The Wife You Buried Is Back from Hell novel Chapter 729

“Hate me if you want, but some things are simply out of our hands,” Alexander said softly. “All I can hope for is to keep the pain to you and our daughter as little as possible.”

Danielle stared at him—at the way he struggled for breath, at the fine sheen of cold sweat across his brow.

Her hand, hanging at her side, curled into a tight fist.

Alexander continued, his voice low, “Every night I acted cold toward you, I lay awake, unable to sleep. Every time I saw you when I’d had too much to drink, I couldn’t help myself. I could put on a mask for everyone else, even for you—but I could never fool myself. And there will always be someone who sees through me, no matter how hard I try to hide it.”

He held her gaze, a bitter smile flickering at his lips. “As long as I love you, there will always be traces for someone to find. No matter how sharp or distant you become, I can’t stop loving you.”

His words struck something deep inside Danielle, as if a jagged thorn had lodged itself in her heart.

It hurt—God, it hurt.

Her chest tightened, her emotions so heavy she felt she might drown in them.

Alexander lowered his eyes. “Millie Fletcher was nothing but a shield. I know what kind of misunderstanding she’s caused you. I won’t explain, and you believed what you wanted. The truth is, every time you saw me with her, it was just an excuse—I missed you. I wanted to see if you were okay.”

He let out a harsh, self-mocking laugh. “When you first brought up the divorce, I was relieved, deep down. I thought you’d finally be free. But I didn’t think you’d go through with it. When I realized you really meant it, I didn’t hesitate. That was the only way I knew how to protect you. If you stopped loving me, all the better.”

“You think I misunderstood, that I mistook your feelings for something else.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “And yes, in the first year, I did think of myself as your big brother. But you were always so vibrant, so alive, right by my side. And I always knew who you really loved.”

He looked at her then, his eyes rimmed red, his voice growing hoarse. “And about Niki… I did want people to believe she wasn’t my daughter.”

Alexander closed his eyes for a moment.

The more he spoke, the more tangled his thoughts became.

He couldn’t sort any of it out—where it started, how it ended.

He just said whatever came to mind.

“I…” Alexander tried again, “I can’t just stand by and watch you and our daughter in danger and do nothing.”

He pressed his lips together. “It’s better for you to stay away from me. Better for you to keep Niki away, too.”

If anything, he’d only pushed everything to this point.

A year. Two. Three…

He never understood how Danielle’s determination could be so fierce.

She always believed she wasn’t enough—that’s why he didn’t love her.

But he’d fallen for her, again and again.

And the deeper he fell, the harder he fought to stay clear-headed.

Misunderstanding or not, deliberate or otherwise—it didn’t matter.

Danielle leaving him was the only choice that made sense.

Watching her break down, watching her cry, hurt him a thousand times more.