Too Late for Sorry, Mr. Billionaire (Chasing my Wife Back) novel Chapter 29

AMELIA suddenly broke away.

It wasn’t dramatic, not loud, but it was abrupt enough to snap Charles out of the haze he had been drowning in. She lifted her hand to her mouth, wiping her lips as though something had startled her into awareness. She took a step back, breathing unevenly, her eyes darting away from his face.

Charles stared at her, stunned.

“Hey… hey,” he said softly, confusion settling into his tone. “What is wrong?” He searched her face. “Did I do something? Were you not enjoying it? Or—” he laughed nervously, trying to lighten the air, “—was the moment too much?”

She shook her head quickly.

“No. No, it is not that.”

“Then what?” he pressed, his brows pulling together. “Amelia, you just— you pulled away like you saw a ghost.”

Her shoulders sagged. The adrenaline drained from her posture, replaced with something heavier, something quieter. She hugged herself briefly, then looked up at him.

“I can’t,” she said.

Charles blinked.

“You can’t… what?”

“I can’t let this go further,” she replied, her voice firm but laced with regret. “Not like this.”

He let out a breath, running a hand through his hair.

“Amelia, we were just kissing.”

“And I stopped it for a reason,” she said gently. “Because I know where it leads.”

A beat passed.

“And what is wrong with where it leads?” he asked, his tone sharpening slightly. “We are not teenagers sneaking around. You are my fiancée now. Not just my girlfriend anymore. Why are we still doing this?”

She shook her head again.

“It’s not about titles, Charles.”

“Then what is it about?” he asked, spreading his hands in frustration.

She hesitated, then spoke slowly, carefully.

“It is about my kids. And it is about dignity.”

His lips parted in disbelief, and then he scoffed, a short, humorless chuckle leaving his throat.

“Dignity?” he repeated. “Dignity for what, Amelia?” He stepped closer, though he didn’t touch her. “You are a divorcee. A mother of three. Grown children, at that. What dignity are we still talking about here?”

She stiffened but didn’t retreat.

“And the kids?” he continued. “They are not even around tonight. They won’t be. So what exactly is the problem?”

“The problem,” she said quietly, “is that they exist.”

Her lips curved into a soft smile against his chest. She tightened her arms around him.

“Thank you, babes,” she murmured. “Thank you so much.”

After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her too, holding her close. She closed her eyes, relief washing over her.

“It is fine,” he said after a while. “But that kiss…” He pulled back just enough to look at her. “That was a connection. If you didn’t feel it, I did.”

She chuckled softly.

“I did too, my love.”

“Good,” he said, nodding. “Because I felt it deeply.”

“Yes,” she smiled. “I know.”

They stood there quietly, the earlier tension settling into something calmer, more fragile.

Then his expression shifted. His eyes brightened slightly, a thought clearly forming.

“Speaking of connections, my love,” he began carefully, “I need a little favor.”

She lifted her head, curious.

“What is it?”