The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 298

For example...

A while ago, Nora had been furious with him and demanded they sleep in separate rooms.

That night, Maloney had genuinely wanted to take her by force.

If she struggled, he'd pin her; if she screamed, he'd kiss her into silence; if she cried, he'd dominate her until she submitted.

But he hadn't dared.

He could only indulge those thoughts in his head.

Whatever.

If she wanted to treat him like a king, he would be a king.

As long as she was happy.

Knowing Nora, she had likely pieced together the entirety of her past. The truth was too heavy for her to process all at once, resulting in this bizarre behavior and erratic logic.

She just needed time to adjust.

Honestly, this outcome was exactly what Maloney had originally hoped for when he first met her.

Help her, save her, make her owe him a debt she could never repay. Given her intense loyalty, she would willingly stay by his side forever.

But they no longer needed debts to bind them.

They had built real, profound love.

The past had simply become a ticking time bomb.

Ready to explode at any moment.

Originally, Maloney had intended to take the full truth to his grave.

Once everything was over, he just wanted to give her the satisfaction of seeing the villains punished. That would have been enough.

There was no need to dig into the rotting roots of the truth.

She had suffered enough as a child.

He wanted her to believe she had escaped her toxic family through her own academic brilliance, giving her the empowering narrative that she controlled her own destiny.

That was all she needed.

But she was far too perceptive.

And that was fine, too.

If she wanted to know, he would tell her everything; if she wanted to repay him, he would give her the space to do so.

As long as she wasn't angry, she could do whatever she pleased.

Maloney knew Nora experienced a delayed reaction when it came to processing deep emotions.

Her current actions were purely instinctual.

She said work was work, and life was life. If her home studio was more comfortable than her actual office, she'd end up working all the time, ruining the sanctity of their home.

This room was only meant for altering her own clothes or making pieces for friends and family.

Maloney entirely agreed with her philosophy.

He also preferred strict boundaries between his professional and personal life.

His study at home was minimalist and functional; his bedroom at the corporate office felt like a budget hotel.

As he pondered this, his gaze swept over the sewing machine by the window.

Sitting on top of it was a bundle of... he wasn't quite sure how to describe it. It was a tangle of little white puffballs, lace, bows, and ribbons.

Intrigued, Maloney walked over, hooked his index finger under a piece of lace, and lifted it.

A crisp, high-pitched jingle echoed in the quiet room.

There was a tiny bell attached beneath one of the white puffballs.

It was actually quite cute.

Girls loved these little trinkets.

He gave it a casual shake, listening to the chime.

Just as he was about to set it down, Nora heard the bell. She whipped around, her eyes widening in absolute horror. She lunged at him, slamming into his chest while simultaneously snatching the lace from his finger and hiding it behind her back.