All Chapters of Ex-Wife Returns With Secret Baby : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The night air was cool, carrying the faint scent of wet leaves and distant rain. The storm had passed hours ago, but the sky was still wrapped in a soft gray mist that hovered low over the quiet neighborhood. The children were finally asleep—exhausted from fear, from questions unspoken, from the presence of a father they barely knew trying to slip back into their world.Elara stood by the living room window, arms wrapped around herself. She didn’t notice Liam watching her from across the room, studying the tremble in her shoulders, the tired lines around her eyes.“You need air,” he said softly.She startled, turning toward him.“It’s nearly midnight,” she whispered, as if the hour itself were something dangerous.“All the more reason,” Liam replied. “Fresh air. Just a few minutes. You used to love walking at night.”She hesitated. Memories fluttered—nights when they were younger, walking hand in hand under the dim streetlights, talking about baby names, about futures, about dreams th

Elara’s breathing came in shallow, trembling bursts. The camera Liam found still sat on the table between them, small and harmless-looking—yet it felt like a monster crouched in the room. She wrapped her arms around herself, unable to stop shaking.Liam stood in front of her, tense but gentle, like he was afraid to touch her and afraid not to touch her at the same time.“Elara,” he said quietly, “you have to tell me something. Anything. I need to know what we’re up against.”Her head lifted slowly, eyes red, glassy.“I— Liam, don’t—”“Elara.” His tone was rougher now, strained. “If someone is after you and the kids, I need to know who it is. I can’t protect you if you keep me in the dark.”Her lips quivered. Words gathered in her throat, but they hurt—like trying to speak while drowning.“Not yet…” Her voice cracked as tears spilled down her cheeks. “I can’t…”Liam moved on instinct. He knelt in front of her, hands hovering near her knees but not touching.“Elara—”She shook her head

The night air tasted like rain, thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. Elara had just put Devano’s toys back into their woven basket when she noticed Liam standing in the doorway—as if unsure whether he should step inside or stay out.He held an overnight bag in one hand.“I… thought I’d stay in the guest room tonight,” he said quietly. “Just to make sure you all feel safe.”Her heart tripped. Guest room. As if the thin walls between that room and hers would change how his presence made her feel. As if she hadn’t already sensed the steady warmth of him filling the house like a second heartbeat.“You don’t have to do that,” she murmured, trying to sound unaffected.But Liam only smiled, the subtle, gentle one that always disarmed her.“Yeah,” he said softly, “I do.”---Dinner was chaotic in a way Elara had forgotten to cherish. The twins sat on either side of Liam, fighting over whose drawing he should look at first. Devano stuck so closely to him that Liam accidentally stepped

The house was quiet—too quiet for a night that had shattered whatever thin sense of normalcy they had left. Elara stood frozen in the middle of the living room, the glow of Liam’s phone screen reflecting in her trembling eyes. The video message still played in her mind like a nightmare she couldn’t wake from: herself asleep on the sofa… leaning unconsciously into Liam’s shoulder… recorded by someone close enough to touch them.She wrapped her arms around her body, feeling small and exposed.“Stop,” she whispered, voice cracking. “Please turn it off.”Liam did. He slipped the phone into his pocket, jaw tight, breathing carefully—as if afraid one wrong move would shatter her completely. “Elara,” he said softly, “look at me.”She did—but her gaze was sharp, wounded. “This is why you staying here is a mistake,” she snapped, her voice shaking more from vulnerability than anger. “He’s watching. He’s everywhere. And now you’re involved. Because of me.”Liam stepped closer, but not too close.

“Liam—what are you doing up there? That’s the third sensor already!” Elara called out, her voice tight with a mixture of fear and frustration.Liam didn’t look down. He tightened the last bolt on the motion sensor attached to the upper corner of her porch roof, movements sharp and precise.“Making sure nothing and no one gets close again,” he replied, jumping down from the ladder with practiced ease.Elara crossed her arms defensively even though her hands trembled. “I didn’t ask for this.”“You shouldn’t have to ask,” Liam shot back, stepping toward her. “You’re in danger. I won’t just stand by.”Elara looked away, blinking hard. She hated how easily the fear rose in her chest now—how every sound outside made her flinch. She hated even more that Liam was the only one who felt like a shield.The worst part?She hated that she wanted him here.He brushed past her, carrying the tool bag inside. The afternoon sunlight was fading behind heavy clouds, casting a dim glow through the living