All Chapters of His regret; Too late to love me now ex-husband: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

Layla's POV. My heart didn’t just skip a beat; it stumbled. It tripped over itself in the most unsettling way as that single word echoed inside my head, louder than it had any right to be.London.It shouldn’t have done that to me.It shouldn’t have meant anything beyond geography, beyond business expansion, beyond the natural growth of a company that was steadily climbing its way into relevance.But it did, and I hated that it did. Because in that single moment, everything I had been carefully building, my composure and focus, my sense of control... threatened to crack under the weight of memories I had sworn to bury. I forced my fingers to tighten around the handle of my office door, steadying my breathing as I turned slowly to face my assistant fully.“Which company?” I asked again, my voice quieter now, and really more controlled than I felt inside.She seemed to notice the shift in my tone, because her expression softened slightly.“Apex Meridian Group,” she said.I listened

Layla's POV. I sat behind my desk, flipping through a set of documents.A soft knock suddenly sounded on my door.“Come in,” I said without looking up immediately.The door opened gently.“Ma’am…” I heard Nora’s voice.I lifted my gaze.She stepped inside, but something about her expression made me pause, my fingers stilling against the paper I was holding.There was tension written all over her. “What is it dear?” I asked, placing the document down slowly.She hesitated.Just for a second before she sighed.“My ex-husband is here,” she said.Ah. Ofcourse.I straightened slightly in my chair, my initial instinct kicking in immediately.“Alright,” I said, already pushing my chair back slightly as I prepared to stand. “Let’s... I suddenly stopped mid motion as a thought hit me. I leaned back slowly instead, my eyes settling on Nora again as something shifted quietly inside me.“No,” I said.She blinked.“Ma’am?”“I won’t be handling this,” I said calmly.Confusion flickered across he

Layla's POV.Two days.That was what the doctor had said during my last visit.Two days until my expected delivery date, the thought alone had been enough to keep me awake most nights, not out of fear exactly, but out of the overwhelming weight of what was coming, what was waiting for me just beyond the thin veil of time I was now standing behind.And this morning, as I stood in the middle of my bedroom, staring at the open suitcase on the bed, that weight felt heavier than ever.Because this time... There was no more planning, or imagining, it was here.I carefully folded the last few items and placing them into the bag, my hands pausing every now and then as I tried to steady my breathing, my emotions that seemed to shift too quickly for me to keep up with.I made sure to pack clothes, baby items, everything I might need.Everything I could think of.And yet... It still didn’t feel like enough.What if I forgot something?What if something went wrong?What if... I stopped myself.

Layla's POV.I lay back against the pillows, my body still heavy, every muscle aching in a way that reminded me of everything I had just gone through, everything I had endured to bring my daughter into into this world, yet none of it seemed to matter anymore because she was here, resting in my arms like she had always belonged there, like she had always been mine.I couldn’t stop looking at her.Even when my eyes burned.Even when exhaustion tugged at me, begging me to sleep, I just couldn’t.Her tiny fingers, her soft breaths.The way her lips moved slightly like she was dreaming of something so peaceful.It felt unreal, completely unreal. “Hi…” I whispered again.She stirred slightly, and my heart melted all over again.I don’t know how long I stayed like that, lost in her, completely detached from everything else, until... A knock sounded on the door.I knew it had to be one of my little new circle, so I didn't need to stand up, I didn't even have the strength to put my baby down

Layla's POV.Four years came by so fast.Sometimes I still found it hard to believe that it had truly been that long, that so much time had passed since I walked away from the life I was so used to, starting afresh in a new city, totally alone... Well, not alone, there seems to be a beautiful smart girl living with me, one that I might have given birth to, four years ago... One that is holding my hand right now as we walked towards the daycare entrance.“Mommy, I don’t want to go today,” Hope said, her tiny fingers tightening around mine as she dragged her feet slightly, her voice protesting in the way that made it clear she had already decided she would not be easily convinced.I sighed softly, glancing down at her, taking in the sight that never failed to warm my heart no matter how stressful my day was about to be, her curly hair tied into neat little puffs, her small backpack hanging slightly off one shoulder, her lips pressed into a pout that looked far too dramatic for someone h