All Chapters of Darling Husband's Regret : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

- A Day Later -Roderick sat behind his desk, the silence of his office feeling more like a vacuum than a sanctuary. His lawyer, a man who had handled the his billion-dollar acquisitions for a decade, placed a thick manila envelope on the mahogany surface.Roderick opened it. The words “PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE” stared back at him in stark, uncompromising black ink."She said she’d schedule a meeting." Roderick muttered, his voice hollow as he let the papers slip from his fingers. "I guess she really wants nothing to do with me."He leaned back, rubbing his temples. The image of Adrian calling him a "mister" was a recurring nightmare that played every time he closed his eyes. He wasn't the hero of this story. He wasn't even the protagonist. He was the villain in one of the only eyes that mattered."What happens if I refuse to sign?" Roderick asked, looking up at the lawyer."In Norland, she can’t force the divorce immediately without your consent unless she proves long-te

- The Next Day – 6:00 PM -Grey held the door open as Camille stepped into Roderick’s office. Roderick froze mid-motion, files still in his hands. His eyes dragged slowly up her body before he forced them to her face. For a split second, raw hunger and admiration flashed across his features.“Eyes up here, Mr. King.” Camille said icily, and he looked at her.. “Camille… how are you?” He swallowed hard.“You said your office, so this better not be a waste of my time.”“We're not doing this here.” He grabbed his coat. “I owe you the dinner I ruined last time. Let me make it right.” “Dinner? Cute. We're supposed to talk about what I want, not to have dinner with you.” “C'mon, don't refuse my kind gestures, please.” He simply walked toward her, his presence filling the space between them until she could smell the faint scent of his cologne. "Shall we?"Camille rolled her eyes, turning on her heel and walking out ahead of him. She wanted that signature and she's going to make sure sh

Adrian trudged into the living room with slow, heavy steps, his little backpack hanging off one shoulder. The moment he saw Camille sitting on the couch, he tried to force a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.“Momma, I’m back.” He said softly, walking straight to her.Camille looked up from her laptop and immediately noticed the pout. She set the laptop aside and opened her arms. Adrian climbed onto the couch and leaned against her without his usual burst of energy. “Hey, my love. How was your first day at the new school?” She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back gently.Adrian shrugged, burying his face in her chest. He stayed quiet for a long moment before mumbling, “It was okay.”Camille pulled back slightly and tilted his chin up so she could see his face. His lower lip was jutting out, and those big, dark eyes looked sad.“Still sulking, baby?” She asked gently, brushing his hair back. “Are you really that mad at Momma for not letting you meet your daddy yet?”Adrian

June pushed open the door to Camille’s office and stopped dead.The usually spotless room was a disaster. Papers scattered everywhere, an empty coffee mug knocked over, and a throw pillow lying on the floor like it had lost a fight.Camille was pacing behind her desk like a caged lioness, muttering furiously.“Ma’am… why do you look like you’re about to commit murder?” June asked, eyes wide. “Who pissed you off? Tell me the name. I’ll fire them immediately, or at least schedule their termination for dramatic effect.” “That Miguel!”Camille stopped and pointed an accusatory finger in the air.“Oh. What happened? The dinner last night didn’t go as planned?”“You wouldn’t believe it, June!” Camille threw her hands up. “Miguel and Roderick are step-brothers! Actual brothers! And guess who was at the dinner last night? Roderick!” “Hold on… don't they have different surnames?”June’s mouth fell open.“Exactly why I didn’t figure it out!” Camille collapsed into her chair, pressing her finger

Adrian hadn’t sat down in twenty minutes. He was wearing his favorite light blue button-down, the one with the crisp collar and dark shorts that made him look suddenly, achingly older.He scrambled onto the ottoman to get a better look in the hallway mirror, smoothing his hair down with palms that were damp with sweat.“Momma! Do I look handsome enough? Is it too much? Will Daddy think I’m cool?”Camille stood in the doorway, her hand pressed against the frame to steady the slight tremor in her fingers. Seeing him like this—so unguarded, so hungry for a man he’d never met, made her chest ache with a dull, heavy pressure. She forced a smile, the kind that reached her eyes even if it didn't quite settle the storm in her stomach.She walked over and sank to her knees in front of him. Her hands reached out, steadying his fidgeting shoulders as she straightened his collar. “You look more than handsome, Adrian. You look like a leader.”“A leader?” He beamed, his chest puffing out.“The br