After the CEO Divorced Me, He Wants Me Back (Aveline and Lucas)

Maria's eyes were half-lidded, her cheeks flushed as she gazed at him through the haze of alcohol.

"You... you're really good-looking," she murmured, her words slurred.

She was definitely drunk.

Herman gently grasped her wrist, removing her hand from where it lingered.

"Thanks, you're not too bad yourself," he replied with a small smile.

When he stood and put some distance between them, Maria blinked and asked, "Why are you getting up?"

"You should rest," Herman said softly. "If you need anything, call me. I'm heading out."

Taking advantage of someone in this state wasn't his style. He wouldn't do something like that-especially when Maria clearly didn't have feelings for him.

He tucked the blanket around her, adjusted the air conditioning to a comfortable level, and quietly left the room.

As the door clicked shut, the room fell into silence. Maria stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before slowly closing her eyes.

...

When Herman stepped out of the room, he spotted someone standing not far off-it was the same man who had confronted Maria earlier.

Herman cast him a brief glance before looking away.

Sidney, however, kept his gaze locked on him, his mind swirling with questions.

What had they been doing in there for so long? What did they talk about?

And most importantly...

Why hadn't she responded to his messages?Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

His thoughts were a chaotic mess, spinning out of control. He felt like he was losing his grip on reality. He hadn't cared much for Maria in the beginning, so why was he so agitated now?

The memory of that brief, heart-racing connection they once had flashed in his mind, and he pressed his lips tightly together in frustration.

Just then, his phone rang, breaking through the whirlwind of emotions. He glanced at the screen-it was Diana calling.

"Hello?" he answered, his voice colder than usual.

"Sidney, where are you? I can't find you," Diana's voice came through, hesitant.

"Where did you run off to?" Sidney asked, his tone still distant.

There was a pause on the other end before Diana quietly asked, "Is that woman still in the restaurant?"

Sidney's voice hardened. "Miss White, this whole situation started because of your mistake. Don't you think you should go back and apologize to her?"

"What do you mean?" Diana's voice sharpened instantly. "You're telling me to apologize to her? Didn't you hear what she said? She insulted me

and tried to extort me! Why should I apologize? I already did, but she

wouldn't let it go!"

Diana was spiraling into unreasonable complaints, her tone becoming more and more accusatory.

Sidney frowned, his patience wearing thin. "If that's how you see it, then there's nothing I can do. I can't change your mind. I have other things to take care of, so I'm hanging up now." Without waiting for her reply, he ended the call.

"Hello? Hello!" Diana stared at her phone, her expression turning even darker. What was going on? Why was Sidney suddenly treating her like this? Could it be that he was interested in that other woman? The thought sent a surge of anger through her as she tightly gripped her phone, her face contorting in frustration.

....

Maria slept for three hours, but when she woke up, a sharp pain

stabbed through her stomach, making Ker feel like she was on the verge of collapse. Curled up on the bed, she clutched her abdomen, her

face pale. She felt too weak to even get up.

Gritting her teeth, she reached for her phone, her vision blurry as she fumbled to dial a number. Without thinking much, she pressed a contact and brought the phone to her ear. "Hello? Where are you? Can you come and get me?" she whispered, her voice faint and laced with pain.

"What's wrong?" A familiar voice cut through the haze in her mind, bringing her a moment of clarity. She glanced at the screen, realizing she had accidentally called Sidney.

"My stomach hurts. Come to my room and take me to the hospital," she muttered before immediately hanging up.

In this state, she wasn't about to be picky about who she called for help. Whoever was available would do.

Moments later, a knock sounded at her door.

Maria was startled.

So fast?

It hadn't even been two minutes!