heavy, consuming weight of his gaze burning into her.

She didn't dare breathe.

After two or three agonizing minutes, the intense pressure of his stare finally vanished.

The bedroom door clicked shut.

He was gone.

Nora waited another full minute before bolting upright.

She pressed a hand to her racing heart. Thank God he hadn't realized she was awake.

She had no idea how she was supposed to look him in the eye.

After forcing herself out of bed, she got dressed to leave.

She was having lunch with her brother, David, today.

He stood up, poured her a cup of green tea, and set it on the coffee table. His tone morphed into a patronizing hum. "Couples fight. It's normal. Whatever the issue is, talk it out and fix it."

"You're young, you don't understand how the real world works. Maloney caters to your every whim. He's incredibly busy building an empire, he's under massive pressure. You need to be more accommodating. You cannot use the word 'divorce' every time you hit a minor bump in the road."

Nora sat in total silence, absorbing the lecture.

Vivian Cole had given birth to Nora in her late thirties. David was sixteen years older than her. They were technically siblings, but realistically, they were from two completely different generations.

David acted far more like an uncle than a brother.

Sensing her miserable silence, he paused, forcefully softening his tone. "Nora. Tell me exactly how he mistreated you. I will personally go talk to him."

Her voice was hollow. "David, you know my marriage to him was just a catastrophic accident. I'm not happy."

David eyed her sharply. "Is he the one asking for the divorce?"

"No," she whispered. "I just want out. Can I?"

David froze.

The sound of his heavy, calculated breathing filled the quiet office.

After a long pause, he asked, "Have you told Diana yet?"

She shook her head. "Not yet."

David leaned back, his voice deadly serious. "There's a massive development deal in the Tech District right now. Maloney is spearheading it, and he brought your sister in for a massive cut. The government is throwing insane subsidies at tech innovation. It's guaranteed prestige and an astronomical payout. If you blow up this marriage, Diana loses millions of dollars overnight."