All Chapters of After The Divorce: Ex-Husband Regrets And Begs Me: Chapter 211 - Chapter 217

CELESTINE'S POV: I am so fucking exhausted. That is the only word for it. Exhausted in a way that goes deeper than sleep, deeper than rest, deeper than anything that can be fixed with a good night's rest. The pregnancy is wearing on me. I am in my forties now, and carrying a child at this age is different from carrying one in my twenties or thirties. My body aches. My energy is low. My emotions are all over the place. But it is not just the pregnancy. It is the house. It is the tension that hangs in the air like smoke, thick and suffocating, impossible to ignore. Alistair barely speaks to Elara. He barely looks at her. When they are in the same room, he finds an excuse to leave. When she speaks, he pretends he does not hear her. The boy who used to follow her around, who used to laugh at her jokes and ask her for help with his homework, now treats her like a stranger. Elara is quiet and withdrawn. She spends most of her time in her room, reading or staring at the wall or writing

ELARA'S POV:I wait until the house is quiet.The clock on my nightstand glows 1:47 AM. Everyone is asleep. I can hear the soft hum of the heating system. I have been lying in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling, waiting for this moment.I pull out my phone. My hands are shaking and my heart is pounding. I dial the number that I have memorized, the number that is etched into my memory like a scar since that letter was delivered to me.It rings once. Twice. Three times.Then his voice, low and rough and accented. "Elara. I was wondering when you would call."I press the phone closer to my ear. My voice is barely a whisper."It is working," I say. "They are turning on each other. Alistair hates me. Athena is suspicious of what I did but she cannot prove anything or accuse me because she has no evidence. Celestine is becoming more exhausted and confused. She does not know who to believe anymore."Vladimir's voice is warm with approval. "Good. Very good. You are doing exactly what I ask

ALISTAIR'S POV:I wake up to the sound of shouting.I am out of bed before I am fully awake, my feet carrying me to the door, my hand reaching for the handle. I open it and I step into the hallway.The house is in disarray. Security is everywhere. Voices are raised. Phones are ringing. I can see my mother at the bottom of the stairs, her face pale, her hands pressed to her belly.I run down the stairs. I grab my mother's arm."Mom, what happened?""There has been an explosion," she says. "At the shipping headquarters. Three people are injured."I feel something cold settle in my chest."Where is Dad?""He went to the scene."I nod. I do not know what else to say. My mind is racing, trying to make sense of everything that is happening.I look around the room and see the fear and the confusion.And I notice something.Elara is standing in the corner. She is not afraid. She is not confused. She is calm. Completely and utterly calm. She is watching the mess with something that looks almos