The Wife You Buried Is Back from Hell novel Chapter 682

After the party, Danielle discussed the company project with Gian before driving home.

By the time she got there, the house was quiet.

Niki had already gone to bed, fast asleep.

Danielle tiptoed into her daughter’s room, pausing in the doorway to watch her sleep. The soft rise and fall of Niki’s breathing, the peacefulness on her face, tugged at Danielle’s heart.

She knelt beside the bed and gently brushed a strand of hair from her daughter’s cheek. Niki didn’t stir, lost in deep, dreamless sleep.

The more Danielle looked at her, the tighter the ache in her chest grew. She’d always wanted to be there for Niki, to watch her grow up happy and healthy, but work kept pulling her away. Too many nights, by the time Danielle got home, Niki was already asleep, her mother having tucked her in.

No matter how hard she tried to balance career and motherhood, guilt still crept in. She did her best—she made time whenever she could, but it was never quite enough. She couldn’t give her daughter her whole heart, her undivided attention, not in this world, not with the way things were.

Danielle knew, painfully well, she couldn’t have it all. If she devoted her life entirely to Niki, she’d have no standing to protect her, nothing to shield her from Alexander’s influence. She wanted to be the rock her daughter could lean on, not someone who lived at the mercy of others. That meant she had to work twice as hard as everyone else.

Leaning down, Danielle pressed a soft kiss to Niki’s cheek and gently pulled the covers up around her. Then she slipped out of the room.

Once everything in Northridge City was settled, she promised herself, she’d take Niki away from here. She would make up for lost time—she owed her that much.

—

As Danielle quietly closed Niki’s door, she heard the doorbell ring from the other end of the house.

It was late—almost midnight. Visitors at this hour were rare.

She checked the clock: 12 a.m. exactly.

She made her way to the door and peered through the peephole. When she saw who was standing outside, she frowned. Alexander. If he was here at this hour, it couldn’t be good news.

“It’s about Niki starting first grade. I’ve already found a school for her. My assistant will handle the registration,” he said flatly.

Danielle’s jaw tightened. “Niki’s custody is with me. Where she goes to school is my decision, not yours.”

She knew Alexander’s sudden interest in Niki’s schooling wasn’t just about her education—there had to be more to it. But she refused to depend on anyone else.

Alexander met her gaze. “You can certainly pick any school you want. That’s simple enough for you. Mr. Hawthorne’s been teaching her advanced subjects, and you’ve raised her to be exceptional. But has it occurred to you that making her stand out could also make her a target?”

“She’s gifted, but sometimes it’s safer to blend in.”

“Sure, you can enroll her anywhere. But can you guarantee she’ll be safe?”

Danielle stared at him, disbelief in her voice. “Alexander, if you really cared about her safety, this wouldn’t be the first time you acted on it. Why should I believe you now?”