Chapter 207 She wanted a divorce

Chapter 207: Chapter 207 She wanted a divorce

Cedric was lying awake in his room.

He had tried everything. He had turned from one side to the other, pulled the blanket over himself, then pushed it away again when he started feeling too warm. He had even checked his phone several times without actually opening anything, just staring at the dark screen before tossing it aside.

Sleep simply refused to come.

Every time he closed his eyes, Daisy’s face appeared in his mind. The way she had looked at Grandpa James tonight. The sadness in her eyes.

The way she hadn’t looked at him even once.

She wanted a divorce.

Cedric opened his eyes again and stared at the dark ceiling.

Tomorrow. They were supposed to get divorced tomorrow.

His chest tightened. The feeling was sharp, almost physical like someone was pressing a hand against his ribs.

He turned onto his side and pulled the pillow closer, trying to force himself to stop thinking about it. But the harder he tried, the more clearly he remembered everything.

Daisy sitting alone in their room, waiting for him.

Daisy making little gestures whenever she wanted to communicate something with him, her hands moving carefully, her eyes hopeful.

Daisy preparing Grandpa James’s birthday gift with her own hands every year, never asking for anything in return.

Daisy giving him a head massage when he complained about stress, her fingers gentle against his temples.

Daisy taking care of him each time he was sick, bringing him water, adjusting his pillows, making sure he took his medicine.

He swallowed hard. Why was he thinking about all these things now? He had spent years telling himself that their marriage meant nothing. That she meant nothing. He had even believed that once everything was settled, he would finally be free.

So why didn’t freedom feel good anymore?

Cedric slowly sat up against the headboard. His hand pressed against his chest as another uncomfortable feeling tightened there. His heart was beating too fast and his thoughts were a tangled mess he couldn’t untangle.

"I don’t want this..."

The words escaped before he could stop them. He froze. His own voice sounded strange in the darkness. He looked down at his hands.

He had never wanted to say those words. But they were true. He didn’t want the divorce.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "But why?"

There was no answer. He couldn’t simply tell himself that he loved Daisy. He wasn’t even sure what he felt anymore.

For years, he had treated their marriage as something temporary, something useful, something that would eventually end when he no longer needed it. Yet now that the ending was actually standing in front of him, the thought of Daisy walking out of his life felt unbearable.

And there was something else that disturbed him even more.

Alessio.

The moment Cedric imagined Daisy becoming someone else’s wife, his stomach twisted. He remembered Alessio standing beside her. The way Daisy trusted him. The way she had fallen asleep against him in her room. The way Alessio had looked at her.

Cedric’s fingers tightened around the blanket. "No."

He shook his head, almost angrily. He didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want to imagine Daisy leaving this house and eventually belonging to another man. His breathing became heavier.

Tomorrow, she would be free. And perhaps she would never look back.

Cedric stared into the darkness for a long time. The thought of losing Daisy wasn’t giving him relief. It was frightening him.

And no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise, one truth remained painfully clear.

He didn’t want a divorce.

❀┈┈┈┈❀

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Alessio was awake too.

He stood alone on the balcony of his room, one hand resting against the railing while the other held a cigarette between his fingers. The night air was cool against his face but it did little to settle the thoughts running through his mind.

His eyes were fixed on the darkness beyond, his mind far away.

He took a slow drag and watched the smoke disappear into the night. The tip of the cigarette glowed orange in the darkness, a small point of light against the vast black sky.

Tomorrow.

Daisy was getting divorced tomorrow.

The thought should have made him happy. And, honestly, a part of him was. A part he didn’t want to acknowledge, a part he had been trying to suppress for month.

He had kept reminding himself that Daisy was married and that whatever feelings he had for her needed to remain hidden. He had never allowed himself to seriously imagine a future with her because there had always been Cedric standing between them.

That marriage, that obligation that silent barrier had kept his feelings locked away, buried behind layers of self-control and discipline.

Now that marriage was finally ending. She would be free.

Alessio lowered the cigarette slightly. A faint smile almost appeared on his lips.

His green eyes, usually so sharp and unreadable, held a glimmer of hope.

But then another image came to his mind.

Cedric.

The expression on that man’s face when Grandpa James had announced the divorce. His pale skin, his tight jaw, his clenched fists.

Alessio’s eyes slowly narrowed. His fingers tightened around the cigarette.

Cedric hadn’t looked relieved. After all, he loves Jessica, right? But he hadn’t looked happy. He had looked... devastated.

Alessio took another drag, his expression becoming thoughtful. The smoke curled around his face and he exhaled slowly, watching it disappear into the darkness.

His jaw tightened.

Does... Cedric started developing feelings for her?

The thought made something cold settle in his heart.

Well... but it’s too late.

Alessio crushed the cigarette against the railing, the ember dying with a soft hiss. He watched the last trace of smoke fade into the night, then dropped the spent cigarette into the ashtray beside him.

Alessio leaned against the railing, his arms resting on the cold metal. The night wind ruffled his dark hair and his green eyes held a deep intensity.

She will be free tomorrow.