Chapter 180 Home

Chapter 180 Home
ANASTASIA POV

When I got home, it was late. After leaving my therapist's office, I had spent over thirty minutes sitting in my car gathering my thoughts before I finally drove back. My body ached, my legs hurt, and my heart did too.
I was about to head up the stairs when I saw my mum in the dining room, laying different dishes out on the table.

Her head snapped up the moment she heard my footsteps, that familiar motherly warmth sliding onto her face right away.

“Hey baby, welcome.”

“Thank you, mum… Are we celebrating something?” I asked, raising a brow and gesturing toward the massive spread of food.

“No. Alexander had them sent over.”

“What? All of this?”

She nodded, placing the last plate down. “I was shocked when they brought everything in. He said you didn’t eat before you left, and his chefs made them specifically for you.”

Just fucking wow. I had no idea the dishes were this much. There was grilled Atlantic lobster glistening in garlic butter, truffle mashed potatoes, seared wagyu steak cut into perfect strips, and a wild mushroom risotto that filled the entire room with a rich, savory aroma. He had basically sent a five-star restaurant to my doorstep.

“I told him I wasn’t hungry…”

“It’s rude to reject food, you know,” Mum said, smoothing down her apron. “He even added a note. It’s on the edge of the table. Come on, sit down and let’s eat. Hope you don’t mind if I have some, even though he explicitly stated it’s for you only…”

“Sure, mum,” I said, pulling out the chair at the edge and grabbing the small piece of paper.

"You can be mad at me… but don’t starve yourself. Eat well and stay healthy."

Can he please stop trying? He was making me feel like a horrible person.

I squeezed the paper into a tight ball and dumped it straight onto the floor.

“I went to see the therapist today, mum,” I said, digging my fork into the truffle mashed potatoes.

Her face lit up instantly. “Really? That’s amazing, Ana. I’m so proud of you.”

I gave her a tight, strained smile. “Thank you, mum.”

Mum paused, hovering over her plate before she looked up at me. “Is it true that you went to his place just because of Liam? Because you wanted him and Liam to spend time together?”

Of course, I knew she didn’t believe that excuse for a second. Hence why she was asking.

“No, mum,” I confessed, dropping my gaze. “I was worried about him, and I wanted to see if he was okay. I just… I don’t know how to stop whatever I’m feeling for him.”

“Do you want to divorce him, Ana?” she asked, her voice dropping into a low, gentle whisper.

“I don’t know, mum. I don’t even know what I want at this point. But I don’t want to let him go… I love him.”

She shifted her chair closer to mine, reaching out to hold my hand gently. “I know it can be hard, but you’re really doing so much better than I thought. It’s okay not to know what you want right now. I can’t really stop your dad from sending the divorce papers tomorrow, but I’ll talk to him. And also, your father wants you to get busy. He’s making you handle the company and oversee things for a while. He believes your life has revolved around Alexander for far too long.”

I sighed, a heavy weight pressing onto my chest. It was next to impossible to convince my father to see Alexander as a good person. At least as someone who genuinely cared about me. But I guessed my father was finding it hard to forgive him as well. And maybe being buried in corporate work would get my mind off things for a while.

“Okay, mum. I’ll handle the company.”

Taking over operations wouldn’t be easy; I knew exactly what was expected of me. I needed to focus and completely avoid distractions—distractions that came in the form of one piercing eye and a perfect, devastating face.

She squeezed my hand slightly, a proud smile breaking across her lips. “That’s my girl… The Archibalds are holding their annual gala next week. Your father thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for you to come with us, network, and introduce you to more people in the normal business world. If that’s okay with you, of course.”

I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “Sure, mum. I’ll go. I can’t keep moping over what happened forever.”

“Thank you, darling.”



Author's note:
This Author is burnt out.... I might write one more chapter soon. Thank you and sorry for late updates😩