My Ex-husband's Late Regret

(Aria's POV) I didn’t know how long I sat there, staring at the screen of my phone, trying to convince myself that the video I was seeing had to be fake. That it had to be some kind of edited nonsense or maybe some disgusting prank someone played on me. But all I could see was my husband--Lucien Volkov was having sex with his secretary on his office desk, his secretary's hands were around his shoulders, her soft moans filling the audio like a mocking soundtrack. His voice, his familiar voice, the same voice that once whispered “I love you” into my neck at night, was grunting in pleasure, praising her, touching her the way he used to touch me. His face was buried in her neck, just the way he knew I loved and his fingers held her waist like she was something precious, like she was something he wanted to keep forever. I felt my chest tighten hurtfully that it almost knocked the breath out of me. My lips parted, trembling and my throat burned. For a moment, I couldn’t even blink,

(Lucien's pov)I watch her walk away. Then sneered slowly, she'll surely come back, I don't have to chase her. She wasn't the type to walk away, she always stayed with me no matter what.I'm so confident she loves me no matter what. She has been my wife for two years and she had endured my temper, my coldness, my indifference, she had swallowed every sharp edge of my character and stayed and just for a video, she won't possibly walk out of our marriage.I took the divorce papers, reached out for a pen and signed it. I'm giving her just one day and then I'll see if she can live without me like she claimed.My phone rang, the caller ID stored with omma. My mother called, I swiped up the green button and answered the phone call."Lucien, I heard your wife packed out of your house?" My mother asked, her voice laced with barely hidden, she never liked Aria, at all and it was so obvious with the way she treats her."Yes, mother. I slept with my secretary and somehow the video reached her. S

(Aria’s POV)I step out of my car and shut the door quietly behind me. The night air brushed against my skin, cool and calming, but my hands were trembling so badly I had to clench them into fists. Sweat clung lightly to my face, sliding down my temples, even though the weather wasn’t hot.For a whole week, I had lived without Lucien Volkov. Without his voice filling rooms. Without his moods dictating the air I breathed. Without constantly shrinking myself to fit into a marriage that only knew how to take peace of mind from me.I still couldn’t believe it.A week ago, I had been certain I wouldn’t survive this. That I would break, crawl back, apologize for sins that weren’t mine. But I didn’t, I stayed away. I endured the nights, the mornings, the silence. And standing here now, staring at the massive mansion in front of me, I felt gratitude in my chest.Thank God, I whispered inwardly.My phone vibrated in my hand, pulling me out of my thoughts.Devi called, and I dialed her number

Yo! I took a deep breath as I descended the staircase. The morning light streamed through the tall windows, highlighting the warmth of the living room below. My heartbeat raced, I was nervous and anticipating how me and Ethan would talk. Today, I’d have breakfast with Ethan. Maybe I’d finally learn about his work schedule, get the chance to actually talk to him. Moving on after a week wasn’t such a bad idea. A week of trying to remind myself that Lucien was no longer a factor in my life, that his manipulations and arrogance didn’t have to dictate my mornings anymore. But, as much as I tried to push it away, a stubborn part of me knew I’d meet him again at some point, maybe by accident, or through some cruel twist of fate. And I will always pray that when that happened, I shouldn’t tremble, shouldn’t falter, shouldn’t...Holy father, why am I still thinking about him? I shook my head as I reached the dining room, forcing my thoughts to focus on the present. And there he was, E

Lucien’s POV I could accept anything Aria wanted to do to punish me, anything at all. She could scream at me, slap me, insult me, humiliate me in front of the entire city if she wanted. I deserved it. And I know that. I cheated. I crossed a line that should never have been crossed. I shattered something I shouldn't have, something sacred, something that took two whole years to build. But her with another man? I can't imagine my woman with someone else. That was where I drew the line. She couldn’t just move on. She couldn’t erase two years of our lives like they were nothing. She couldn’t replace me like I was some old jacket she’d grown tired of wearing just because I made one mistake. Yes, I admit I was wrong. I didn’t deny it for a second. I cheated. I broke her trust. I broke her heart. But I never stopped loving her. I never stopped choosing her in my mind and in my life. I can change anything but not the love I had for Aria. And as for the divorce? She didn’t get to deci