Dear Ex Wife, Please take me back novel Chapter 66

ATHENA

My fingers tighten around the doorknob as I stare at Alex. His green eyes burn into me with an intensity that makes my chest feel tight. There’s no mistaking the anger simmering that look, but his voice remains dangerously calm when he speaks.

“There she is. The mother of my unborn child.”

The way he says it sends a chill down my spine. My heart hammers, but I refuse to let him see the effect he has on me. I push the door shut behind me and drop my bag onto the small table by the entrance.

I grab my takeaway pack and sit on the couch, trying to seem unbothered even though my heart is in my throat.

“I didn’t realize you still lived here,” I say, my tone laced with mockery.

His lips twitch in something that is far from a smile, and he slowly rises to his feet. The air in the room shifts.

Alex never raises his voice, but his presence alone is suffocating.

When he speaks, you hear him, no matter how low his tone is.

“I’ve been busy,” he replies, rolling up his sleeves even further. His forearms flex as he moves, the veins standing out under his tanned skin. “But imagine my surprise when I find out that while I’m dealing with business, my wife is out having lunch with another man.”

My pulse jumps. So that’s what this is about.

“You mean my friend?” I counter, crossing my arms. “Because that’s what Zayan is. A friend.”

His head tilts slightly, his expression unreadable. “Friend,” he repeats slowly. He takes a step forward, and I instinctively shrink back, hoping the couch can swallow me whole so I can hide from this burning gaze. His gaze darkens, amusement flickering in those cold eyes.

“Tell me, Athena, do all your friends look at you the way he does?”

I grit my teeth. “Don’t do this, Alex.”

His jaw clenches. He runs a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly like he’s trying to maintain control. “Do what?”

“This.” I gesture between us. “Come home late, leave before I wake up, act like you suddenly care, only to turn it into an interrogation simply because I had lunch with my friend.”

Something flickers across his face, but it’s gone too fast for me to catch. He steps closer, erasing the distance between us until I can feel the heat of his body as he kneels before me, hoding my chin in his hands, making me look into his eyes.

“You won’t meet him again. And don’t even try to test me Athena, I tolerate Noah because he’s a cousin but he understands he can’t cross the line i’ve drawn but as for your precious lover, I’ll ruin him so bad, he won’t recover for the next ten generations.Is that what you want? Hmmm?”

My nails dig into the couch, my pulse hammering in my ears. His grip on my chin isn’t brutal, but it’s firm enough to keep me locked on him.

Alex has always been like this.

He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t like to repeat his words.

He controls.

He demands.

But sadly for him, I’m not his puppet, and he will not control me.

“You don’t get to decide who I see,” I snap, my voice stern.

Alex’s eyes narrow. “You love him so much you’re crying over my words now?” His voice is laced with mockery, but I barely hear him over the searing pain ripping through me.

I glare at him, panting. “Shut up, Alex.”

His face hardens, “Oh? You’re not denying it?”

Another sharp contraction crashes into me, making me double over. A sudden wetness gushes down my legs, pooling onto the floor beneath me.

I stare down, realization slamming into me like a freight train. My heart kicks into overdrive.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I lift my head, my voice dripping with anger at how he’s taking my reaction for something as stupid as crying for Zayan. “My water just broke, you idiot.”

Alex goes completely still. His gaze flickers from my face to the growing puddle on the floor. For the first time in his life, he looks… panicked.

His lips part slightly before he blurts out, “Oh shit. Are you serious?”

I clutch my belly, wincing. “No, Alex, I just pissed myself out of excitement.”

His eyes widen. “Fuck.”

Then, as if realizing he should be doing something useful, he scoops me up into his arms, cradling me against his chest.

“Alright, okay, let’s go.” He starts toward the door, his usual confidence replaced by something bordering on excitement and panic. “Hospital. Now.”

“About damn time you caught up,” I mutter, wincing through another contraction.