MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE

(ARIELLE'S POV)

The air had grown colder, the chill creeping into my bones. Dwayne wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. "Are you cold?" he asked, his voice soft with concern.

I wiped my tears, shaking my head.

All I could feel was exhaustion. My mind had turned to mush, too drained to form a single coherent thought.

Dwayne studied me carefully before running his fingers along the side of my face. I turned away.

He didn't say a word, just shrugged off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. Then he handed me a helmet, carefully helping me strap it on.

"Thank you," I whispered as I snuggled closer to him on the motorcycle.

I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They came in waves as we rode, the cold wind stinging my face, but it couldn't stop the flood of emotions. Jared's words replayed in my head, over and over, like a broken record. The image of him and Sofia, sitting together, haunted

me.

"Go to the pub," I said, shivering against Dwayne's back. "I need a couple of beers."

He immediately shook his head. "You'd better not. Let's get you home." Then turned the bike down a different road, heading for my house.

"No!"

Dwayne braked suddenly, the bike lurching to a stop. "Why not?"

I wanted to explain-wanted to tell him that with Maverick at a sleepover and my mom still away on her trip, I didn't want to be alone in that empty house.

But the words stuck in my throat. This sounded so stupid. Instead, I just dropped my eyes and went silent.

Dwayne sighed and rolled the bike still into the garage of my home's direction, and killed the engine.

I was too tired to protest again, drowning my thoughts in the sound of the revving engine underneath us.

By the time we reached my doorstep, I was too drained to move. My body ached, my mind was foggy, and every step felt heavier than the last. When I tried to get off the bike, I stumbled on my heels and fell to the ground with a thud. Dwayne was there in an instant, his hands steady as he helped me to my feet. "Are you okay?"

"Think I scraped my ankle," I answered, and the tears almost started again. Luckily I forced myself to stop. Even though everything seemed to be so wrong with the world, I shouldn't act like a child.

My head hurts and I wince in pain with every step.

The house felt empty, hollow, like it was swallowing me whole. Each step toward the door felt like a reluctant surrender. Finally, I stopped and sank onto the flower bed, too tired to go any further. Dwayne crouched down beside me, his eyes soft. "Okay, okay, Arielle. You can stay at my place for one night, is that okay?"

I nodded, unable to speak the words.

With careful gentleness, Dwayne helped me to my feet again and guided me toward his house, each step taken with the utmost care. He led me to a couch, helping me lie down, before disappearing into the kitchen.

The room went silent once he left, and I felt a crushing wait in my chest, a heaviness that suffocated the air from my lungs and left me gasping for breath.

How had I let Jared hurt me like this again? How had I let him break me all over? Had he seen me before I knew? Had he said those words on purpose, knowing I was there? The thought of him mocking me with his friends made my blood boil.

I could hear Sofia's laugh ringing in my ears-louder than the rest, triumphant and full of cruelty.

Jared told me to trust him. Did he know how hard it was? Did he understand that asking me to trust him after everything he'd said was the hardest thing I'd ever been asked to do? "Marriage means nothing to me." Those words burned in my mind, and I couldn't stop replaying them.novelbin

I tried to trust. But under what twisted circumstances would he be forced to say something like that?

I didn't want this. I didn't ask for this.

Did he even realize the simple fact that he was with Sofia was enough to tear me apart? She was the source of my pain for three years, and now he was with her, again. Why? Why?!

Argh!

A silent scream tore through my mind. I grabbed my head in my hands and rocked back and forth. I moved a little too much and grazed my ankles against each other. I bit back the urge to scream and shut my eyes in pain.

I didn't hear Dwayne walk out of the kitchen so I jumped when he came into view and he lifted his hands with an apologetic face.

"Here. Place this on your ankle," he handed me the ice pack and came around to help me out of the jacket. He went away for a moment and returned again with a little first-aid box. "This might sting a bit," he warned with a little smile as he pulled out a bottle of spirit and some cotton wool.

I winced in pain as he gently massaged the wound with the ball of wet cotton wool. Once he was done, he placed a band aid over the injury before kissing it tenderly.

"My mum used to say it made the wound heal faster. She was awesome when she found the strength," he sighed with a sad smile and rose from my side. He gave me an aspirin and a glass of water.

"For your head."

I slowly nodded.

Would you like to eat something?"

"I'm... not hungry. Sorry." I finally found my voice.

"It's okay. I'll show you to your room."

When I stood, my legs were shaky, and I swayed slightly. Dwayne didn't hesitate-he swept me up into his arms with ease, holding me close as if I weighed nothing at all. His warmth surrounded me, and I clung to him instinctively, which made his eyes soft, and I felt my cheeks burn.

I had to look away quickly, embarrassed by the intimacy of the moment, trying to loosen my grip on his neck.

When we got into the bedroom, he gently placed me down on the bed and hovered above me for a while.

