The Ugly Wife’s Stunning Comeback (Felicia and Max) novel Chapter 494

He stared at that text message for what felt like forever. In the end, he just couldn’t bring himself to reply.

Yvonne dialed another number and waited. When someone finally answered, she got right to the point. “What’s happening with Wilfred?”

The anger in her voice was impossible to miss. No one had ever humiliated her like that before. Who did Ava think she was?

“They’re watching him really closely,” the person on the other end said. “Someone’s with him all the time. He doesn’t have a chance to get anywhere near Ava.”

Yvonne’s jaw tightened, her mood sinking even further. She just couldn’t let this go.

At six o’clock, Darin left the office building. The second he stepped outside, he spotted someone sitting in the lobby’s waiting area. He stopped in his tracks, fingers curling inside his pockets, his mind suddenly blank.

Colton looked up and slowly got to his feet. His son was all grown up, different than he remembered, but he recognized him instantly. Tears stung his eyes and he couldn’t help it.

Darin couldn’t move. It felt like his feet were stuck to the floor. An employee passed by and called out to him, but Darin didn’t even hear it. The employee hesitated, then just walked away.

Ten minutes later, Darin and Colton sat across from each other in a small restaurant near the company. Even though they were father and son, after all these years, neither of them knew what to say. The silence was thick, stretching out between them.

After a while, Colton finally spoke, breaking the tension. “Darin, are you married?”

Darin shook his head. “No, not yet. I’ve just been too busy with work.”

His voice was quiet, respectful, the way a son answers his father.

“You’re not young anymore,” Colton said, his tone gentle. “Work matters, but you can’t put off the important things forever. You should think about it.”

Finally, Darin spoke up, his voice a little uncertain. “Did Mom ask you to come see me?” He already knew the answer. After all, it looked like they’d been in touch, but she never mentioned it until now. He could guess exactly what she was thinking.

Colton met his gaze and took a deep breath. “I asked about you. I heard you were in the Capital, and I wanted to see you.” His eyes flickered away, just for a second. That’s his old habit when he lied. Darin noticed, but he didn’t call him out.

After a moment, Darin asked, “Did you ever hate Mom?”

Colton’s fingers twisted together. He shook his head. “Your mother… she settled for me, honestly. I was just grateful she agreed to marry me. Maybe it was just fate. I don’t blame anyone. But I am sorry, Darin. For what you and Felicia went through.”

Thinking about Felicia back then was still painful. Darin must have had it just as bad. The memory made Colton’s heart clench, and he couldn’t hold back a shaky breath.

Darin looked away, turning his eyes toward the window.