Goodbye Forever Ex-Husband (by Ammund) novel Chapter 72

CHAPTER 072

ADRIAN’S POV.

“I’ve made the transfer,” I said firmly to the receptionist, holding up my phone so she could see the confirmation of the transaction. The screen displayed the successful receipt, proof that I had fulfilled my part of this exhausting arrangement.

Beside me, Mrs. Grayson stood with a look of visible relief washing over her features. She tried to mask it, but it was too obvious. Her eyes slightly brightened, and the corners of her lips pulled into a grateful smile, though it felt forced to me. She was clearly pleased, almost too pleased,

“Thank you for this, Adrian,” she said softly, her voice carrying a slight tremble of genuine gratitude, or at least, what sounded like it. “We are once again in your debt.”

Without warning, she reached out and took my hands in hers. Her touch was cold, frail yet unexpectedly firm, as if she needed to cling to me for strength. The move caught me completely off guard. What the hell did she think she was doing?

I instinctively pulled my hands away, a reflex of disgust jolting through my body. My expression hardened as I withdrew from her touch, quickly adjusting my tie and clearing my throat to regain composure. She really should have known better than to touch me without permission.

How could I, even for a moment, allow her to hold my hands these very hands that should never be held by the woman responsible for my mother’s death? Just the thought of it was enough to make my chest tighten with contempt. It felt like a betrayal of my own blood as if by standing here, helping her, I was spitting on my mother’s memory.

She noticed my reaction, of course, she did, but chose to pretend like she didn’t. A subtle flicker of something flashed across her eyes, perhaps annoyance that I hadn’t played along with her little display.

Trying to keep the atmosphere neutral, I forced a polite smile and said, “That’s not at problem, Mrs. Grayson. I see him as a father too, so why wouldn’t I help?”

The words tasted like ash in my mouth. Lies, every single one of them. If only she knew what I truly thought. Why in the world would I ever see that man as a father? The very notion was laughable.

“Thank you again,” she repeated, her voice softer this time

Her eyes lingered on me for a moment before she continued, her gaze flicking toward the hospital room behind her. “Ir Successfully unlocked! oken to Olivia since you got here. I hope all is well between you…

Her question felt more like an interrogation than a casual remark. I maintained my composed facade, not letting her see the annoyance that briefly flared in my chest.

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• CHAPTER 072

“Yes, of course,” I replied smoothly. “I know what she’s going through at the moment, and I wouldn’t want to disturb her.” It was an easy enough excuse, believable even..

She glanced back over her shoulder, eyes settling on her daughter sitting motionless. on the couch. Her lips parted as if she were about to say something, and though I saw them move, her words were too soft for me to catch.

“Did you say something?” I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly in suspicion.

Mrs. Grayson turned her head back toward me, her expression unreadable. “Oh, it’s nothing,” she dismissed quickly, though her tone betrayed her. There was something there, something she wasn’t telling me.

Then, she added, with a chill in her voice, “Please feel free to communicate with her, even at this time. She’s your wife, after all, so there’s no excuse.”

Π

Her words hung in the air, heavy and deliberate. It wasn’t a suggestion – it was an expectation, perhaps even a warning.

“Will do,” I replied curtly, keeping my tone neutral, though I felt the coldness in her voice pierce through me. She wanted me to play the dutiful husband

She nodded, then turned and walked back into the hospital room, leaving me alone in the corridor with my thoughts. As I watched her disappear behind the door, my mind drifted back to what Olivia had revealed just an hour ago that she was adopted by these people.

–

That revelation must have been earth–shattering for her, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it felt like to have your whole life, your whole identity, flipped upside down in a single moment. Yet, she carried herself with an unsettling calmness. From the outside, she looked composed, almost unaffected, but I knew better. Deep down, beneath that mask, she had to be in pain. There was no way she wasn’t.

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