He looked into my eyes intently, searching them like he could read my soul.

I felt my heartbeat slow down, rhyming in the background with the syncing of our breathing. He leaned closer and I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face. Then he withdrew and went over to the chair in a corner of the room. "Wanna talk about it?" he asked with concern in his voice.

I let out a long, heavy sigh, pulling the sheets around me like a shield. "I'd rather not... Please."

"Not for anything?"

His eyes somehow glinted in the dim light, like a cat.

I exhaled sharply, then turned to face him. The words I'd been holding back on the back of his motorbike came flooding out.

"Dwayne, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm a terrible, weak person. I don't deserve a friend like you. You see how I've messed everything up with Jared. I don't want to give you any false hope. Just... Please, don't waste any more time on me." He didn't say anything at first. He didn't look away.

"Don't call yourself weak. You deserve everything. Don't say that anymore. You're tired tonight. We'll talk about this later."

"No, Dwayne. We're not talking about it later. I mean it."

"I don't see that. Just sleep now. I'm leaving."

"You can't keep avoiding this! We need to make things clear. I can't keep dragging you into this emotional whirlwind. I felt bad and I know it's worse for you, waiting for someone who can't give you anything real. It's unfair to you." "Well then let's make it unfair. I don't care."

I froze, feeling a lump form in my throat. "Couldn't you just stop...?" I choked on my words.

Dwayne looked at me, and rose from the chair. Then came to my side with that same intense look. He leaned close with a forced smile on his face, before hitting the bedside light switch and parting me gently on my shoulder. "Good night, ostrich," he said softly and walked out of the room.

I let out a long sigh and stared up at the ceiling, the hours blending together in a haze. My thoughts were a tangled mess, each one spinning faster than the last.

For a moment, I imagined there were tiny dots on the ceiling and they formed the outline of Jared's face, a smug smile set on his lips as he watched me in mockery. I shut my eyes tightly to keep the image out of my head. Sleep came faster than I expected. There was the fresh scent of grass and trees beside my pillow, and I didn't have a single dream.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed until I sensed movement beside me, prompting my eyes. I blinked, and immediately regretted it as the early morning sunlight flooded the room, hitting the back of my head with a searing pain. It took me a moment to collect myself and remember how to breathe.

When I opened my eyes again, I was met with the sight of my son, Maverick, curled up beside me, his bright smile warming me from the inside out. "...Maverick?" I sat up abruptly, the ache in my head forgotten, replaced by a rush of happiness so intense it made me want to cry.

"Mommy!" he said, his voice full of sweetness as he squeezed me tighter. My eyes filled with tears that I couldn't hold back, no matter how hard I tried. Dwayne was leaning against the doorframe, hands casually tucked into his pockets, a soft smile on his face.

"You slept like a baby," he said.

"You brought him," I said more than asked.

"Yeah," Dwayne replied. "Figured

you'd be worried about him, and I thought it'd be easier to just have him here. The babysitter almost didn't let me take him, though. Had to convince her I was his friend.

Maverick made it pretty easy though," he added, winking at

Maverick, who beamed back at him.

Just then, a bark echoed through the room, and I felt tiny paws

scampering onto the bed. Milo, followed closely by Doodle, the

golden retriever puppy, jumped

with wagging tails. Milo leapt from my lap to Maverick's in excitement, white Doodle sniffed at Dwayne's suit pants with a curious tilt of his

head.

I caught Dwayne's gaze, and he smiled at me.

"Baby, can you take dogs out to the living room for a bit? Mommy's gotta shower and get ready for work," I said to Maverick to get him out of the room.

"You're that confident I'll have clothes for you?" Dwayne teased, as if nothing had happened the night before.

I sighed inwardly. "Well, you do know me so well after all."

"You bet."

I smiled back before taking on a more serious expression. "Dwayne..."

"Don't start." He smiled, but his tone was firm.

"I... I just wanna say thank you, for everything. That's it. For last night. For not asking so many questions and for understanding. Thank you for being there for me." Dwayne shrugged casually. "It's nothing. I enjoy looking after you. You don't need to thank me for that."

"Still, I mean it," I replied.

He walked over to the bed and sat next to me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his presence. "All I want is to see you happy," he said, his eyes shining with something soft and sincere. "That's all that matters to me."

He leaned in, and I felt my breath

catch in my throat as his face came

dangerously close. But instead of what I feared, he simply kissed my forehead-gentle, tender. I closed my eyes for a second, savoring the moment, then he pulled back, rising to his feet.

"As much as I'd love to stay here with you, I've got work to do. I'll see you later today, okay? Your place?"

"Yeah, see you later." I nodded.

"Alright," he said, a final smile tugging at his lips. "I'll just take the kid to school first."

"Thanks. Let me say bye to him first," I climbed down from the bed and trailed after him.