Chapter 305

“And that’s your arrogance talking,” I shot back.

“Arrogance you enabled,” he fired back, his gaze darkening. “You loved me without restraint. That’s what made me so sure of myself. And now you’re walking away without looking back. If anyone’s cruel here, it’s you.”

I refused to take the blame. “Mr. Holcomb, life moves forward. Don’t cling to the past. Loving you was just one chapter, not the whole story.”

For a long moment, he just stared at me. Then, slowly, he nodded. “I didn’t understand that before, but you’ve made it clear now.”

“Then I hope you find happiness,” I said, stepping around him toward the elevators.

Jared followed, his long strides easily keeping pace as we waited for the elevator. When I glanced at him, his eyes dropped, lingering on the faint mark just above my collarbone.

My rose gold blouse made my skin glow, and the barely-there bruise stood out—a reminder of Nathan’s lips there just last night, his murmured praise still echoing in my memory.

A shiver ran through me, warmth pooling low in my stomach.

Jared stepped into the elevator with me. “Do you think we can still be friends after the divorce?” he asked.

I smiled. “You’re my boss.”

“Then, as your boss, I’m asking if you’d like to grab a late-night bite. Is that acceptable?”

“Of course. I’ll respect you just like I would a boss,” I replied sweetly, knowing exactly how to needle him.

Jared’s handsome face darkened instantly. He knew I was doing this on purpose.

“You’ve gotten wilder and meaner,” he remarked as we exited the elevator.

I followed him into the buffet restaurant, where the eyes of our colleagues immediately flicked toward us.

Jared picked up a plate and walked ahead. He’d always been picky about food. Being a native of Hachester, he preferred lighter flavors.

Back then, I’d adapted to his tastes, learning to cook local dishes until even my love for spicy food had dulled. But now, I realized the flavors I’d loved as a child had never really left me.

I loaded my plate with bold, spicy dishes. Jared glanced at my selections and said, “They have peach pudding here. I’ll get you one.”

Before I could protest, he had already taken one. I ignored him, choosing a table and sitting down.

Jared grinned, placing the pudding in front of me. “I asked Wendy. She said you liked this.”

I frowned. “Rededicate yourself to your own life. Don’t waste your energy on me.”

He paused, his hand suddenly still. “Regardless, you’re still the mother of my child.”

I didn’t argue. That thing was certain. Our daughter urging us to feed into an easy after the diets had been the right call.

[Sentence Fragment - needs work] I didn’t argue. That one thing was certain and as our daughter urging, we fed into an easy solution after the diets and that had been the right call.

"You need to take core responsibility for one singing said the growth May the wouldn’t turn put as selfish and entitled as in my prev[ious life]"

"You need to take core responsibility for her singing," said the therapist. "May she not turn out as selfish and entitled as we were in my previous life."

“No amount of my effort can replace you, Jared," she responded. [The following word - “repted” is either nonsense or requires more context to rewrite it into a meaningful sentence.]

His words caught me off guard. There was a quiet plea in his tone as he added, “We brought her into this world. Don’t we owe it to her to guide her properly?”