Lahat ng Kabanata ng Ex-Wife Returns With Secret Baby : Kabanata 101 - Kabanata 110

“Don’t pretend you’re fine.”Elara paused at the kitchen doorway, her hand still gripping the edge of the frame. She didn’t turn around. “I’m not pretending.”Liam stood behind her, voice low, careful. “Then don’t shut me out like this.”The kettle screamed on the stove, sharp and impatient. Elara stepped forward and turned it off a little too roughly. Steam curled into the air between them, thick and blinding for a moment.“I’m tired, Liam,” she said. “That’s all.”“That’s not all,” he replied.She finally faced him. Her eyes were calm—but the calm of someone holding a storm under their ribs. “Why do you always think there’s more? Why can’t tired just be tired?”“Because every time you say that,” Liam said, taking a step closer, “you pull a little further away.”Elara laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. “And every time you say that, you make it sound like I owe you closeness.”“That’s not what I mean.”“But that’s how it feels.”Silence snapped tight between them.From the

“Don’t move.”Elara’s breath caught as Liam’s hand came up instinctively, palm open in front of her chest. They stood frozen on the porch, the night air pressing in around them like a held breath. Somewhere nearby, an engine hummed—too low, too controlled, like it was waiting.“Liam,” she whispered. “What is it?”“Inside,” he said quietly, eyes scanning the street. “Now.”She didn’t argue. She turned and stepped back into the house, every nerve screaming. Liam followed, locking the door behind them with a decisive click. He crossed to the window and killed the lights with a single switch, plunging the living room into dim shadow.Elara hugged her arms around herself. “You saw something.”“I felt something,” he corrected. “Same pattern as before. The pause. The engine. Whoever it is wants me to know they’re close.”Her voice shook. “Then why don’t they do anything?”“Because fear is the point.”Silence stretched between them, thick and brittle.From the hallway came a soft sound—bare f

“Did you hear that?”Elara sat up abruptly, her fingers gripping the edge of the couch as her eyes scanned the darkened room. The house was quiet, too quiet—no hum of appliances, no distant traffic, just the soft breathing of the children asleep in the next room.Liam was already on his feet.“I heard it,” he said, voice low, controlled. “Stay here.”“I’m not staying alone,” Elara replied instantly, standing to follow him.He turned, meeting her gaze. For a brief second, fear flickered there—then resolve. “Fine. But stay behind me.”They moved down the hallway together, every step measured. Liam pushed the bedroom door open slowly. Nothing. Just shadows and the faint outline of furniture. He checked the window—locked. Curtains undisturbed.“Maybe it was just the house,” Elara whispered, though her heart refused to calm.“Maybe,” Liam said, but his hand remained clenched.They returned to the living room, the tension refusing to dissipate. Elara sank back onto the couch, drawing her kn

“Mom—!”Elara’s body reacted before her mind caught up. She dropped the cup in her hand, ceramic shattering against the kitchen floor as Aria’s scream tore through the house.“What happened?” Elara ran toward the hallway, heart slamming so hard it hurt.Aria stood frozen near Devano’s room, face pale, one hand pointing toward the open window.“There was someone,” Aria whispered. “Outside.”Liam was already moving. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t hesitate. He crossed the distance in long strides, positioning himself in front of Elara instinctively.“Stay with the kids,” he said lowly, voice all command now. “Lock yourselves in the bathroom.”Elara grabbed his arm. “Liam—don’t.”He turned to her, eyes sharp but steady. “Trust me.”That word—trust—cut deeper than fear.She nodded anyway.Liam stepped outside, the night air slicing cold against his skin. The yard was quiet, too quiet. The security lights flickered on, casting harsh white shadows along the fence.He crouched, fingers br

“Let go of me.”Elara’s voice was quiet, but the command carried more weight than a scream.Liam froze mid-embrace. Slowly, he loosened his arms. The warmth between them broke, leaving cold air and unsaid things behind.“I need space,” Elara said, stepping back. Her eyes were dry now—too dry. “Not because I hate you. But because I can’t breathe when every truth comes out like a weapon.”Liam nodded once, jaw tight. “I’ll give you whatever you need.”“That’s the problem,” she replied sharply. “You always decide that after everything explodes.”The words landed hard.Before Liam could answer, Devano’s voice came from the hallway. “Mom?”Elara turned instantly. “I’m here, sweetheart.”Devano hesitated, eyes darting between them. “Are you… are you fighting again?”Liam crouched down. “No. We’re just talking.”“That’s what you always say,” Devano whispered.The accusation—small, trembling—cut deeper than any argument.Elara reached for her son’s hand. “Go back to bed, okay? We’re not going