Too Late for Sorry, Mr. Billionaire (Chasing my Wife Back) novel Chapter 15

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**TITLE: Hands Trembled Before Goodbye — Ryan Ellis 15**

Adrian sat upright, now positioned directly across from her, his expression a mixture of concern and confusion. The weight of the moment hung heavily in the air. What about Leonard? He needed clarity; he needed to understand what he had just heard.

“About who?” His voice sliced through the stillness of the bedroom, tinged with both worry and a hint of irritation that he couldn’t quite suppress.

“Leonard,” she repeated, her tone softer, almost fragile, as her gaze fell to her lap. It was as if the very act of uttering his name bore a heavy burden.

Leaning back against the plush pillow, Adrian felt a sinking sensation in his gut. He recognized the direction this conversation was taking, and it made him uneasy.

“What about Leonard?” he asked, his voice steady, though he could feel the tension building.

“Talk to him,” Amelia urged, her voice barely above a whisper, yet it carried an urgency that demanded attention.

A short, humorless laugh escaped Adrian’s lips. “Why should I talk to him?”

Her eyes shot up to meet his, a fire igniting within them. “Because you are his friend! Who else do you expect to do it?”

The irritation in her tone made Adrian instinctively rub his forehead, as if trying to massage away the frustration that was beginning to bubble within him.

“Amelia…”

“No, Adrian, just listen.” She leaned forward, her hands clasped tightly together, as if holding onto something precious. “Clara spends nearly every day at the hospital. Do you understand what that means? The doctor’s office has practically become her second home. Week after week, she is in and out of there, battling different kinds of infections. Different kinds, Adrian. And you want me to just stay quiet? She is my best friend.”

With a soft thud, Adrian placed the glass he had been holding down on the table, feeling the weight of her words settle around them.

“You make it sound like it’s my responsibility,” he replied, trying to keep his voice even.

“Well, isn’t it?” Amelia’s eyes sparkled with frustration, her emotions raw and unfiltered. “You and Leonard sit together, drink together, joke together. You share laughs and have good times outside of work and family. But while all that is happening, Clara spends her days in the hospital, suffering in silence. This isn’t right, Adrian. It isn’t fair.”

A deep sigh escaped Adrian, a long, heavy breath that seemed to fill the space between them with unspoken tension. He could see the genuine concern etched across his wife’s face—the way her brows knitted together, and her lips trembled with restrained emotion. Yet, he shook his head slowly, unwilling to concede.

“Leonard is a grown man, baby. An adult. I don’t believe barging into his marriage is a wise move. What do you expect me to say… ‘Leonard, stop hurting your wife’? Do you really think he will listen? Or even thank me for it?”

Amelia frowned, her disappointment palpable.

“So you will do nothing? Just sit back and watch Clara fall apart piece by piece?” Her voice was sharp, laced with disbelief.

“Don’t twist my words,” Adrian countered firmly, though he maintained a calm demeanor. “I’m not saying I don’t care. But marriage… marriage is delicate. It exists between them, not us. If I meddle, it could make things worse.”

“But he is your friend,” she pressed, her voice rising slightly.

“And that’s exactly why I can’t,” Adrian replied, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, tapping his fingers against his knee in a restless rhythm. “Sometimes friendship means knowing when to stay out of situations that don’t concern you. If I confront Leonard about this, I risk our friendship. And if I lose that, what good will I be to anyone?”

Amelia exhaled sharply, sinking back into the bed as if the weight of the world had just settled on her shoulders.

“You men are all the same. Protecting each other while women like Clara bear burdens they never should have to carry.”

“That’s not fair,” Adrian said, his tone more defensive now, the frustration creeping into his voice. “Do you think it’s easy for me to ignore this? I see it too, Amelia. I see Clara’s pale face, the way she drags herself home after another grueling hospital visit. I see her exhaustion. Do you think I don’t feel anything? But feelings alone don’t solve problems.”

“Then do something!” Amelia’s voice rose, cracking under the weight of her emotions as she lowered it again. “Adrian, she is my friend. My sister, almost. And I can’t stand to see her suffer like this.”