Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 201 - Chapitre 210

Darla's POVThe sudden knock made my heart skip a beat. I wasn’t expecting anyone else.Xavier frowned and stepped toward the door. I followed behind him, curiosity and unease knotting together in my chest.He opened it slowly.Richard and Melanie stood there, framed by the doorway. My stomach dropped.“Mom?” Xavier asked, confusion clear in his voice.His mother’s expression was calm, almost unreadable. “I called them,” she said simply. “The only way to know for sure if whatever is between Xavier and Darla is genuine… is if I hear from all the parties involved.”I froze. My mouth went dry. I hadn’t expected this. Not here. Not now.Richard’s eyes locked onto me, sharp, intense, and a little cold. My throat tightened, and I could feel my hands trembling at my sides.Melanie, standing slightly behind him, smiled faintly but with a knowing edge. Her presence made my chest tighten even more.Xavier stepped back, letting them in, his jaw tight. “Please,” he said, guiding them into the roo

Darla's POVXavier thanked his mom quickly, his voice low. She only nodded, telling him to take care of himself. I managed a polite goodbye of my own, even though my chest felt tight. I didn’t wait for long conversations. I just wanted to leave.Once we were outside and heading back to the car, the weight of everything hit me all at once.“This vacation is ruined,” I said quietly, staring ahead as I walked. “I just want to go back.”Xavier stopped walking. I felt him behind me before he spoke. “Darla…”I turned to face him. “I needed this trip to rest,” I continued, my voice shaking despite my effort to stay calm. “Not to sit in the same room with my ex and his wife, explaining my past like it’s on trial.”He stepped closer, his face full of regret. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “I swear I didn’t know my mom would call Richard and Melanie. If I had known, I would’ve stopped it.”I searched his eyes, looking for any sign that he was lying. There was none. Just frustration and guilt.

Melanie’s POVThe hum of the engine filled the car, steady and cold, like a reminder that there was no turning back.I watched the road stretch ahead of us, the city blurring past the window, but all I could really feel was the tension sitting between Richard and me. It was thick. Heavy. Unforgiving.“Are we not staying a while in the city?” I asked, breaking the silence.His hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel. “No.”Just one word. Flat. Final.“We’re going straight home.”I turned to look at him properly then. His jaw was clenched, his eyes fixed forward, dark circles faint but noticeable. He looked… worn.“You don’t look good,” I said quietly.That earned a short, humorless chuckle. “You expect me to look good after finding out you once slept with Xavier?”The words hit harder than I expected, even though I knew they were coming.“That’s what this is about?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “Richard, that was in the past.”“Don’t,” he snapped. “Don’t try to brush

Melanie's POVI leaned back in my seat, staring at the seat in front of me. The plane hummed steadily, calm and steady, the opposite of how I felt inside.Minutes passed in silence.I replayed everything in my head, Xavier, Darla, his mother, Claire at the airport. Too many ghosts for one trip. Too many truths crashing into each other at once.“Richard,” I said again, after a while. “There’s more to your anger than Xavier. I can feel it.”He didn’t answer.“Is it Claire?” I asked carefully.His shoulders stiffened.That was answer enough.“You didn’t look at her like just an old memory,” I said. “You looked like someone tore open something you never closed.”He finally turned to me, his eyes sharp. “Don’t psychoanalyze me.”“I’m your wife,” I said. “I’m allowed to worry.”“She’s nothing,” he said.“Then why are you this angry?” I asked. “Why does everything feel like it’s about to break?”He stared at me for a long moment. Then he looked away again.“I loved her once,” he said quietly

Melanie’s POV“I’m married,” I reminded him. “And my husband is starting to notice things. I can’t afford this anymore.”Sam pushed himself off the wall and took a step closer. “You’ve missed me.”I scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself.”“You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t,” he replied calmly. “You could’ve sent a text. Or blocked me. But you came.”“That was a mistake,” I said quickly. “One I’m fixing now.”He tilted his head, studying me. “So this is about him.”“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Richard cannot find out about us. About anything. That’s why I’m here, to end it, cleanly.”“End what?” he asked. “You make it sound like we’re still together.”I hesitated, then said, “Whatever you think this is. The calls. The history. The… tension. It stops tonight.”He smiled slowly. “You’re scared.”“I’m cautious,” I corrected.“No,” he said softly. “You’re scared of losing him.”The words hit closer than I wanted them to.“I love my husband,” I said firmly. “And I won’t let you ruin my ma