All Chapters of Regret After Divorce: Falling In Love All Over Again : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Chapter 71NIKLAUS"Which we agreed was irrelevant," I interrupted."Is it, though?" Ambelyn challenged. "Because standing here right now, having this conversation, it doesn't feel irrelevant. It feels very present."The air between us crackled with tension—the kind that had nothing to do with professional boundaries and everything to do with the chemistry that had never quite faded."What do you want me to say, Ambelyn?" I asked quietly. "That I haven't thought about college? That watching you work yesterday didn't remind me of why I was so drawn to you in the first place? I'd be lying.""Don't." Her voice was sharp. "Don't go there. We can't go there.""I'm not going anywhere. I'm simply acknowledging what exists." I straightened from the desk but didn't move closer. "But you're right—we need boundaries. Professional ones. For both our sakes.""And for the children's sakes," Ambelyn added. "They're already getting attached. Cassidy clearly adores Iniko, and Iniko—" She smiled sadly.

Chapter 73THOMASAmbelyn thought she could just walk away from me, take everything, and start fresh with Thorne's backing? She was delusional. I was Thomas Blackwood. My family owned half this city's commercial real estate. I had connections, resources, power that she couldn't even comprehend.And I wasn't going to let some upstart tech CEO and my ungrateful ex-wife make a fool of me without consequences.I pulled out my phone, ignoring the blood smearing across the screen from my injured hand. Richard Donovan's number was still in my recent calls. I hit dial, not caring that it was after six and he was probably having dinner with his family.He answered on the third ring. "Thomas. I was going to call you tomorrow—""I need you to do something for me," I interrupted. "I need you to find out everything about Klaus Thorne's custody arrangement with his daughter. Every detail. Who has rights, who makes decisions, whether there are any vulnerabilities we can exploit."Silence on the othe

Chapter 75AMBERLYN The week had settled into a rhythm that felt almost normal, if I ignored the underlying current of tension that hummed between Klaus and me every time we were in the same room. We'd both committed—silently, unanimously—to maintaining strict professional boundaries. No more elevator confessions. No more lingering looks. No more moments that felt too charged, too dangerous, too much like the beginning of something we couldn't afford to start.It was working. Mostly.I arrived at eight every morning with Klaus's coffee—black, two sugars—and my own vanilla latte that was probably more sugar than coffee. We reviewed his schedule, discussed priorities, coordinated meetings. I sat in on high-level discussions, took meticulous notes, managed the constant chaos of his calendar with increasing efficiency.By Wednesday, I'd reorganized his entire filing system. By Thursday, I'd streamlined his email management protocol. By Friday, three different executives had complimented

Chapter 77AMBERLYN Klaus Thorne had a girlfriend. Or something close to it. A beautiful, sophisticated investor who he took to romantic lunches and didn't come back from until well after business hours.And I'd had no idea.The hurt blooming in my chest was irrational and inappropriate and completely unprofessional. I had no claim on Klaus. We'd established boundaries specifically to avoid this kind of emotional complication. What he did with his personal life was none of my business.But it hurt anyway.Because for the past week, I'd felt something building between us. Not anything we'd acted on, not anything we'd even acknowledged, but something present nonetheless. A connection, an awareness, a possibility that maybe—someday, when the professional complications were resolved—we could explore what had been left unfinished six years ago.Apparently, I'd been deluding myself.Klaus had moved on. Had found someone sophisticated and beautiful and appropriate for his social status. Som

Chapter 79AMBERLYNApparently he disagrees." I added the pasta to the boiling water. "And you know what? It's fine. I have a good job, I'm providing for Iniko, we have stability. Klaus's personal life is none of my business. I just need to remember that and focus on being the best assistant possible.""While watching him with someone else.""If necessary, yes." I tried to inject confidence I didn't feel. "I'm a professional. I can handle it.""Can you, though? Because Ambelyn, I know you. I know how you feel about Klaus, even if you won't admit it to yourself. Working with him every day while he's involved with someone else is going to destroy you slowly.""I don't have a choice," I said flatly. "I need this job. Iniko needs this job. So I'll handle it, because that's what I do. I handle things."Wednesday was quiet for a long moment. "I hate that you're right. I hate that you're in this position. I hate that Klaus Thorne apparently has terrible taste in women if he's choosing some r