The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 299

What was the saying?

A guilty conscience needs no accuser.

Maloney hadn't actually noticed anything particularly special about the item.

He thought it was just a decorative trim meant for the hem of a dress.

But now, he understood.

That was definitely not an ordinary piece of clothing.

Nora also realized her reaction had been a dead giveaway.

"Uh..." The crumpled fabric behind her back suddenly felt like a hot potato. She couldn't throw it away, but she couldn't bring it out, either. She looked up, trying to gauge Maloney's reaction, only to find him staring at her with mild amusement, waiting for her to explain.

"This is..." Nora finally gave up, pulling the item out and giving it a little shake to unfurl it.

It featured a triangular piece of lace in the center, flanked by two white puffballs, each with a bell attached underneath. Above the center triangle were two ribbons connecting to diamond-shaped lace panels, finished off with a delicate bow in the middle.

That was the general design.

"It's, um, it's not finished yet," Nora said dryly.

Maloney looked at her, entirely unfazed. "Got it," he said coolly.

It sounded like he wasn't going to pry.

Relieved, Nora quietly stuffed the lingerie into a drawer. "I've got the gifts. Let's go," she suggested tentatively.

"Let's go."

Maloney didn't bring it up again.

Nora exhaled a quiet breath of relief.

It was as if the incident had never happened.

The next day.

After visiting her grandparents, they boarded an evening flight down to The Florida Keys for their vacation.

It was the first time they had traveled far away together just for fun.

It really felt like a honeymoon.

They landed late at night and stayed in a downtown hotel. The next morning, Maloney took her straight to The Sovereign, his luxury yacht.

Honestly, after seeing how happy Nora had been at the hotel previously, Maloney had been eager to bring her to new places to keep things exciting.

The last time they went to the hot springs, he realized too late that intense physical exertion while soaking wasn't good for her health.

But the yacht was perfect.

The open-air deck offered breathtaking views, the ocean breeze was refreshing, and the gentle rock of the waves set the perfect rhythm.

It was exactly the vibe he wanted.

But his mood wasn't quite as euphoric as he had anticipated.

Nora, however, took one look at the wraparound sofa on the top deck and immediately understood the assignment.

As the yacht pulled away from the dock.

Nora wrapped her arms around him.

Maloney patted her back gently. "Don't move around so much," he murmured.

Confusion flickered in her eyes. "You don't want to?"

She was getting bold again.

"Aren't you worried someone will see?"

"There's no one around." Nora patted her flowing, oversized skirt. "Besides, this covers everything."

Maloney paused, then said, "No."

"Oh."

A few seconds later, she asked again, "Are you sure?"

Maloney was speechless.

He fired back, "Do you want to?"

Surprisingly, she nodded. "I do."

Maloney took a slow breath.

He had almost forgotten—he was the king right now.

And Queen Nora was about to make her move.

The deed was finally done.

As the ocean waves rolled past and the yacht rocked gently beneath them, Maloney stroked her bare back. "Once we hit the island, let's grab some seafood BBQ. Sound good?" he asked softly.

Nora nodded. "Sounds good," she whispered.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Pretty well."

"Do you want to take the jet skis out this afternoon? I'll drive, you ride on the back."

"Yes."

Basking in the ocean breeze, holding each other in the most intimate embrace, they discussed their itinerary for the next few days.

Nora's life had always been fairly monotonous. Even though she traveled abroad often, this was her first real, unstructured vacation.

There were no ulterior motives, just pure relaxation and freedom.

Unfortunately, the peace didn't last long.

On the evening of their third day, Jasmine Smith called. Cassidy had been hospitalized with a threatened miscarriage.

They booked a flight that very night and returned to the city.

Arriving in the early hours of the morning, Maloney accompanied Nora straight to the hospital to check on Cassidy.

Cassidy was already asleep.

So Nora returned first thing the next morning.

Cassidy looked genuinely surprised to see her. "Nora, what are you doing here? Weren't you on your honeymoon?"

Nora inspected Cassidy from head to toe, her gaze finally resting on her slightly rounded stomach. "What happened to you?"

Cassidy realized what had happened. "Jasmine called you, didn't she?"

"Don't worry about that." Nora glared at her. "Tell me what happened to you."

Right on cue, Jasmine walked into the room.

Cassidy shot Jasmine a withering glare. "Nothing happened to me."

"She's lying!" Jasmine exposed her instantly. "She fell down the stairs right outside the office building! Two steps! She just went down hard! The doctor says she's still not completely out of the woods!"