Revenge After Divorce Novel by Black Rose

Chapter 232

OLIVIA

It’s been a week since Lilly came to live with me. My baby was growing, though not as quickly as I had hoped. Still, I could see progress, and that gave me a sense of relief. I registered her using the documents the doctors had brought back, and I chose Marcus’s mother’s name as her middle name. I was sure he would be pleased by that.

These days, I spend most of my time with Lilly in my room. Lupita and Grandma would come to visit us occasionally, then disappear again. I liked that they were enjoying their time, but I missed Samuel. The boy was hardly ever around. If he wasn’t with Ethan, he was with Nick or my father. They always seemed to have something to do with him. Maybe they were trying to help Nick bond with him more, to make up for the time they lost together.

I did blame myself a little for that. Back then, Nick hadn’t been the best role model, and I had done what I thought was best for Samuel. Still, he hadn’t said anything about it, which made me think he was just happy to be a part of Nick’s life, and that nothing else mattered. And, truthfully, that pleased me, because even though I could justify my actions, I was still feeling guilty about it all.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I wondered who it could be, Lupita, the guys? They never knocked; they just walked right in.

“Come in,” I called out. The door creaked open, and Xander appeared. I hadn’t seen him for a few days, not that I missed him, but I had noticed his absence since he was usually around.

“Xander, good to see you,” I said as he flashed me his charming smile.

“I finally get to see you. Those guys are always guarding your room like you’ll disappear. I couldn’t even get close to this side.” He laughed, his tone light. I couldn’t help but smile. They were definitely overdoing it, but I wasn’t bothered by it. Xander was harmless, and if I wanted to be with him, well… there wasn’t anything they could do to

stop me.

“Forgive them, they’re just being protective of me and the baby,” I explained as Xander poured himself some juice and sat beside me. He seemed a little disappointed by the extra attention I was receiving, but I understood where he was coming from.

“So, when are you going to let me help as well?” he asked, his voice filled with playful curiosity.

I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve gotten used to being around you,” he continued, “and now that your people are here, and the baby’s here, I hardly see you. I don’t like it. Let me cook you dinner, and we can chat and catch up. What do you say?”

It was just dinner, nothing too much. “Sure, why not?”

Xander smiled widely. “Great, let me check your kitchen and see what you have. I’ll go buy whatever else I need.”

I nodded, watching him head to the kitchen. I had no idea what he was looking for in there, but I wasn’t too worried.

“I’ll need a few things,” he said. “I’ll leave you for now to do a bit of shopping, then I’ll come back and cook for you.” He was already heading out, and I didn’t stop him.

As he left, I thought of the letter Marcus had given me through Nick. I hadn’t had time to read it, but now, with a quiet moment to myself, I decided to take a look. I carefully picked up the letter from where I had placed it earlier, making sure Lilly was comfortable on my chest as I stood.

I unfolded the letter and read the words in Marcus’s familiar handwriting:

“My dearest wife,

L

I hope you and our son are doing well.

I miss you so much, Olivia. I miss our family, and I miss our lives. I am not coping without you all here. Now, even our new addition is leaving, and I feel completely alone in the world.

Baby, I am sorry for everything I did. Please, think about coming home and letting me make up for it. Anything you want, I will give you. But please, come back to me.

Take care of yourself and our kids.

I love you so much.

Your husband,

Marcus”

I stared at the letter for a moment, feeling the familiar ache in my chest. The poor fool, didn’t he know that I missed him too? I was going to go back to him when the time was right. But right now, I had Lilly to focus on, and once she was ready, we would go home to him. But not yet.

I glanced down at Lilly, her tiny face peaceful as she slept against my chest. “Daddy misses us, little one,” I whispered softly. “He wrote us a letter. He says he wants us to come home. Do you want to go back? Not yet right? Yeah, not yet, baby. But we will soon.”

I kissed the top of her head, knowing that when the time came, we’d find our way back home, together.

I placed the letter back in the drawer and picked up a book, gently opening it to start reading to Lilly. Soft classical music played in the background, setting a calm atmosphere. I settled into my rocking chair, the gentle motion soothing both Lilly and myself as I read aloud.

Before long, Xander came back, and I could hear him moving around in the kitchen. Whatever he was making smelled amazing, and my curiosity grew. Despite the pleasant scent filling the air, my eyelids felt heavy. I rubbed my eyes, trying to stay awake, but the exhaustion from the day slowly overtook me. Eventually, I succumbed to sleep, Lilly still comfortably nestled in my arms.

I wasn’t sure how long I had slept, but I was jolted awake by voices.

“I told you; I never want to see you here. Why are you here when Olivia is sleeping?” I recognized Ethan’s voice, sharp and protective.

“Well, Olivia agreed to this,” Xander replied, sounding calm but firm.

“I don’t care. Get out,” Ethan demanded.

The conversation pulled me fully awake. “Ethan?” I called softly. The voices stopped, and both men appeared at the doorway.

“He’s trying to kick me out, Olivia. I’m not sure if he thinks I broke in here or what,” Xander said, his tone light but clearly irritated.

I rubbed my eyes, still feeling groggy but not wanting the tension to continue. “It’s alright, Xander. I’m sleepy anyway. I’ll eat when I wake up. Thank you for cooking for me.” noveldrama

Xander didn’t look pleased, but he sighed and nodded, heading out of the room without another word.

Ethan followed him, his expression still a bit tense, but he respected my wishes. The room settled back into quiet, and I closed my eyes again, hoping for a peaceful rest.