A Divorce He Regrets (Raina and Alexander) novel Chapter 217

I was frozen and speechless for a moment, dumbfounded by the emotion that I saw in her eyes. She echoed her request, softer this time: "Once we have Raina back, I'd like to mend our marriage." I couldn't suppress the rage that had been building—"You asked for a divorce, Faith!" I blurted out, even as I knew how much pain I was causing. She shook her head lovingly. "Being away from you made me realize I don't want to leave you," she whispered, her voice trembling with regret and yearning.

In that moment of vulnerability, I dragged her to me and kissed her, the kiss a hysteria of relief, sorrow, and a promise that I would not let our family shatter forever.

My mind was racing as I headed back downstairs to confront Alex. I found him still on the phone, his expression twisted with anger as he spoke into it. I sympathized all the more with the fellow on the other end of the line with his voice, which was merciless, and in an outburst of fury, I grabbed the phone from his hands and flung it onto the closest chair. "Is it a good time to ask if you're okay?" I said to him, my tone equal parts scorn and worry. Alex snarled at me, his eyes cold and unyielding. "Don't get too full of yourself with me, Dom," he snarled. "The men are gone. I let the families out too early." His words hung in the air, a bitter taste, reminding us that our plan was disintegrating minute by minute.

I balled my fists and breathed deeply, attempting to calm the storm raging inside me. Every step, every misstep was a failure—a failure that endangered Raina, and by extension our whole family. With the weight on me at that moment, I knew one thing for certain: we could not wait. We had to devise a new plan, one that would remove my sister from there before Nathan could tighten his grip any further.

Faith broke our argument with a sudden, quiet announcement that sent chills through my body: "I know the way back."

We packed up our gear and were getting ready to go when my phone rang out of nowhere. I moved away to respond, and the woman on the telephone sounded panicked—a call from my assistant about a situation developing at Graham Corporation. While I hadn't been present in person, I always insured that I participated in every area of our family enterprise. I demanded to be told, "Who are they, and what's wrong?" My assistant addressed me in a tone barely masking his nervousness to tell me that some people, presenting themselves as members of the Graham clan, had begun protesting. They asserted that the company belonged to our father and would not go away unless they were given their stake. My blood chilled as I heard, the news of this rebellion spreading throughout my mind like poison.

I glanced at Alex and Faith, their faces set hard with concern and determination, and felt our own situation weigh down on me all the more. Our plan was already in tatters—each second ticking by only made the problem longer. The future of our family—and Raina's return to safety—hinged on whether we could outsmart not just Nathan but also these defiant claimants at Graham Corporation.