Chapter 170 One Hundred And Seventy

Chapter 170 One Hundred And Seventy
Antonia's eyes burned again with tears.
A long silence followed.
Then...
Antonia:
“I saw a text from his ex tonight.”
Daniel:
“And?”
Antonia:
“She said she’d see him tomorrow.”
Daniel:
“…wow.”
Antonia shut her eyes tightly.
Daniel:
“I’m sorry, Toni.”
The old nickname.
The one he used years ago.
Strangely, hearing it now made her chest ache.
Daniel:
“You shouldn’t be stressing yourself like this. Not in your condition.”
Antonia looked toward the closed bedroom door.
Empty.
Cold.
Daniel:
“Where is he now?”
Antonia hesitated.
Then typed...
“In the guest room.”
Daniel sent a reply almost immediately.
Daniel:
“He left you alone?”
Antonia stared at those words.
When phrased like that, it sounded even worse.
Antonia:
“He was angry.”
Daniel:
“And what about you?”
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
Daniel:
“You’re pregnant.”
“You’re emotional.”
“You’re carrying his child.”
“And instead of reassuring you, he walks away?”
A tear finally slid down her cheek.
Because part of her knew Daniel was feeding her emotions.
But another part, couldn’t stop listening.
Daniel:
“You deserve comfort too, Antonia.”
She inhaled shakily.
Then suddenly her phone rang.
Daniel calling.
Antonia stared at the screen briefly before answering.
“Hello?”
His voice came softly through the line.
“You okay?”
That simple question nearly broke her.
Antonia pressed a hand against her forehead.
“I don’t know.”
“You’ve been crying.”
It wasn’t a question.
She gave a weak laugh.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
Silence lingered briefly between them.
Then Daniel spoke again.
“You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
Antonia glanced toward the bedroom door again.
Technically, she wasn’t alone.
Kennedy was still inside the house.
But emotionally?
It felt like miles separated them.
Daniel’s voice softened further.
“Let me take you out tomorrow.”
Antonia hesitated instantly.
“Daniel…”
“Just for a few hours.”
“You need to breathe.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why?”
Because my marriage is already falling apart.
Because I’m emotionally vulnerable.
Because Helen warned me.
Because Kennedy would lose his mind.
But instead she whispered...
“I don’t know.”
Daniel’s tone became gentler.
“No pressure.”
“We can just drive around.”
“Talk.”
“Get breakfast.”
“That’s all.”
Antonia leaned her head back against the wall.
Her emotions felt messy.
Confusing.
Overwhelming.
And right now, the thought of sitting alone inside this giant silent house tomorrow sounded unbearable.
Daniel spoke again carefully.
“You don’t deserve to feel this lonely.”
That sentence settled directly into her heart.
A dangerous place.
Antonia closed her eyes.
Then finally she agreed.
“…okay.”
A small pause.
Then Daniel’s voice brightened slightly.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.”
“Okay.”
“You should try to sleep now.”
She gave a weak smile despite herself.
“You too.”
“Goodnight, Toni.”
Her chest tightened again at the nickname.
“…goodnight.”
The call ended.
Antonia slowly lowered the phone.
The room became quiet again.
But somehow, not peaceful.
Because deep down—
A line had just been crossed.
And she wasn’t entirely sure how to undo it anymore.

\---

Downstairs, inside the guest room, Kennedy lay awake staring at the ceiling.
Unable to sleep.
Unable to stop replaying the pain in Antonia’s eyes during their argument.
But how could she?
How could she seek comfort from her ex?
Jealousy filled his heart at the thought of Antonia and Daniel, talking.
What was really becoming of their marriage?
Both of them hanging around with their exes, instead of fixing their issues.
He wouldn't let this ruin their marriage.
As soon as he gets everything in order at the company, he would take Antonia and his son on a family vacation.
He agrees within himself and then went off to sleep.

\---

Morning came with a heavy silence hanging over the Walton mansion.
It felt tense.
Unresolved.
Kennedy adjusted the cuffs of his dark suit as he descended the staircase, his expression tired and distant.
He hadn’t slept properly.
Even after finally drifting off in the guest room, his mind had remained restless.
Antonia’s tearful face.
Daniel’s name.
The message from Sofia.
Everything kept replaying endlessly in his head.
As he reached the last step, his eyes instinctively drifted toward the dining area.
Antonia sat there quietly with a cup of tea in front of her.
She looked pale.
Exhausted.
And heartbreakingly fragile.
Their son sat in his high chair beside her, babbling softly while the nanny prepared his school bag nearby.
For a brief moment, Kennedy almost walked toward her.
Almost.
But then Antonia glanced up.
Their eyes met.
And the tension between them immediately returned.
Cold.
Sharp.
Neither of them spoke.
Not a single word.
Kennedy looked away first.
He grabbed his car keys from the table.
“I’ll be late,” he muttered flatly.
Then he walked toward the door.
Antonia stared after him silently.
The front door closed moments later.
And just like that, another painful distance settled between them.

Inside the car, Kennedy loosened his tie slightly as he drove toward the company headquarters.
His jaw remained tight the entire ride.
He hated this.
Hated fighting with Antonia.
Hated leaving without resolving things.
But what angered him most was the image of her talking to Daniel.
Confiding in him.
Seeking comfort from him.
The thought burned through him like acid.
Deep down, Kennedy also knew he wasn’t innocent.
Sofia’s presence around him had already caused enough damage.
And last night’s message had pushed everything over the edge.
He exhaled heavily as he pulled into the underground parking garage of the company.
The moment he stepped out of the elevator onto the executive floor, his employees immediately straightened.
“Good morning, sir.”
Kennedy gave a distracted nod and walked directly into his office.
He tossed his phone onto the desk and loosened his tie again.
Then after several seconds of silence, he pressed the intercom button.
“Get Sofia on the line.”
His secretary sounded surprised.
“Ms. Sofia?”
“Yes.”
“Right away, sir.”
Kennedy leaned back in his chair while waiting.
His expression hardened slowly.
This needed to stop.
Now.
A few moments later, his desk phone rang.
“She’s on line one.”
Kennedy picked it up immediately.
“Sofia.”
Her voice came smoothly through the line.
“Kennedy.”
“I need you in my office.”
A brief pause followed.
“That sounds serious.”
“It is.”
Another pause.
Then Sofia spoke softly.
“I’ll be there soon.”
The line disconnected.